Road repair exacerbates problems in Allagash

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Agreements have been made. Task forces have been formed. And the state legislature has been given new oversight over the future of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

All of those factors aside, the actions of last week have once again proven that when it comes to that wonderful, cherished piece of water (and the surrounding land), agreement and consensus will be hard-won … if it is ever won at all.

About the only thing the divergent groups at the center of the 40-year debate on the Allagash truly seem to agree on is this: It’s a special place.

After that? Pick a side, or two, or three, and get ready for a battle.

As my colleague, Kevin Miller, reported on Wednesday, the latest salvo in the Allagash war was fired when state Sen. John Martin of Eagle Lake, Rep. Troy Jackson of Allagash, and others apparently decided to do a little bit of work on Old Michaud Farm Road.

According to Miller’s story, “officials with the Maine Department of Conservation confirmed Tuesday that they are looking into allegations that a group of people,” including Martin and Jackson, improperly reopened a road leading to the river.

The state closed that road back in 2003, after the signing of a compromise among waterway stakeholders. Martin – a signatory of that “River Drivers Agreement” – and others have since renounced the document.

When it comes to the discussions about the Allagash, it’s important to realize that the word “access” has become a dirty word to some, and the holy grail to others.

Some groups maintain that the less access there is to the waterway, the wilder the experience will be. Others say limiting access improperly penalizes the people who grew up on or near the river, and makes it difficult for them to enjoy the river they love.

Both sides can make persuasive arguments.

But here’s something to consider: The stakeholders have always disagreed in fundamental ways, and will likely to continue to butt heads.

And while Martin, Jackson and their group may or may not have made many changes when they made the road passable – filling in ditches that were left across the road and cutting up downed trees is their description – they did exacerbate the situation.

In the most recent legislative session, you may recall, Martin and Jackson were the champions of recently passed LD 2077, a bill that called for yet another Allagash task force, and allowed the legislature to review future management plan changes.

Now, less than a month after the first meeting of the task force, they poured gasoline on the still-smoldering embers of that contentious legislative debate, and have created another Allagash inferno.

For the record, Martin is a member of that task force, which, some idealistic folks hoped, was going to be able to do what no other working group or committee meeting ever has: Bring long-term stability to the confusing Allagash conundrum.

Martin has gained a reputation over the years as a no-nonsense, hard-nosed politician who delivers for his constituents.

By failing to run his road maintenance plan past Department of Conservation officials, however, and by taking the permission of an Irving Woodlands employee as a license to fill (ditches, that is), Martin likely did his constituents no favors.

There’s enough room for Allagash debate (and more than enough folks willing to engage in those debates) without roads being reopened, ditches being filled, fallen trees being cut up.

And even if the actions of Martin and Jackson’s road crew were as minor as Martin maintains, merely taking any action at all without DOC approval has given plenty of debate fodder to those who already fundamentally disagree with them.

After 40 years of squabbling, that’s all this Allagash debate didn’t need.

Caribou fisheries hearing set

Over the past few days the state Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has been making a whirlwind tour of the state for a series of public hearings on proposed fisheries rules changes.

If you’ve missed the previous three meetings, you’ve still got once change to be heard: The final hearing will be held at 6:30 tonight at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center.

The department is proposing a series of regulation changes for the upcoming ice fishing and open-water fishing seasons.

According to Mark Latti, a public relations specialist for the DIF&W, the department has been staging hearings like this – with many broad-based regulations discussed at one time at a central site in several regions – for the past few years.

“It’s kind of evolved to that, where a lot of these regulations are statewide regulations, so we’re spreading the hearings throughout the state so that anyone has the opportunity to comment on them if they want to,” Latti said.

“In the past we’ve localized issues a lot, or waited to see if there’s enough interest to hold a hearing,” he said.

The other hearings were held in Rangeley, Augusta and Brewer.

If you’ve been unable to attend any of the hearings, a list of affected waters can be obtained from Andrea Erskine, DIF&W, 41 SHS, Augusta, 04333.

Public comment on any of the proposals may be submitted by mail on any affected waters on the list.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.