After reading about the collapse of the Citizens Commission on Lewiston-Auburn Cooperation (March 4), I felt obligated to point out there remains considerable hope for substantial savings, and potential for new revenues through collaboration between the Twin Cities.

As the secretary of the Lewiston Auburn Community Forestry Board, I’ve witnessed first-hand the ingenuity and vision Mainers are known for. Before readers quickly dismiss the notion of a Community Forestry Board in such a heavily forested state and municipality, please consider just this limited list of the ways trees may be valued: storm water mitigation, CO2 sequestration, improved property valuation, parks and protected woodlands which attract and retain shoppers and tourists, city beautification, and as a harvestable commodity.

This past fall, the LACFB, with support from the LA Fund, received a seed grant to hire a forester for development of a sustainable harvest plan for some 500 acres of unutilized tracts of city land. This will provide some initial and, more importantly, long-term sustainable revenue streams for the community from wood harvests alone. There remains, yet, much potential to be discovered and developed from the community forests.

With this image of collaboration between the cities in mind, people should consider becoming involved – not just in debate – but in active collaboration.

It seems clear to me that any improvement of the forests, businesses, transportation systems, waterways, schools and many other segments the communities, represents opportunity for now and the future.

John Painter, Lewiston