To: Committee on Environment & Natural Resources
From: Matt Cannon, Sierra Club Maine
Date: February 28, 2022
Re: Testimony in Opposition to LD 1979: An Act To Sustain Good-paying Jobs in the Forest Products Industry by Ensuring Consistency between Comprehensive River Resource Management Plans and State Water Quality Standards
Senator Brenner, Representative Tucker, and members of the Environment & Natural Resources Committee, my name is Matt Cannon, and I am speaking on behalf of Sierra Club Maine, representing over 22,000 supporters and members statewide. Founded in 1892, Sierra Club is one of our nation’s oldest and largest environmental organizations. We work diligently to amplify the power of our 3.8 million members nation-wide as we work towards protecting our vital landscapes and natural resources. To that end, we urge you to vote “Ought Not to Pass” on L.D. 1979.
Healthy rivers and fisheries are key economic drivers in Maine. We’ve seen here first-hand how dam removal and river restoration can revitalize our communities, restore fish and wildlife, and deliver significant economic, recreational, and environmental benefits. Since the removal of the Edwards Dam in 1999 and the Fort Halifax Dam on the Sebasticook River in 2007, life has surged back to the lower Kennebec. We’ve experienced similar successes on the Penobscot when other dams were removed.
The work to restore our rivers is not complete, and L.D. 1979 would stop further progress. The bill would make it impossible for Maine resource agencies to advocate for protective fish-passage standards and water quality standards in federal dam licensing processes—taking away their ability to protect Maine’s clean water and fishery resources. L.D. 1979 would make projects like the Edwards Dam removal and the Penobscot River Restoration Project impossible. Please vote Ought Not To Pass.
Sincerely, Matthew Cannon
Campaign and Policy Associate Director
Sierra Club Maine Chapter