Nearshore Wind Rush: What you can do to stop it

IF YOU WANT MAINE FISHERMEN TO KEEP FISHING, AND WINDJAMMERS TO KEEP SAILING, tell your legislators to vote NO on LD 1810 An Act to Implement the Recomendations of the Governor's Ocean Energy Task Force . Or at least hold over to next year, so fishermen, sailors and coastal towns can study the bill and fix it before it goes through the legislature

This bill has a March 11, 2010 public hearing in Augusta (before the Utility and Energy Committee) Room 211, Cross State Office Building

Why the Utility Committee and not Marine Resources? Good question!

Be there or phone and email the committee and your legislators to VOTE NO or at least HOLD THE BILL OVER TO NEXT YEAR to give fishermen and coastal towns time to work over the bill to make it "Mainer-friendly".

Here's what you need to tell them. Below that is how to reach them by phone and by email

LD 1810 an ocean grab by big energy companies. If Baldacci signs this bill, the big energy companies will start submitting applications to lease 100s of square miles of Maine state waters. Prime scalloping and shrimping grounds off Metinic are proposed to get 40 to 60 windmills. That's only one of the many bright ideas from the investors.

: LD 1810 is too much, too late in the legislative session. (Just introduced for first time on saturday) This kind of rush job is what they did with land based windmills, and look at all the angry Mainers in towns up in the mountain all having to resort to lawsuits because of the rush job sucker game they got pulled on them by the wind industry and its ENGO hangers-on.

* LD 1810 is in the wrong committee. The Utilities and Energy Committee knows nothing about fisheries, but is setting up to lease your fishing grounds to foreign wind companies. The bill MUST go before the Marine Resources Committee too. And the Marine Resources Advisory Committee, the scallop advisory committee etc.

* LD 1810 will need a BIG fiscal note. Since all the wind mills and related equipment are exempted from property taxes by the bill, the towns will have to raise revenue somehow to pay for the additional harbormaster time needed to protect the rights of existing users in the water and to protect the nearshore windfarms from vandalism and terrorists. Also will need funding to help displaced scallopers. shrimpers and groundfishermen.

* LD 1810 strips coastal towns of any home rule authority over any aspect of windmills in their town waters.

* Lobstermen will have to sign waivers indemnifying the wind companies from liability to be allowed to continue to fish in their home fishing grounds. Scallopers, shrimpers and groundfishermen will be told to get lost.

* The wind industry wants fishermen and sailors to give up their historic heritage for the betterment of absentee Big Energy company shareholders.

* The wind's not going anywhere, but jobs scalloping, shrimping and groundfishing might be, if this bill isn't carefully gone over with a fine toothed comb,

* Coastal Mainers have something that Big Wind wants. The wind industry can wait while legislators & citizens make sure that existing users of the state's waters are protected.

* The wind industry would love to rush LD 1810 through on Thursday March 11th with a lot of slogans & bogus but exciting claims about cheaply heating Maine homes with windpower electricity.

* LD 1810 needs to be held over to next session so sensible re-working of the wording can be done. Or else just flat out given Ought Not To Pass.

* If LD 1810 passes in present form, groundfish, scallop and shrimp fisherrmen will be pushed out of huge areas of state waters.

* If LD 1810 passes in present form, the schooner fleets will be pushed out of huge areas of state waters

Just tell legislators to say NO to LD 1810 Here's How to reach them:

Email and phone:

Write an email listing your concerns about this bill and how it could affect you your livelihood and your community. Be sure to mention LD 1810 in the subject line and send it to the Utility and Energy Committee Clerk Kristen Gottlieb Kristen.Gottlieb@legislature.maine.gov .

Ask her to forward it to the committee's members. She will.

Do the same for the Marine Resources Committee Clerk Marianne MacMaster Marianne.MacMaster@legislature.maine.gov Be sure to mention LD 1810 in the subject line

Ask her to forward your email to her committee's members. Tell them that Marine Resources Committee needs to hold hearings on this bill, since the Utility/Energy committee doesn't know a herring from a halibut and can't be trusted with deciding Maine fishermen's future.

Call and email your state legislators Leaving a message for your legislator at any of these numbers makes a huge difference. Do it!

List of all senators: Click here (207) 287-1540 message line

All Representatives Click Here (207) 287-1400 message

Maine fishing industry's future depends on keeping Big Wind Industry on a leash. This bill does just the opposite. Let's derail it.

Questions? contact me: