The fishermen fear that this could take place if the legislature approves LD 1810, An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor’s Ocean Energy Task Force.

The bill would  authorize the Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks & Lands to lease nearshore state waters to the wind industry, and loosens the state’s and municipal environmental and conservation laws, rules and ordinances to be used the state waters windfarm application decisionmaking process.

LD 1810′s public hearing took place March 11th. At the hearing, Marine Resources Committee co-Chair Leila Percy told the Utility & Energy Committee, which is considering LD 1810,   that to protect marine resource users, the 35 page bill – which was only introduced in committee that week – required careful scrutiny before any final action is taken “I want to speak about the bump in the road, “ Percy told the committee. “I haven’t had a chance to read the bill. bsp;And a lot of my constituents haven’t had a chance to read the bill.” Percy said she had spoken with fishermen at the Seminar on Ocean Windfarms & Maine Fishermen at the  2010 Maine Fishermens Forum l

Percy called for the bill to passed as a “resolve”, then brought before fishing and tourism based coastal communities and before the Marine Resources Committee and the Natural Resources Committee,  before final action on a bill in 2011.
“I think having everyone’s voice in a much greater conversation would be helpful” she said.

Other portions of the bill  have also come under fire. If passed,  the Bureau of Parks and Lands could:

* Offer 2 year “lease options,  3 year predevelopment leases”,  5 year “pre-operation leases” and 30 year operating leases. In addition the Bureau plans to offer 50 year  leases of the state’s submerged marine lands to wave and tidal energy interests

LD 1810 would also:

* Allow the banning of commercial fishing within the wind leases using any gear that wind industry insurers deem risky to wind farm’s underwater cables and  structures.

* Allow wind companies to use eminent domain on shoreline and inland property owners, to allow the industry to cut powerline and tower rights of way through private land as needed to connect the offshore developers to the national grid.

* Forbid coastal towns from assessing property taxes on wind turbines or related equipment and facilities in the municipalities’ waters that are “below the mean low-water line on waters subject to tidal influence.”

* Forbid coastal resorts from challenging nearshore windfarms for threatening to  degrade economically critical, measurable scenic values without penalty or need to compensate other users for lost values.

* Forbid Maine citizens from filing appeals of Maine Department of Environmental Protection windmill project decisions to the Maine Board of Environmental Protection. Would-be appellants would need to go straight to state court.

* Forbid the Maine Board of Environmental Protection from assuming jurisdiction over Maine Department of Protection windmill applications.

Critics say  the result of the relaxed and weakened standards could stimulate a wild west style  submerged lands rush, with speculators staking exploratory claims over Maine fishing grounds, then selling their leases for a tidy profit to one of the big energy concerns that hope to dominate the wind energy business.

“Who wrote this junk bill?” said fishermen  Brian Preney of Boothbay, a member of the state’s Sea Urchin Zone Council.  “Would anybody with any civic responsibility propose such a poor piece of legislation?  I would like to know who wrote it and who they represent, because it certainly is not me or the people of Maine.”

As a result of the fishing industry’s concerns, political leaders are taking action. Speaker of the House Hannah Pingree has pledged  that the bill  will be extensively modified.

“I think we’ll scale down the bill significantly”, she reassured one concerned constituent.  ”We were disappointed the bill came from the Governor so late in the session with so many big issues to be resolved.”

The state’s heating industry is also up in arms about the bill, which proposes phasing that business out and requiring Mainers to use electricity for heating their homes and workplaces.

Final action on LD 1810 takes place 1pm Thursday March 18th, when the Maine legislature’s Utility and Energy Committee holds its work session on the bill.

presents 5 Planned Giving Workshops

The first and very timely for many  Executive Directors,

this January 19 in Portland Maine

and January 26 in Augusta Maine
“Strategies for Planned Giving for the “small” Development Office”

attendees will learn:

• Maximizing potential with minimal capacity
• Engaging board and senior management for support and success
• Sustaining the effort for the long-term

Fees detailed at www.planningforgood.net

advance registration required,  no charge for Planning For Good clients

Complete details available at www.planningforgood.net

email @srueflindquist@gmail.com or call 975-5165

Scarcelli has created a list on Twitter of 51 Maine companies to make it easy for her followers to find local shops and businesses that make everything from pastries and cheese to furniture and jewelry.

“One of the best things we can do for Maine’s economy right now is to buy holiday gifts from local businesses and producers,” Scarcelli said. “If every family spent just $10 on Maine grown food or products, it will put millions of dollars in the hands of Maine business people. It’s a way to have our own stimulus package under this year’s Christmas tree.”

Scarcelli is circulating her Twitter list (https://twitter.com/rosascarcelli/maineproducts) that groups 51 producers of Maine-made products as a reminder to her 400 followers on Twitter to buy local.

“The variety of Maine-made products is truly amazing,” she said. “Everything from high-end electronics to hand-crafted jewelry and toys. You can easily find great gifts made right here in Maine without going too far from home. And I’m sure my list just scratches the surface. I’m hoping other Twitter users will recommend more Maine companies to add to the list.”

Other made-in-Maine businesses and farms can be easily located on the web, she said. “Buying from Maine businesses and producers this holiday season is a twofer,” she said. “You’ll get high quality gifts and help Maine businesspeople through these difficult economic times,” Scarcelli said.

Scarcelli recently released the first chapter of her book, Maine Rising, Creating Jobs, Moving Maine Forward, an action strategy for creating 50,000 jobs in Maine that includes proposals to aid the creation of small businesses and encourage more locally produced farm products. For more information, go to www.RosaForMaine.com

About Rosa Scarcelli: Scarcelli, 39, Democratic candidate for governor, is the owner and CEO of Stanford Management that provides quality, affordable housing in more than 30 Maine communities. A native of Wilton, Scarcelli said she wants to use her business skills to help create a better climate in Maine for job creation and growth. She lives in Portland with her husband Thom and their three children ages 12, 9 and 8.

Contact: Dennis Bailey, 207-347-6077

Rosa Scarcelli, Democratic candidate for governor, announced today that veteran Maine journalist and public affairs consultant Patsy Wiggins has been hired as campaign manager.

Wiggins, a resident of Scarborough, will leave her position as a consultant with the Government Affairs Practice Group of Eaton Peabody, the 70-year-old Maine law firm with offices in Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick and Ellsworth. She joined the firm in 2008 after more than 20 years in television news covering the Legislature and Maine politics for Maine television stations including WCSH and WGME in Portland. She also served as the host of MPBN’s MaineWatch program after the previous host, Angus King, Jr., was elected governor.

“Patsy brings a wealth of experience, skill and know-how to my campaign at a time when we are really beginning to gain momentum,” Scarcelli said. “She is exactly the type of person I want on my team and who I hope to attract to my administration, someone with a deep commitment and knowledge of Maine but who brings a fresh, outside perspective.”

A graduate of the University of Maine, Wiggins co-founded and was president of a multi-media company in South Portland where she videotaped and edited stories for various programs. She has served on several state boards and commissions, including Maine Maritime Academy, the Maine Irish Heritage Center, the Maine Center for Creativity and the Wayside Soup Kitchen.

During her career she has produced documentaries and conducted interviews with such luminaries as Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, Edmund S. Muskie and Richard Nixon. Wiggins received an award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for her special “Walter Cronkite, At Anchor in Maine.”

“Leaving a job you love is always difficult,” Wiggins said, “but this was a lot easier because I believe Rosa will be a great governor and I want to be part of the team that helps get her elected. She will bring the exceptional business and financial skills to the job as governor that the state needs right now while protecting the special qualities and traditions that make Maine so special.

“I was frankly flattered to have been asked to join as campaign manager, which I’ve never done before, but my years covering Maine politics and Maine politicians, and being involved public policy and the decision making process, have prepared me for this challenge. It’s a very interesting time for Maine and Maine’s future, and this will be a very exciting campaign.”

As campaign manager, Wiggins will be in charge of the staff and day-to-day implementation of the overall campaign plan and strategy.

About Rosa Scarcelli: Scarcelli, 39, Democratic candidate for governor, is the owner and CEO of Stanford Management that provides quality, affordable housing in more than 30 Maine communities. A native of Wilton, Scarcelli said she wants to use her business skills to help create a better climate in Maine for job creation and growth. She lives in Portland with her husband Thom and their three children ages 12, 9 and 8.

For more information and a press kit including bio and photos, go to www.rosaformaine.com or http://pitch.pe/25980

Contact: Dennis Bailey, 207-347-6077/207-749-4963

Rosa Scarcelli

Rosa Scarcelli announced today that she is a candidate for governor in the Maine Democratic Primary.

Scarcelli, 39, the owner and CEO of Stanford Management that provides quality, affordable housing in more than 30 Maine communities, declared her candidacy by filing papers with the Maine Secretary of State’s office.

At the same time, the campaign launched a website at www.RosaForMaine.com that includes an announcement video by the candidate, also available on YouTube.

“Maine people want change,” Scarcelli said, “and if we want change, we have to change who we send to Augusta.”

A native of Wilton, Scarcelli said she wants to use her business skills to help create a better climate in Maine for job creation and growth. “Like nearly all states across the country, Maine’s economy is suffering from the national recession and as a result, state government is facing a severe fiscal crisis,” she says. “It’s going to require efficient management of state government in order to have the resources we need to invest in education, health care, transportation and alternative energy so Maine businesses can expand and we can grow new jobs.”

Scarcelli said her experience building a successful business that employs 65 people in Maine and a total of 100 people in four states distinguishes her from her opponents. “The Democrats running for governor are all good people with the best intentions,” she said. “But they are all veterans of Augusta. They’ve had their chance and now it’s time for a change. We need new faces, fresh ideas and an outside perspective if we’re going to get this economy moving and put Maine people back to work. That’s why I’m running for governor.”

Throughout her career, she has adopted the philosophy of “doing well by doing good,” the same philosophy she intends to bring to managing state government. Her company provides quality, affordable housing to thousands of people, including single moms, veterans, elderly and disabled people in mostly rural Maine communities including Madawaska, Skowhegan, Farmington, Bethel and Old Orchard Beach.

Before becoming President and CEO of Stanford Management, Scarcelli was owner and President of DE Property Management LLC and Development Director for Landmark America LLC, an industry leading multi-family real estate Development Company. Today, she continues to build Stanford’s portfolio and was featured last year as one of the top 50 Affordable Housing Owners in the nation by Affordable Housing Magazine.

Scarcelli attended the University of Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College. Last year she served on the New England Finance Committee for Barack Obama. She is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the Women’s International Network of YPO, the International Women’s Forum and the Maine Women’s Forum. She has served as a Board Member of Ingraham, a non-profit social service and mental health care provider, where she received the 2004 Outstanding Leadership Award, and a Board Member of the Waynflete School, the Alumni Council and Annual Fund Chair.

Scarcelli was recently named to the Aspen Institute’s 2009 Henry Crown Fellowship Program, one of 20 “emerging leaders” across the country from business, politics and the arts whose past recipients have included Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell.

She lives in Portland with her husband Thom and three children ages 12, 9 and 8.