letter to the editor

Great cooperation on survey

Tue, 06/19/2018 - 1:30pm

Dear Editor:

On behalf of the West Harbor Pond Watershed Association Board of Directors and membership, I'd like to thank the communities of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor for their support of the West Harbor Pond Watershed Survey conducted on June 6.

Thanks to the Survey Steering Committee: Charles Barclay, Merritt Blakeslee, Sue Mello and Leslie Volpe, the Technical Leaders: Sue Mello of the Boothbay Region Water District, Rebecca Jacobs of Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, and Kristin Feindel and Megan Woods of Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and to the volunteers who worked with the Technical Leaders to perform the survey. A special thank you to the Lake Stewards of Maine (Maine VLMP) for their generous grant to help fund the survey. Also, the generosity of the Boothbay Region Water District and the Town of Boothbay Harbor for the use of their meeting rooms for training and committee meetings is appreciated, as well as the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club for providing a relaxed setting for lunch that day.

Above all, we very much appreciate the cooperation, patience, and help of the watershed property owners. Quite a few owners pointed out erosion problems that the teams might have missed without their input. Of the 253 property owners within the watershed, 98 percent allowed the survey teams to visit their property on June 6 or scheduled a subsequent visit. According to Maine DEP, this is an outstanding level of participation and certainly confirms the concern and commitment of the watershed property owners toward the well being of West Harbor Pond. Without such a level of cooperation, the results of this important survey would not have been as reliable or as conclusive. Thus, a special thank you is extended to them and to all who took the time to consider and respond to the survey invitation.

Once all of the field work is completed and the data are tabulated, a report will be written and shared with both communities. Again, thank you to everyone for your consideration, cooperation, and help.

Leslie Volpe

President, WHPWA