Recreation along the Androscoggin River is land trust’s top priority

News stories of the days when the Androscoggin River was one of the 10-most polluted rivers in the country were plentiful. Now that work continues in areas of the river to make additional improvements in water quality, it is safe to say the Androscoggin is poised for a rebirth the communities along its banks have only begun to leverage.

What lingers from this storied past, though, is a reluctance to embrace what the Androscoggin could mean to the economic future of this region.

As the conservation organization for 19 communities within the Androscoggin River watershed, the Androscoggin Land Trust (ALT) believes a large part of changing public opinion about the river involves getting the local community and visitors out on the water, and along the banks.

Newspaper readers may have seen our recent advertising in supplements encouraging people to “Hike, Bike, Paddle, Fish.” The amenities possible in our own hometown because of the river have been developed through the continued investments of towns and cities, the state, and organizations like ALT.

Despite its persistent public relations problem, the Androscoggin is a beautiful river and an ideal place for recreation – the Source to Sea Trek, Chief Worumbo Androscoggin River Fun Race, LA Trails Bridge Run, and Great Falls Balloon Festival are just some examples of recreational opportunities and community events along the river that bring people to the cities and towns in this corridor.

When people use and enjoy the river, they become stakeholders. It’s these stakeholders who will drive the grassroots movement needed to achieve better things for our river and ultimately help our communities prosper.

These efforts are not new to the Androscoggin.

In the mid-1990s, a coalition led by ALT developed a vision for the Androscoggin Greenway – a conservation and recreation plan to link trails and water access in more than half-dozen riverside communities.

With commitment from the cities and towns in the region, this plan has been quietly advancing over the last decade, and now includes areas like the Androscoggin Riverlands, with over 2,600 acres of land in Turner and Leeds available for outdoor recreation and nature observation, trail segments in downtown Lewiston/Auburn (including a converted railroad trestle), and now the David Rancourt River Preserve.

Beyond those projects, Turner, Leeds, Greene, Lewiston and Auburn have passed a joint resolution, drafted by ALT, to work collaboratively on a common vision for the future of the Androscoggin River through this area. This includes prioritizing development of recreational assets, planning for management and stewardship, and promoting this corridor to residents and visitors.

At the heart of the envisioned recreational corridor is the Gulf Island and Deer Rips Hydroelectric Project. These two dams create an impoundment affecting nearly 20 miles of the Androscoggin River.

As part of federal licensing to operate these dams, their owner, FPL Energy, is obligated to provide a recreation and trail plan for the corridor.

The plan proposed by FPL Energy, unfortunately, is based on information obtained in 1991, when the dams were owned by Central Maine Power. To complicate matters, the 1991 application for a federal license was based on the last comprehensive recreation study of the Androscoggin River, which dates to 1983.

The Androscoggin, and the communities along its shore, have changed significantly in the last quarter-century. The work in the last 10 years to advance the Androscoggin Greenway is testament to that.

The license to operate the Gulf Island and Deer Rips dams will be in place for more than four decades, and we can expect continued growth in demands for recreation along the Androscoggin River. The communities, aided by their commitment to implement common goals, and other river stakeholders continue to advocate to FPL Energy to play a partnership role in advancing this larger vision.

In this era of heightened awareness and interest in sustainable energy, the ability of FPL Energy to generate power and be a responsible and engaged corporate citizen in the Androscoggin River corridor creates the ideal window for a model partnership. The significance of this project cannot be overstated.

Success of the stakeholder group in negotiating with FPL Energy will mean significant advances in the vision for the Androscoggin Greenways, investment in recreational access for all communities in the region, and create a mechanism to ensure long-term sustainable stewardship of assets in our river corridor.

Jonathan LaBonte is executive director of the Androscoggin Land Trust. Marnie Coleman is president of the board of directors of the Androscoggin Land Trust. The Androscoggin Land Trust is a conservation organization protecting important natural areas, traditional landscapes, and outdoor experience in the Androscoggin River watershed.