We are writing to celebrate the decision by the five-member Maine Supreme Court who unanimously ruled against Nordic Aquafarms’ proposed project on Route 1 next to the Little River, by agreeing that the ownership of the intertidal land was clearly deeded to Jeffrey Mabee and Judith Grace.
This long and expensive struggle to get to a simple truth is, sadly, not even the main point and we all know that. We are in a new reality. Every development in any community simply must be looked at in terms of how it will affect the climate crisis. Nordic ‘s proposed fish factory does not even come close to passing that scrutiny, as the in-depth research taken on by members of our community such as Jim Merkel, John Krueger, Ellie Daniels, Lawrence Reichard and Paul Bernacki, just to name a few, has shown.
We have learned so much over these past five years from citizens who have just stepped up to do the research because they care. And to everyone who has been asking questions, attending meetings, standing on corners, attending hearings, writing letters since March 2018, thank you.
So really, we are writing to thank all of them, and so many others who have spent thousands of hours, lots of money, and endless creative energy trying to protect our beloved land and waters.
Thank you to Ellie Daniels and Donna Broderick for being some of the first voices to say, to the City Council and others, slow down, let’s really look at the longterm consequences to us here in Waldo County, rather than corporate profits for an untried over-sized technology from Norway.
Thank you to all the people who developed and work gratis for the Harriet Hartley Conservation Area, understanding what it takes for a longterm struggle, and giving so much time to this effort. Thank you for Upstream Watch and all those members who stepped up to hold the city of Belfast accountable to its citizens and worked to share their concerns with the public. Thank you to George Maendel and Eileen Wolper, and all those who participated in weekly public stands to talk with folks about our concerns, standing on High Street with the best creative signs ever!
And thank you to Jeffrey Mabee and Judith Grace, for their clear understanding of the stakes in this struggle for our environment — finally, your couragous and determined stance has prevailed. And a huge thanks must go to Kim Ervin Tucker and David Perkins, the lawyers who carried this all the way to the Maine Supreme Court. I know Kim has spent countless hours in this work, and her clear vision and availability, despite so many challenges, have been essential to this wonderful return to sanity in our town.
