Maine, The Way Life Is

There is a new attitude afoot in Maine to make our state what some feel it "should be." It's a funny thing how a natural environment, once discovered, follows a course whereby what has been attractive, needs to be changed. In Maine this has often materialized in the attitude of having to "save us from ourselves. " Suddenly, our natural environment is "in crisis" and new reforms and regulations must be put in place to protect it. The forests, the coastal waters, the rivers and lakes and wetlands, and especially the economy of the state, all are seeing the effects of these reforms from the "new generation of environmentalism."

The untold story is that in this process, the traditional culture, lifestyle, economy and uses are replaced, updated, and made more fitting for those who see it as ""their turn now". Take a look. Quaint fishing villages have disappear while fishing docks and boathouses become homes for those who've discovered Maine's quaint uniqueness. Fishing boats bought out by federal dollars are replaced in harbors by yachts.

In the north, private forests long open to public use, become public issues. Those proclaiming "Earth First!" are the new north woods predators, literally attacking paper mills. Areas that have been the shared backyards of local residents and property owners, a mix of private and public lands, such as the West Branch region of the Penobscot River and the Allagash Waterway are targeted for increased regulations in an attempt to "restore" them.

The "discovery" of Maine ultimately leads to the promotion of increased tourism. The tourism cycle begins often encouraging the turnover of traditional economies, communities, and lifestyles while impacting the area's infrastructure and increasing costs of public and municipal services. Property values and taxes increase. Old-timers often sell out, or promote the transition as participants in a tourist economy. Newcomers compete for tourist dollars.

The new generation of environmentalism is backed by wealth through environmental grants, land trusts, and the environmental industry's corporate push toward ecotourism and related regulations. The process blinds and envelopes well meaning people who want only to make a living in a clean environment. Are we left to accept that our traditional lifestyles and economy are to be replaced at great social, cultural and economic costs?

"Predators" also come from the federal government with regulations almost guaranteed to kill existing resource economies. The lobster industry within a matter of years will be extinct if proposed federal regulations allow offshore and out-of-state catches of egg-bearing "seed" lobsters. All egg-bearing stock must be released to guarantee the future of the industry. The Northern Forest Stewardship Act is poised to acquire our lands and farms on a "willing seller basis". In addition, to capture the remaining areas by Executive Order there are 13 federal agencies willing, under the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, to help manage our rivers and watersheds. How many "willing sellers" will be made through these increased regulations? How many stewards are needed to protect property that is desirable now, as private holdings?

It is interesting that the "crises" we face have surfaced within the past few decades. The forests, the fishing, the disappearing farms, the endangered species, global warming, the quality of water, all have direct relationships to our natural resource based economy and property rights. Some argue that the only crisis here is that the issues are simply not the way some would like them to be and don't fit the tourism slogan, "Maine the Way Life Should Be". Others see the " environmental crises" as an economic takeover tactic using sustainable communities, environmental issues and ecotourism as tools.

The Maine Center for Economic Policy drafted a report titled Tourism and Maine's Future: Toward Economic, Environmental and Community Sustainability. The public should be asking some hard questions, including the obvious; Who Benefits? Who Gets Hurt?

The Maine State Planning Office is drafting a report on the impact of Global Climate Change. The thinking includes increased taxes including a "rural dispersion tax" for Maine's rural areas. Who Benefits? Who Gets Hurt?

Last year more than 25 new endangered species were added to the existing list, imposing new regulatory burdens on land use in Maine. Who Benefits? Who Gets Hurt?

Maine citizens had to head off the nomination of the Penobscot River as an American Heritage River, the designation of which would have restricted property rights on more than 8,000 square miles of mostly private property. Who Benefits? Who Gets Hurt? This initiative was created by Executive Order, not authorized by Congress. In fact, several Congressmen are suing the federal government over the American Heritage Rivers Initiative.

Why are the heavy hands of the environmental industry, involved in threatening Maine's existing resource based industries with their money, politics and eco-agenda? Let's see the facts, the science, and the economic impact assessment. Who Benefits? Who Gets Hurt?

Maine citizens deserve answers.

What's Your View? Email Us: editor@asmainegoes.com

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