Baldacci, Mitchell at Maine Water Conference April 21
Contact: Nick Houtman, Dept. of Public Affairs, 207-581-3777, houtman@maine.eduSarah Nelson, Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, 207-581-3454, sarah.nelson@umit.maine.edu
RIVER RESTORATION, CLEAN AIR ACT, SALMON AND SLUDGE ARE PRIME TOPICS AT MAINE WATER CONFERENCE IN AUGUSTA
ORONO, Maine — The politics and science of Maine’s water resources will come under discussion at the tenth annual Maine Water Conference at the Augusta Civic Center on April 21. This year’s meeting will feature presentations by Governor John Baldacci, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell and University of Maine President Peter Hoff.
Organized by the Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Management at UMaine, the meeting is expected to attract more than 300 scientists, citizen volunteers, municipal officials and state and federal agency representatives.
Activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. Morning presentations will focus on restoration efforts in Lewiston and on the Penobscot River. Lincoln Jeffers, deputy director of economic and community development in Lewiston, will discuss that city’s program to redevelop its Androscoggin River waterfront, including the Bates Mills complex, a federally designated brownfield site.
Addressing plans to remove dams on the Penobscot River and restore habitat for salmon, shad and other fish will be Scott Hall of Pennsylvania Power and Light, Butch Phillips of the Penobscot Indian Nation and Laura Rose Day of the Penobscot Partners.
The federal Clean Air Act will be the focus with presentations later in the morning by Steve Kahl, director of the UMaine Mitchell Center, and Senator Mitchell. The latest amendments to the Clean Air Act were developed under Mitchell’s leadership in the late 1980s. Kahl has worked closely with the U.S. Environmental protection Agency to understand how reductions in air pollution have affected the nation’s lakes and streams.
Hoff and Baldacci are scheduled to speak just prior to or during the lunch.
Six concurrent afternoon sessions will focus on topics such as lake management, salmon rivers, riverfront redevelopment, sludge and water related issues in the Maine State Legislature.
A schedule with speaker information is available on the Mitchell Center website .