Concerned about proposed Picket Mountain mine

To the Editor;

As a long-time resident of the Katahdin area, I have very deep concerns about the Pickett Mountain mining project proposed near Patten.

Mines can pollute the area in which they reside. Wolfden has not operated a metal mine. The Katahdin area is not a place for experiments. Mining is a boom/bust economy. A short economic boom for a potential eternity of destruction doesn’t sound like a good deal.

People come from all over to experience the Katahdin region. People come to hike, ATV, hunt, fish, camp, and more. All of this is based off a healthy environment. While these people are here they need places to shop, to stay, to eat, to fuel up, to rent equipment, to take their vehicles for repairs, and people to run/operate all these businesses. If we look at this from a purely economic standpoint, embracing tourism in this area is a far greater benefit.

I don’t expect Wolfden will hire local people and really, why would they? We don’t have anyone with mining experience/knowledge and it’s costly to train. Wolfden would have hundreds of trucks and other vehicles rolling through town. Do we want heavy traffic on our streets, destroying the roads that our taxes will have to repair? Not places you’ll want your kids riding bikes and no longer a tourist destination.

Tourism will benefit us all as all services and jobs are needed. I think the mine will only salt the Earth, making sure nothing can grow and destroy our beautiful home.

Becky Noyes

Patten