A Dual Use legislator?

Will Senator Dennis Damon, co-chair of both Transportation Committee and the Marine Resources Committee of the Maine Legislature, devote as much time protecting and restoring inshore Maine groundfish and their habitats in Penobscot Bay as he has in promoting a new container port that would lie athwart Penoscot Bay's top groundfish nursery grounds?

Senator Damon commercially fishes. He knows the value of a healthy productive marine environment, and the importance of protecting it to keep it healthy.

Listen to him supporting Maine coastal fisheries habitat protection and restoration at the March 19, 2008 hearing of the Marine Resources Committee.

Senator Damon also chairs the Legislature's Transportation Committee. Listen to him supporting construction of a container port on Sears Island, right in Penobscot Bay's top fish nursery at the May meeting of MDOT's Sears Island Joint Use Planning Committee. But, nary a word of concern about the ecology of Penobscot Bay that might be affected.

While it would be insulting to suggest that because Lobsterman Dennis Damon doesn't fish in Penobscot Bay, he's not as attentive to its environment as he would be if this port were being proposed for Blue Hill Bay, one does have to wonder why he's not protective of Penobscot Bay fishery habitat.

So which is it, Senator? Container port industry or Penobscot Bay fishery? Can't have both.

About that MDOT meeting.From Bangor Daily News Story:

SEARSPORT - The Senate chairman of the state's Transportation Committee paid a surprise visit Friday to the Sears Island Joint Use Planning Committee meeting at the First Congregational Church. Sen. Dennis Damon, D-Trenton, praised the group but urged caution about not losing sight of the mission to keep part of the state- owned island for possible future port development.

"The members of my committee are very interested that this asset we have, Sears Island ... is of vital importance to the state of Maine and this whole region for its transportation opportunities," he said.

"They want to make sure that it's reserved as an opportunity for transportation," Damon said. "I think what you've been doing, is doing that," he added. "It would be very unfortunate that if anything we did now, in drafting this document, would preclude that."

The Joint Use Planning Committee, which evolved in June 2007 from the Sears Island Planning Initiative, was charged with creating borders on the 941-acre island between a conservation area and a parcel that could be developed into a container port. The committee is to complete its work by the end of June."

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