The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Rolf Olsen is vice president of Friends of Sears Island and a Searsport resident.
Now that Gov. Janet Mills has announced that Sears Island is the preferred site for Maine’s wind port, many people are asking how they can help defend the island from development, and what’s next for Friends of Sears Island. We are as saddened as anyone with the decision, even though many of us have expected it from the start, and we are grateful for the outpouring of support.
From the moment we first learned about this possible development, our position has been that if a wind port is needed in Penobscot Bay, it should be built on Mack Point, not Sears Island. We still believe this. Mack Point has the required 100 acres, it has been an industrial site for more than a century, owner Sprague Energy welcomes the development, and per the 2007 Sears Island Planning Initiative Consensus Agreement, the state is obligated to give “preference” to developing Mack Point over Sears Island.
In her announcement, Mills repeated the same vague and unsubstantiated reasons we’ve heard many times: That Mack Point would cost more because it is privately owned land and a land lease would be charged, that Mack Point would require environmentally damaging dredging and Sears Island would not, that Sears Island would somehow be the less environmentally damaging alternative. These gross oversimplifications seem more intended to raise public concern than anything else, and they are being repeated often by others, including our state senator, Chip Curry.
Where is the data to back up these assertions? We’ve been told this will become available in the coming weeks. Going forward, here is what we will watch for: clear, objective, quantifiable and conclusive data to support the decision to choose Sears Island over Mack Point. Proof that Mack Point cannot fulfill the mission and function of the wind port. Convincing evidence that the state has fulfilled its obligations under the 2007 Sears Island Planning Initiative Consensus Agreement that states: “Mack Point shall be given preference as an alternative to port development on Sears Island.”
Now Mills has submitted a bill that would allow the Department of Environmental Protection to issue a permit for a wind port located in a protected “coastal sand dune system.” This late session, fast-tracked bill looks like an attempt to change regulations that might otherwise prevent or limit the wind port development on Sears Island.
Friends of Sears Island is a very small volunteer organization that for many years has cared for trails and developed new ones; offered free educational programs for all ages, led by naturalists and other professionals; and collaborated with schools, libraries and community organizations to engage people in the habits of stewardship for the environment and healthy, low-impact recreation. During 2023, our volunteers donated 2,900 hours of service, clearing trails after storms, raising funds to pay for programs, building new stairs to the eastern beach and staying fully engaged in the port selection process.
Friends of Sears Island is not an activist organization, taking strong positions against some issue, although many of our members do that personally. Our work has always been for the environment, healthful recreation and education.
We are committed to supporting others who have the knowledge, experience and resources to monitor and challenge the permitting process, taking legal and other actions as appropriate. Our friends at Islesboro Islands Trust have pledged to “intervene using every legal means available.” The Alliance for Sears Island is a group of organizations (including Friends of Sears Island) that share the belief that the wind port should be on Mack Point. There are many people ready to demonstrate, hold rallies and otherwise help to ensure that the best decision is ultimately made.
Our work will be to continue to keep our members and the public informed as new information is available, of rallies and other events, and of every opportunity to provide input to the permitting and environmental review processes. We are told there will be many such opportunities over the coming year.
We fully support Maine’s plan to develop floating offshore wind as a key part of the state’s effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, but we continue to believe the port that will make that possible must be located on Mack Point.
