To the editor:
We are very concerned about the petition from Wolfden Resources LLC to the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) to rezone land to allow development — namely, land on Pickett Mountain, which is several miles northeast of Mt. Chase.
Wolfden, a small Canadian company, wants to mine this pristine area where Class A waters are fished for trout, salmon are spawning, and clean headwaters feed watershed areas below.
Trout Unlimited, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Houlton Band of Maliseets, Penobscot Nation and camp owners, along with man others, have grave concerns about the prospect of a large mining operation in this location with probable toxic tailing run-off, despite claims to the contrary by Wolfden. What if this outfit, currently poorly financed, went bankrupt, leaving tax-payers to finance the cleanup?
Jobs? Although one of the talking points of Wolfden, on-site visitors were told that workers would live in housing at the mine. This portends fly-in miners for the high-paying jobs and the leftover low-paying ones for locals. Fishing/nature tourists would also not be very attracted to a mining area, resulting in money lost and staff jobs at local camps threatened.
It is time to nip this effort by Wolfden in the bud. LUPC is still accepting comments on this rezoning matter.
Harrison and Marilyn Roper
Houlton
