WESTON, Maine — Many eastern Maine residents who live near East Grand Lake rallied on Saturday in support of keeping the Forest City Dam intact. The dam, is currently operated and maintained by the Woodland Pulp Mill based in Baileyville, but the businesses spokesperson says it's becoming too expensive.
"We did file a petition to surrender, and we very much wanted to engage the public. Certainly we have no interesting in pulling up the gates and de-watering East Grand Lake," said mill spokesperson Scott Beal.
The Woodland Pulp Mill has filed multiple petitions to surrender the dam, because they say it's costing more to maintain than they actual see a benefit from. Those petitions however have been rejected by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The mill now has no interest in continuing to maintain the dam, and although they have no plan to destroy it, residents and business owners who live along the East Grand Lake are concerned for it's future.
"Recreation and natural resources, if you just look around, that's what we have," said lifelong Weston resident and member of the Greater East Grand Region Planning Group, Elbridge Cleaves. "That's our base, our economic base. Anything that effects that negatively effects our area negatively."
Many sharing the same mindset as Cleaves at the rally on Saturday. It was organized by the The Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy, known as CLIC. The group's President David Townsend says "That dam produces an enormous amount of benefit to the people here."
East Grand Lake is a popular fishing destination in Maine, and businesses around the lake are critical to the local economy.
"It has to be preserved the way it is, or this area is economically gone," said Cleaves.
Many fear that if there is no determination over who should maintain and operate the dam, it could be destroyed, and possibly lower water levels by more than six feet.
"It's going to be an economical, financial, and environmental disaster," said Barry Connelly, who retired to East Grand Lake. He previously served as a representative in the Texas state legislature. "We've retired here. I've traveled the world and this is the most beautiful part."
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be holding a public meeting on August 28th at 3:30pm at East Grand High School in Danforth to try and answer the question of who should be maintain the dam. Representatives from the mill, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are expected to attend.