The Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy held its annual meeting Aug. 9 at the Danforth Town Hall with over 40 people in attendance.
President Kathy Conley, who had baked pastries for the attendees, welcomed everyone. She reported on the success of several recent conservancy undertakings, including the annual hot dog roast, held on Half Moon Island in East Grand Lake two weeks prior.
Elected officers and committee chairs gave reports.
Marie Ormerod, one of several officers who are Canadian citizens with camps on the eastern, Canadian side of the lake, reported on conservancy activities since the last annual meeting. The organization had a busy year “building up the youth in our community, building up the fish stock in our lakes, building picnic tables and websites and feeding our community hot dogs and fries on a beautiful sunny day,” she said.
She also said the group had been watching the progress of the Forest City Dam, hoping the transfer of the license from Woodland Pulp to the St. Croix International Waterway Commission would occur this fall. She also hoped the transfer would result in the lake system’s water levels being governed by wildlife and environmental concerns and then, by recreational interests.
All camp owners have been alarmed at the low water level this summer, despite the heavy spring rainfall.
The conservancy has a new website which she and her husband, Dan, have worked on. The address is chiplakes.com and they welcome comments and suggestions.
Following officer and financial reports, chairs addressed concerns. David Townsend reported for the fisheries committee, and he and Kevin Dunham of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife answered questions.
Dunham provided the number of salmon stocked and monitored in East Grand over the past few years and how MDIFW determines the number to stock. They had been stocking 6,500 but reduced the number to 6,300 in recent years, because random 2-year-old salmon that are reported on were healthier when fewer were stocked.
He also explained the Tag and Track program, wherein a number of lake trout of different sizes are tagged and their patterns tracked by devices attached to small buoys which are submerged in East Grand Lake.
John Johnson, outgoing chair of the water quality committee, explained that volunteers use Secchi dishes to test water clarity and also keep an eye out for the invasive zebra mussels. He said water clarity remains good and there is no evidence of zebra clams in East Grand Lake. He reported that Woodson Lord is stepping up to take on the role of coordinator of water quality for the conservancy.
David Townsend, a 35-year law professor and expert in regulatory policy, also spoke about the Forest City Dam concerns. He feels fairly confident that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission board will approve change to the license this coming fall. All the work has been done by the staff.
While the Peskotomuhkati Nation wants a modern fishway on the American side as a precondition of surrendering the license, at the staff review and recommendation level, the staffers said that such a precondition would be contrary to current surrender policy. The commissioners have not yet considered this issue.
The action regarding the existing license for the Forest City Dam is that it will be surrendered back to the federal commission. The waterway commission will own and control its operations as an unlicensed dam if the commission does allow for this change. The license itself is not being transferred.
The Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy plans a fisheries dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, at the Houlton Country Club. All are welcome, fishermen or not.
The conservancy also welcomes new members and is in need of volunteers to fill three positions: a treasurer, a Sunshine Club volunteer who welcomes new members, and a chair for the water quality committee.
