FARMINGTON — Franklin County Commissioners Bob Carlton and Lance Harvell voted Tuesday to sign a letter to the state’s congressional delegation opposing a national wildlife refuge in central Franklin County.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is studying about 200,000 acres in central Franklin County for a possible wildlife refuge encompassing 5,000 to 15,000 acres. The oval outlined with a dotted line delineates the study area extending from northeast Byron in Oxford County, northeast to Carrabassett Valley. It encompasses part or all of 16 towns, townships and plantations. U.S. Inland Fish and Wildlife Service photo
Commission Chairman Terry Brann abstained, saying he didn’t believe the county should take a position.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is thinking about creating a refuge to manage wildlife on 5,000 to 15,000 acres of undeveloped land, Paul Casey, a resident of Maine and representative of the service, said previously. The area has 14 of Maine’s highest summits and the largest cluster of peaks over 4,000 feet in the state. The refuge would be in the high peaks region.
The federal agency, which falls under the U.S. Department of the Interior, is studying an area about 200,000 acres within which to establish a refuge. It stretches from the northeast corner of Byron in Oxford County, northeast into parts or all of Township D, Township E, Township 6 North of Weld, Rangeley Plantation, Sandy River Plantation, Madrid Township, Dallas Plantation, Phillips, Redington Township, Mount Abram Township, Carrabassett Valley, Coplin Planation, Wyman Township, Dead River Township and Salem Township.
Before developing a proposal, the service is listening to comments from people attending area meetings and those who submit them.
There was mixed reaction to creating a refuge, according to comments at the Carrabassett Valley public information session recording on Zoom.
Carlton said the letter was written by a coalition of concerned citizens who oppose the refuge.
He said he is a member of the coalition, as is former state legislator Tom Saviello of Wilton, James Cote of Franklin County and many others.
Carlton, of Freeman Township, and Harvell, of Farmington, previously voted in opposition to establishing a wildlife refuge.
For the second time, Brann, of Wilton, said he didn’t believe the county should take a position; it should be decided by the people.
Nancy Perlson of Madrid Township asked commissioners to put off signing the letter until there is a plan in place. Once a proposal is created, it would be reviewed.
There is a group of stakeholders involved, she said.
Members include Shelby Rousseau of Phillips, a registered guide and deputy director of Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust; Tim Flight, a Carrabassett Valley resident and avid birder; Brent West, executive director of High Peaks Alliance; Paul Kennedy, snowmobile club board member; Art Lage of Phillips and a Madrid Township landowner; Sally Stockwell, director of conservation for Maine Audubon; Dana Doran, executive director of Professional Logging Contractors of Maine; and, Linda Jones, first assessor, of Dallas Plantation.
Carlton said an attempt 10 years ago to create a refuge in the area failed.
“We think we do a pretty good job in the state of Maine,” he said, of conserving land. He named some of the parcels including Bigelow Preserve.
Speaking as a commissioner Wednesday, Carlton said he is opposed as a resident, forester and landowner. He and others don’t trust the federal government, he said.
“This is about local control,” he said.
He said he had no problem with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife conserving 733 acres in Rangeley. The land will remain open and allow hunting, fishing and outdoor recreational activities.
“We’re OK with the state doing it,” Carlton said. “The state’s doing a great job.”
If people want to change something, they can just go to Augusta, he added.
Once the federal government conserves land, the residents don’t have a say, he said. They make promises and sometimes don’t keep them, he added.
“It is very complex,” he said. “A lot of moving parts. A lot of things happening fast.”
Carlton said a lot of towns are opposed to the idea of creating a refuge. He named Eustis, Phillips and Kingfield, but those officials have not acted in opposition to the idea.
Kingfield Town Manager Leanna Targett and Phillips Town Manager Maureen Haley said Thursday that selectmen in their towns have not taken formal action to oppose the project. There are a lot of mixed feelings, Targett said.
“Our Select Board has not taken a position on this yet,” Carrabassett Valley Town Manager Dave Cota wrote in an email. “Their next meeting is scheduled for July 31 at which time they may (or may not) take a position.”
Eustis Town Clerk Rachel Williams said the board has agreed to sign a letter Carlton will be giving them to be sent to the Maine congressional delegation asking them to join the concerned citizens to oppose the refuge. No formal action of opposition has been taken.
A letter to the Franklin County commissioners from Allen Wicken of Dallas Plantation asks how individuals who have been elected to represent the citizens of Franklin County can be opposed to a potential National Wildlife Refuge before a process is created to gather on-record the facts and opinions of all the affected stakeholders.
“Do you, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, or one of your members, have some inside information upon which to base a negative stance before others have had their opportunity to share their thoughtful and considered comments for the record?” he wrote.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has contracted with Perlson to set up meetings, organize its stakeholder representative group and other work related to the proposal, Casey wrote in an email.
“She lives in the area and is very knowledgeable on the high peaks,” he wrote. “She is not contracted to promote the proposal.”
The service is following the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires scoping, gathering public input before “we develop a formal proposal,” Casey wrote, reiterating there is no plan yet.
Scoping involves setting boundaries, defining goals, setting deadlines and other details of a project.
“We will develop the proposal from the public input and the science,” Casey wrote. “The proposal will continue to follow (National Environmental Policy Act), which means it will be released for public comment and we will have formal public meetings.”
The group is establishing a stakeholder representative group to assist them as they develop the proposal to make sure they are listening to all groups, he said.
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