Public shows strong opposition to low-flying aircraft

FARMINGTON — A public comment session was held Saturday at the University of Maine at Farmington to hear citizens' opinions on the Environmental Impact Statement released by the Air National Guard concerning their proposal to lower flight training altitude over western Maine.

Gov. John Baldacci has already released a statement opposing the proposal. Many who offered their opinions at Saturday's hearing were in accordance with Baldacci; among these were Attorney General Janet Mills, state Reps. Tom Saviello, Jared Crockett, Paul Gilbert, Lance Harvell and Walter Gooley, as well as many concerned citizens.

Mills reassured the Guard that "we are not anti-military in any sense of the word," but she was not pleased with the Guard's proposal. She also mentioned that she was "appalled that no outreach has been made to the Penobscot Nation," which owns 47,000 acres under the proposed airspace.

Rep. Wayne Mitchell spoke for the Penobscot Nation: "We've stood shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. in every war, and we have nothing against the military ... but I request that our property be omitted from this plan."

Many representatives and citizens alike were concerned about the quality of the issued EIS, particularly the fact that much of the relevant information did not appear to be very up-to-date. Rep. Saviello pointed out that much of the most recent literature cited in the statement was published in the 1990s.

"If a student had handed this in to me, they would have failed," Saviello said.

Rep. Jared Crockett concurred, saying, "I'm generally very sympathetic to more training ... [but] this request should be denied until the EIS is written properly."

Many citizens were particularly concerned about the effect that the air traffic would have on the western region's economy, especially the tourism industry. Warren Cook, a representative of Saddleback Maine, pointed out that the recent increase in tourism has been vital to the Franklin County economy. Interfering with these activities could cause it to suffer again. "I suggest that you conduct an Economic Impact Study," Cook said.

One citizen who stood out from the crowd was Raymond Cramer, a World War II veteran who pointed out that Americans have not usually had to get out of the way for the military, but it was done in World War II. He said he believes that it is something that we should not object to doing again. He said the western Maine mountains provide "the best shot at letting (pilots) to know what it's like," referring to the war in Afghanistan. "Let's find a way to make this work," Cramer suggested.

Another citizen, Karen Pease, objected to this, pointing out that "we have the right to say no."

Air National Guard representatives at the hearing said that "this is a growing document" and that those who contributed would be informed when changes are made.