PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 30, 2024
In Maine, native anadromous fish species are able to effectively access less than 10% of their former range. On the Penobscot, the first two dams were removed over 10 years ago, yet salmon passage remains inadequate with fish unable to transit Milford Dam. On the Androscoggin, there has been dysfunctional fish passage at head of tide in Brunswick for the entire term of the current FERC license. On the Saco River, despite agreements that go back over 30 years, effective fish passage has yet to be demonstrated at the head of tide. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s record of supporting restoration of sea-run fisheries is abysmal, and a new impact statement proposes the same approaches for a critical part of the last Atlantic salmon population in the country. FERC must change its thinking. ~ Steve Heinz, Maine Council of Trout Unlimited