Mine proposal would be open heart surgery in pristine region

To the Editor;

I was not able to attend the recent LUPC hearing regarding Canada-based Wolfden Resources Corporation’s proposal to build a zinc metal mine at Pickett Mountain in the very heart of Maine, 

near Baxter State Park and the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument.

I know Maine’s people and government have always worked together to preserve the natural resources of our state: forests for the air we breathe, the wildlife, and sustenance of our spirit and waters to quench our thirst and to nurture our unique and precious ecosystems.

I know we need minerals, but not if they must be dredged from the very heart of Maine. The price is too dear. An open, weeping mine in the Katahdin region, bleeding muck and chemicals into our streams, is not the answer. 

It would be open heart surgery in one of Maine’s most precious regions with no plan to close the incision or rehabilitate the wound. The intention, clearly, is to cut, dig, and excavate what’s needed to feed an insatiable hunger for minerals and for profit.

I implore LUPC to reject Wolfden’s request. We know what we have in Maine — dark skies, old roads, tall trees, and woodland creatures. There are times we have sold too much timber, too much water and too many fields to industrial or corporate entities, but we must be cognizant of the limits. Too big a bite, from the very center of our state, to feed the glutinous appetites of a corporate meal will be at the expense of Maine’s land and people. 

Jayne Lello

Sebec