The interconnectedness of the panelists fit perfectly with the location of the event — a nexus of the waters connecting Brunswick’s downtown to the coast through the winding paths of Merrymeeting Bay and the Androscoggin River. Last week’s event, held on a clear April evening complete with a full moon shining above the historic, yellow mill building on the Topsham side of the river, had a full house in the Maine Coast Heritage Trust’s impressively equipped Zoom room — a perfect setup to allow those who were not able to attend in person to do so virtually and to be able to record the event for future viewing.
The panel event, “Getting to Know Our Waterfront,” was the latest in a conversation series, “Living and Working in a Waterfront Community,” put together by the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association in partnership with local land trusts in several coastal communities. Last week’s event was co-hosted by the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust with space generously made available by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
Each event features a small panel of local people representing different experiences and perspectives along the waterfront. As the panelists introduced themselves, the many intersections between them became clear. Helene Harrower, of Paul’s Marina, is also a member of Brunswick’s Rivers and Coastal Waters Commission, as is panelist Marko Melendy, who serves as its chairperson. Melendy also works at Bowdoin’s Schiller Coastal Studies Center. Harrower has coached and substitute taught at the Brunswick High School where panelist Max Burtis, co-owner of Ferda Farms oyster farm and commercial clam digger, went to school. Burtis also serves on the Brunswick Marine Resource Committee, as does Melendy. Angela Twitchell, executive director of the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust, has a son who is friends with Burtis and also went to the University of Maine at Orono. She has also worked closely with the town’s MRC and RCWC on conservation issues. The intersections between panelists point to the interconnectedness of those who work on and help manage our waters and the necessity of working together on our shared resources.
The discussion began with moderator Monique Coombs, MCFA’s director of community programs, pointing out that Maine, despite its more than 3,500 miles of coastline, has less than 20 miles of working waterfront. And yet, those few miles bring incredible value to the state’s economy through the variety of fisheries and waterfront businesses they support. Brunswick’s shellfish resource alone was worth $8 million last year.
Panelists discussed how they have adapted to changes along the coast, both those imposed by development and by climate change. There was agreement that businesses have to diversify and be nimble and adaptable in order to survive. The same is true from the management side for both the town and for land trusts like BTLT that have to respond to changing coastlines and new uses and pressures as well. Coombs pointed out that MCFA’s recently released Working Waterfront Inventory template is one tool that towns can use to assess their resources and needs.
There were ample questions from the audience, both in person and over Zoom, that addressed questions like what citizens can do to help protect things like water quality that impact fisheries. Resources like MCFA’s “Scuttlebutt: A Guide to Coastal Living” and Brunswick’s Rivers and Coastal Waters Commission’s “Guide to Rivers and Coastal Waters” as well as Friends of Casco Bay’s Water Reporter App were all mentioned as places where residents can get information on how to steward the resources responsibly.
At the conclusion of the evening, one audience member aptly summarized the intent of these events to create a space for dialogue and education about what happens on the waterfront by saying, “We all play a part. It can be difficult to have certain conversations, but it’s important, especially when we might not agree.”
If you were unable to attend the event, a recording is available on MCFA’s website along with articles and recordings of the panel presentations previously held in Brunswick and other communities. It is also impressive to note that the location of this event is in the mill that formerly housed Pejepscot Paper Company, one of the many mills along Maine’s rivers that resulted in poor water quality for many years. And now, in this same location, you can watch sturgeon leaping out of the water from the deck of the Sea Dog restaurant. It’s definitely worth checking out this spring.
Susan Olcott is the director of operations at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.
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