PROTECT MAINE: OPPOSE LOW MILITARY FLIGHTS

     Military jets at 500 mph and 500 ft overhead are meant to be terrifying in combat but they can be a devastating shock to unsuspecting civilians, farm animals and wildlife, especially in areas as pristine and vulnerable as those of western Maine. That, however, is precisely what the Mass. Air National Guard (MA ANG) is proposing for the Condor Military Operations Area (MOA), covering more than  2.5 million acres of Western Maine.
 
     The proposal originated in the late 1980s and included a required Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). It was reviewed and soundly rejected by Republican Governor McKernan as "an unacceptable threat to Maine's economic and environmental resources and public health". In 2007 the ANG issued a similar proposal, accompanied by a much less rigorous Environmental Assessment (EA), claiming that the flights would have 'no significant impact'.

     We the undersigned are alarmed by the unacceptable Massachusetts Air National Guard treatment of our concerns in regard to the proposed changes to the CONDOR Military Operations Area.

     Maine's Attorney General, Department of Transportation, bipartisan Maine Delegation and Governor Baldacci rejected the Environmental Assessment for this proposal as unsatisfactory because of its shoddy, contradictory, and incomplete documentation.  They requested a full Environmental Impact Statement that would require rigorous evaluation of all potential impact and risk as well as alternative mission solutions. The ANG agreed, but in record time they re-issued the proposal with an "EIS" that was little more than the old EA, re-named.

     The ecology of rural Western Maine's scenic landscapes is the fundamental basis of the region's economic life. Lowering a flight ceiling from 7,000 feet above sea level to 500 feet above ground level in air space where peace and quiet are the greatest marketing tool represents significant loss for a region that little else to market. The remote location, and peace and quiet draws a diverse population and tourism to this rugged terrain. Concerns regarding the negative impact on the fragile economy of western Maine have been further heightened by the recent economic tailspin.

The EIS did not adequately assess the negative impact on important public parks, natural areas, nature preserves and lands that underlie Condor 1 and 2:

    * 144 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
    * 1,260 acres of the White Mountain National Forest
    * 3,860 acres of the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge
    * Bigelow Preserve Public Reserved Lands
    * Grafton Notch State Park
    * Mount Blue State Park
    * Rangeley Lake State Park
    * Six Wildlife Management Areas
    * Caribou-Speckle Mtn. Wilderness Region
    * Connecticut Lakes Natural Area - run by the fish and game of NH, covering over 14,000 acres
    * High Peaks Region - the State of Maine has designated 59,790 acres of land protected, the remaining 46,344 acres left is being proposed for protection
    * Numerous areas protected by local and state Land Trusts
    * Androscoggin River Canoe Trail
    * Northern Forest Canoe Trail
    * Penobscot Nation Tribal Lands


     Those who call this region 'home' deserve to be treated with respect and dignity when their ability to survive economically is in the balance.

     We, the undersigned, ask that the Massachusetts ANG withdraw this proposal; that the FAA not approve it; and that the Maine Congressional Delegation join with Governor Baldacci in rejecting the MA ANG CONDOR proposal.

     Please visit www.westernmainematters.org  for up-to-date documentation, news, and relevant information.