Lake group working to preserve future

    WESTON, Maine — The annual meeting of the Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy (CLIC) was held July 19 at the Weston Grange on U.S. Route 1.
    CLIC, which was founded in 1993, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the quality of water in the lake system that runs between Canada and the southern part of Aroostook and northern part of Washington counties. The group currently has 209 dues-paying members.
After everyone in attendance had eaten a hot lunch, Co-President Bob Ellis of Houlton began the meeting by reviewing what CLIC has accomplished over the past year and touched on other accomplishments since its establishment.
Committee chairpersons had prepared written reports which were available to those in attendance to expedite the meeting.
Ellis highlighted the ongoing water quality monitoring project, the purchase of 14 milfoil signs that will be distributed over the summer, the loon nesting platforms that have been set up in Grand Lake, and the annual picnic on Half Moon Island.
Don Ellis, coordinator of the picnic, reported that well over 100 people attended the event, which was held July 12.  He also announced the upcoming fund-raiser/yard sale on the Boundary Road in Orient to be held on Saturday, Aug. 16.
CLIC is also involved in education projects, including placing fish egg hatching tanks in seven local schools. Last spring, The Pioneer Times covered the release of the fish at the thoroughfare in Orient. After the release, the students attended a hot dog roast at Don Ellis’ camp. Over 10,000 fish have been released to date.
CLIC also sponsors scholarships so young people can attend the Greenland Point conservation camp. Two students are scheduled to attend this summer.
In addition, CLIC sponsors and maintains the binoculars at the two Scenic Overlooks on Route 1 in Weston, one facing east toward the lakes and the other facing Mt. Katahdin to the west. It also sponsors picnic tables at various locations on Grand, Spednic and Mud lakes and is helping to establish channel markers in the thoroughfare.
After the report, new officers of the board were nominated and elected: Ed Vose of Waterville and Orient, and Ann Barnes and Torrey Sylvester, each of Houlton and Orient, were elected for terms to end in 2011. John Furrow of Fosterville N.B. and Mike Saunders of Fosterville and Victoria B.C. were elected to terms ending in 2010.
After the business meeting, Forrest Bonney, a biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, who grew up in Orient, spoke on Maine wild trout. You didn’t need to be a fisherman or a fish eater to appreciate the special qualities of this native fish. The gathering concluded with a brief presentation given by Ryan Neale and Brian Madigan, summer interns with the Woodie Wheaton Land Trust. The Land Trust works quietly in a non-advocacy way to foster and encourage conservation and to preserve natural areas and habitat for the benefit of the general public.