The pristine quiet of Maine’s North Woods is threatened by the proposed Pickett Mine, presently under review by the Maine Land Use Planning Commission. The 300-acre zinc mine, located just five miles east of Katahdin Woods, would be developed by Wolfden Resources Corporation, a small mining company with no previous mine operating experience.
This fall, my wife and I spent several days enjoying northern Maine’s wilderness with its migratory birds, feasting on the abundance of different plants and insects; and its interconnected waterways, lakes being both filled and emptied by ribbons of rivers and streams. We know that there are species of fish, especially brook trout, whose tether to life in this world depends on the health of northern Maine’s rivers and streams. While gazing at the stars one evening we saw and heard a jet traveling miles above us. As the blinking lights of the plane approached the far horizon more than a hundred miles away, we could still hear the jet’s engine. Sound plays differently in quiet places. We imagined noise from the mine disrupting the tranquil wilderness.
In my work life, I have visited mines throughout the world. In each, there were unintended consequences, sometimes leading to tragic outcomes. Streams of pollution don’t respect human property lines. Birds, insects, water, and air all flow freely and gracefully, carrying both beauty and death with them.
I hope the Land Use Planning Commission considers the unique value of this special land: the tens of thousands who come to the Maine woods for the quiet, the beauty, and the chance to be in relationship with all of the other creatures with whom we share this beautiful place. These places are increasingly rare in our world today.
Scott Klinger
Gardiner
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