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Community guided planning process to start
AROOSTOOK COUNTY - The first steps in community guided planning and zoning project for unorganized territories and townships are under way in Aroostook.
In February, the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) selected Aroostook County as the initial region to participate in a series of local workshops to help determine overall regional interest and, if interest is confirmed, further develop a framework for the community guided planning and zoning process. The LUPC is currently working with Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) to plan for and schedule the workshops.
"Right now we are working to set up a steering committee made up of 12 people who represent the unorganized areas, made up of large and small landowners, businesses owners, agricultural interests, environmental organizations, tribal representatives, and others. This steering committee will work with NMDC, LUPC and a consultant to set up the process of how we should be doing this and what are the issues we should be examining," said Jay Kamm, NMDC senior planner.
Kamm added the first three meetings of the steering committee, although open to the public, are just to develop the framework for the actual planning sessions, which should begin in June.
"When the steering committee meets for the first time in April (to be scheduled), we will be planning the process and developing a work plan," he said.
Recent efforts to improve the effectiveness of managing land use in the unorganized and deorganized areas of Maine have focused in part on the need for more locally guided and proactive planning for these areas. The 2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) identifies this type of planning, referred to as prospective zoning, as a priority for implementation. In addition, a directive to initiate prospective zoning is included in recent legislation.
"Having local control and obtaining local input into land use planning in the unorganized townships will, in the long run produce a better and regionally accepted product as opposed to one that is developed in a centralized Augusta location," added Kamm. "It's coming from bottom up as opposed to top down."
Kamm said after the initial pre-planning meetings public input will be needed to look at all the issues in the unorganized townships.
Once the entire planning process is done, which may take up to 18 months, recommendations will be made to LUPC.
"There is an opportunity to strengthen the economic development potential and protect the environment in the unorganized territories by looking at the zoning and land use activities there," Kamm said. "Is what's on the ground there now make sense with future plans."
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More than 225 attend second annual APP Biomass Fair
FORT KENT - With an outside temperature of 32 degrees and a wind chill pushing the "feels like" temperature below 20, Saturday was a good day to think about heating your home with biomass. That may have helped lead to the good turnout at the second Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP) Biomass Fair, held this year at the University of Maine Fort Kent.
"It was a steady flow of folks who showed interest and asked good questions," said APP President Bob Dorsey.
In total, more than 225 people attended the fair, which featured more than a dozen vendors who featured the latest in pellet stoves, boilers and accessories, financing options and more.
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The University of Maine Fort Kent hosted the second annual APP Biomass Fair last weekend. From left, APP President Bob Dorsey; SAD 27 Superintendent Tim Doak; John Murphy, UMFK Vice President of Administration; and Clifton Greim, Pres. of Harriman Architects and Engineers, review a schematic of the UMFK/SAD 27 biomass heating plan.
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Exhibitors included Daigle Oil Company, Maine Energy Systems, Acadia Federal Credit Union, USDA, County Stove Shop, UMFK, Center for Rural Sustainable Development, Sheridan Corporation, Northern Maine Development Commission, Quigley's Building Supplies, Northeast Pellets, Pelletco and APP.
The UMFK display highlighted how the campus is saving money by utilizing wood pellets.
"When you think about it, the University of Maine Fort Kent is leading by example," added Dorsey.
"The University of Maine Fort Kent has made a major effort to make biomass part of our long-term energy strategy, in fact our climate strategy," said UMFK President Wilson Hess. "We already have put in a million dollar operation that heats one and three quarters acres with biomass. We have a three million dollar project that we will break ground this spring, which will heat nine buildings on our campus, two to three building on the adjacent high school campus and will heat over 95 percent of all of our space. What that means is we save money. We keep money here locally. We cut ties to foreign oil and we move to a carbon neutral footprint."
Tours of the UMFK pellet boiler conversion were also offered to fair attendees and were well attended.
The Partnership already has plans to hold another fair next year in Southern Aroostook, and are considering in addition to biomass, open up the focus to other alternative energy options, like heat pumps, wind, propane and natural gas.
"It makes sense for us to expand to other alternatives because no one solution fills every situation and all alternatives fit in with the APP goal of reducing energy costs for Aroostook businesses and homeowners," Dorsey said.
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World Acadian Congress and Aroostook County Tourism tag team Portland camping show
PORTLAND - Aroostook County Tourism, along with representatives from the 2014 Congrès Mondial Acadien (CMA), attended the ninth Annual Vacationland RV and Camping Show in Portland April 6-7, which is sponsored by the Maine Campground Owners Association. Leslie Jackson, Aroostook Regional Tourism Developer, and Lorraine Pelletier, CMA Maine Regional Coordinator, and Linda Cyr, volunteer, spoke to individuals and families about visiting Aroostook County for summer camping and outdoor recreation.  | |
Lorraine Pelletier, Maine Regional Coordinator for the World Acadian Congress, talks to some potential tourists at the annual Vacationland RV and Camping Show in Portland.
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"Approximately 3,500 people were at the show throughout the weekend, and we distributed over 400 of the Aroostook Visitor Guides to interested campers and recreationalists," said Jackson. "Many retirees were there shopping for an RV at the show and were very excited about touring the County this summer. There were also many outdoor enthusiasts looking for their next big adventure. They left our booth with great ideas and locations that would surely satisfy all their wishes." Jackson said many were also interested in the CMA event coming in August 2014. Most Mainers have some sort of connection to the County, and with family reunions playing a large role in the event; they were intrigued to see whether their family would be hosting a reunion during the festivities. "The RV show was a great opportunity for us to publicize the CMA to people in attendance," Pelletier said. "We expect a lot of the people whom we met to travel to the County during the 17 days of festivities, including to attend one of the 60 family reunions that are expected to be held. People had a chance to review the list of 53 families reunions already scheduled in Maine. We met many French-speaking folks at the show, including some from Quebec, and we hope to see them all in Aroostook County during the CMA 2014. For more information on the CMA, visit the website at www.cma2014.com |
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