Charney speaks to BDN about solar development in Maine’s forests

Noah Charney, assistant professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology at the University of Maine, spoke to the Bangor Daily News about the Three Corners Solar Project in Kennebec County. Charney independently reviewed the project’s application documents and analyzed different online habitat maps. He said that though the development will likely disrupt the connection between wetlands and forests in the area, if he had to choose a forested site for solar development, it would be one that’s been previously logged like this one. Still, habitat mapping is more essential for larger solar farms and the state shouldn’t limit the tool to small-scale, low-impact sites. “I would think that mapping for larger sites is as important if not more important,” he said.