Standish resident and Two Lights State Park employee Deborah Boxer enjoys walking, the outdoors, and watching the wildlife that abounds in her area of Standish. One of her regular places to walk is beside the railroad tracks that run along Sebago Lake near Sticky River. But what she observed recently was no cause for enjoyment.
“I watched a deer trying to get to the water and he hit the fencing,” she said.
Boxer is concerned about the impact the fence, installed by the Portland Water District around the bottom of Sebago Lake, has made to the wildlife, especially the deer and moose that live in the area. When she called the Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Department, she was told that any security issues for water quality override issues for animals.
In a recent phone interview with Scott Lindsay, IF&W wildlife biologist, he said, “I don’t anticipate it (the fence) being a problem. A lot of the roads, subdivisions, and shopping malls are more significant problems than putting up a fence.”
He went on to say that they don’t have any record that the land surrounding Sebago Lake is a deer wintering area, which is a spot that provides deer cover and shelter from the snow during their six-week to three-month winter confinement. If it had been determined to be a wintering area, the effect might be more considerable.
The water district held a series of neighborhood public hearings to allow the public to ask questions and express concerns before they installed the fence.
When questioned if the problem of wildlife access was discussed at the hearing he attended, Sebago Lake resident Harold Ware said, “The only discussion concerning wildlife was the pass system and how it would impact hunters.” However, Ware did not seem too concerned, saying the deer would find another way around.
Paul Hunt, environmental manager for the water district, agreed with Ware’s assessment.
“There are a couple of long stretches of fence but there are plenty of places they could get through. If they went 100 yards either way, they could get through,” he said.
But Sebago Lake Village resident Elizabeth Perry said Boxer “makes a good point. The fencing has not only cut off access to people but also to wildlife. They (the water district) have blocked everything off in the whole basin area.”
“To me,” Perry continued, “they acted like they were friends to the town with wanting to give the town a beach in exchange for the boat ramp area and, when that didn’t happen, they decided to come in and block everything off.”
But Hunt said, “Our goal was to keep people out. That’s why we chose a six-foot fence. If a deer is scared, it will jump a six-foot fence. To keep out deer you need an eight-foot fence.”
Deborah Boxer of Standish stands in front of a section of PWD fencing. Boxer is concerned about the fenceSend questions/comments to the editors.
