Dear Friends--

This week, we turned our focus to the very serious issue of fire safety in light of the rash of powerline-caused wildfires that burned in Maine last weekend. These fires served as a grim reminder of the real threat CMP’s corridor project poses to our vast wilderness.

Last year, the Maine Federation of Firefighters sent a letter to Governor Mills outlining just how unprepared we would be if a wildfire were to spark within the first 100 miles of the proposed route. For the first 70 miles, there isn’t a single fire department to respond. The next 30 miles are covered by only three volunteer fire departments that lack the equipment and resources required to fight wildfires under those conditions. 

It is a common misconception that wildfires aren’t really a concern here in Maine, but as this unusually active fire season has shown us, that isn’t necessarily true. CMP often uses the fact that Massachusetts ratepayers are picking up the tab for their for-profit project as a selling point to Mainers, but it’s important to consider that in the event of a wildfire, it’s the Maine taxpayers and volunteers who will be liable to extinguish forest fires; not CMP or the Massachusetts ratepayers.

So please, take to your keyboards this week to draft letters to your local papers. Make sure that your friends and neighbors are aware of the risks associated with CMP’s high voltage line.

Featured Op-Ed

Also this week, the Honorable Rick Bennett of Oxford drafted an op-ed that is well worth a read. He did a great job of exposing some of the corruption and hypocrisy fueling this lucrative project.  

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Action Item

Just like last week, please take some time to submit a public comment to the Secretary of State to voice your opinion regarding his proposed ballot referendum language. We are asking that you submit a public comment to get the phrase "Central Maine Power" and also "Quebec to Massachusetts" inserted into the ballot referendum. The instructions to submit a comment are below as well as the proposed language edits.

Proposed, preferred language: "Do you want to adopt a Resolve directing the Maine Public Utilities Commission to reverse its approval of Central Maine Power’s proposed New England Clean Energy Connect power transmission line from Quebec to Massachusetts?"

As you all know, it’s going to take a lot of manpower and resources to fight back against this corruption, so please, consider making a donation to the No CMP Corridor PAC today. 

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Activist of the Week

This week, we would like to recognize Kate Weatherby of New Sharon. During the signature gathering process, Kate was instrumental to making sure the inner workings of headquarters ran smoothly. From assembling packets to sorting petitions, Kate regularly went above and beyond to make sure that signature gathers were well equipped to complete the task at hand. Kate also gathered many signatures herself, helping with election day efforts and traveling all over the state to cover events. She was truly an unsung hero of the signature gathering process, and we were so lucky to have her on our team. 

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UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Lastly -- please consider joining our friends over at Sierra Club Maine for their next community conversation on June 2 at 7 PM. You can RSVP by clicking below.

Thank you all for your continued support!

Best,
Sandi Howard