PO. Box 303
Dover-Foxcroft, ME
04426-0303
PO. Box 303
Dover-Foxcroft, ME
04426-0303
2024-11-17
The Sebec Lake Board of Directors encourage you to contact Gov. Janet Mills with your comments on Floating Camps and potential legislation to regulate/ban them on Maine Lakes.
Below is text for a letter to Gov. Mills addressing the topic. We encourage you to contact her, in your own words.
The Honorable Janet Mills,
Governor of Maine
1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Dear Governor Mills:
We (I) are (am a) property owners on Sebec Lake. We (I) are (am) gravely concerned about the spread of ‘floating camps’ on Maine lakes. As the price of lake front property in Maine continues to rise, more and more of these structures are likely to be seen on our lakes.
As we expect you know, these structures are completely unregulated. They can (and do) dump grey water and raw sewage into the lake they ‘park’ in/on. These actions certainly harm the lake, its wildlife and fisheries. Furthermore, they could be parked close to the shore of camp owners, becoming a disruptive presence to property owner’s enjoyment of the lake.
We also believe the presence of these structures will lead to decreased property values, eventually resulting in lower property tax assessments / collections. A ‘floating camp’ pays no taxes, no registration fees, no fees of any kind. Even if a system of registration revenue is implemented, the drop in property valuations, and subsequent drop in tax collection revenue, would likely dwarf any fee revenue to be collected.
Maine lakes are special. Plentiful, clean, and pristine. Sebec Lake property owners are a major contributor to local town economies. The lake and your constituents need to be protected from these floating structures. (We’re certain you wouldn’t want to see one in front of your camp on Clearwater Lake.)
SLA respectfully requests that you support and sign in to law legislation that completely bans these structures, including those already built, when such a bill lands on your desk. We further request that you veto any legislation that facilitates making them legal under any conditions or circumstances.
Respectfully,
Your Name
Your email address
2024-11-12
On 11/13/2024, an email was sent out from The Sebec Lake Association Board of Directors to all Sebec Lake property owners, supporters and SLA members for whom we have a valid email address:
'This is the first of two emails sent out to SLA members and property owners relative to our request to have you contact the local Sebec Lake area politicians that were elected on Nov 5th to serve beginning January of 2025. The text of a potential letter follows this intro message. Please feel free to reword this in your own words. And thank you in advance for contacting these servants of the people. They do listen.'
Click here to see the very comprehensive State study addressing these structures.
Suggested legislators/Letters:
Senator Stacy Guerin, 3 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333; Stacey.Guerin@legislature.maine.gov
Representative James White, 306 Wharff Rd, Guilford, ME 04443; James.White@legislature.maine.gov
Representative Chad Perkins, PO Box 251, Dover Foxcroft, ME 04426; Chad.Perkins@legislature.maine.gov
<Date>Dear Ms. Geurin, Mr. White & Mr. Perkins: I am a camp owner on Sebec Lake. Our camp is located at [address]. I am writing you to express my extreme concern regarding the emergence of ‘floating camps’ on Maine lakes.
As you may be aware, these structures are completely unregulated. They can (and do) dump grey water and raw sewage into the lake they ‘park’ in/on. These actions certainly harm the lake, its wildlife and fisheries. Furthermore, they could be parked close to the shore of campo owners who are required to abide by regulations that protect the lake from such actions.
The presence of these structures will certainly decrease property values, leading to re-appraisals and lower property tax assessments / collections. A floating camp pays no taxes, no registration fees, no invasive species fees. And even if a system of ‘registration leading to revenue’ is implemented, the drop in property valuation, and subsequent drop in tax collection revenue, would likely dwarf any fee revenue to be collected.
As the price of lake front property in Maine continues to rise, more and more of these structures are likely to be seen on our lakes.
Maine lakes are special. Plentiful, clean, and pristine in an overwhelming of cases. They need to be protected from these floating structures.
I ask that you introduce, or otherwise support legislation that bans these structures, including those already built, and that you not support any legislation that facilitates making them legal under any conditions or circumstances.
Respectfully,
Your Name.
2024-03-25
On June 11 2024, The Town of Dover-Foxcroft has an important decision to make about the future of the Mayo Mill Dam due to longstanding safety, legal, and state/federal compliance issues with the dam.
At the beginning of 2023, the Town of Dover-Foxcroft set out to complete a feasibility and alternatives study in partnership with the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) and The Nature Conservancy in Maine (TNC). That study is now finished. After reviewing the available options, costs, and benefits, a steering committee of residents and elected officials convened by the Town to oversee the study report voted unanimously in support of removing the Mayo Mill Dam as the best option for Dover-Foxcroft. The committee presented their recommendation to the Select Board on February 26, 2024. At this same meeting, the Select Board voted 6-1 to accept the committee's recommendation for dam removal, and also voted 7-0 to bring the final decision to a town vote.
Removing the Mayo Mill dam would significantly reduce flood risk and eliminate safety, liability, and long-term operations and maintenance concerns for the Town. Dam removal would also restore a free-flowing Piscataquis River and restore natural wetland and riparian areas. This will result in improved ecosystem health, including restored in-river and shoreline habitats for a wide variety of native fish and wildlife species, improved water quality, and enhanced shoreline stabilization.
While a portion of Sebec Lake shorefront is in Dover-Foxcroft, the lake drains past the outlet dam into Sebec River and enters the Piscataquis River below both Piscataquis River dams in Dover-Foxcroft: the upper Mayo Mill Dam and the lower Brown.s Mills Dam. Whatever happens at Mayo Mill will not impact the Milo Dam on Sebec River nor the Sebec Dam at the outlet of Sebec Lake.
Invasive fish species management continues to be a state priority. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2009 by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (ME DIFW) and the Maine Department of Marine Resources (ME DMR), existing barriers designed to allow passage of Atlantic salmon but prevent passage of northern pike will be maintained at Sebec Dam, Milo Dam, and Brown's Mills. The MOU was just recently updated to further strengthen the agencies' joint commitment to preventing the spread of invasive fish in the Piscataquis River and ensuring barriers are maintained at the dams listed above. LD1049, An Act to Protect Maine's Inland Fisheries from Invasive Fish, was amended to a MOU, described above, between ME DMR and ME DIFW, and given final approval by the Legislature in March.
Ways to Learn More: Visit Mayo Mill Dam Feasibility Study to see all information considered by the steering committee over the past 14 months.
- Contact Alsina Brenenstuhl, Project Coordinator, with questions and ask to stay up to date with events.
- Follow along on the -Town of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine- Facebook page.
- Keep an eye out for a series of -Coffee Conversations- this spring where steering committee members will be available to answer your questions about this process.
2024-03-19
April
April 13 - 57th Annual Kenduskeag River Race
April 27 - 50th Annual Kiwanis Piscataquis River Race - Guilford to Dover-Foxcroft
April 28 - Charlie Chaplin's silent film Gold Rush with Live Accompaniment 2:00 PM EDT Center Theater
May
May 4 - Annual Kiwanis Bike Rodeo, YMCA/Kiwanis Park - D-F
May 4 - PCSWCD's 8th Annual Bird Walk, 8am, register at: https://piscataquisswcd.org/
May 18 - Sebec-Bean Supper with hot dogs - 4:00-6:00 pm
June
June 8 - Molly Hatchet at the Piscataquis County Ice Arena, 7:00 pm
June 21? (TBD) - Dinner Dance & Auction @YMCA/Kiwanis Park, Dover-Foxcroft
June 22 - Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, Dover-Foxcroft
June 27 - Some Reel People, country dance band. Thompson Library Pavilion, 6pm
July
July 3 - Sebec - Food - 6:00 pm, Fireworks at Dusk
July 4 - Sebec - All Day Activities - 8:00 am - Breakfast at Sebec Community Church, 9:00 am, Parade, 10:30am - Chicken BBQ - until sold out, 11:00 am - Canoe Race
July 13, 9:30 am Sebec Lake Association Annual Meeting, Central Hall Commons, 152 East Main Street, D-F
July 12, 13, 14 - Annual Guilford Town Wide Yard Sale
July 16. 17& 18 - Teen Wilderness Expedition 8am - 5pm (https://piscataquisswcd.org/)
July 20 - Sebec - Ice Cream Social and Pie Sale 6:00-8:00 pm
July 26-28 - 74th Annual Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis Auction at Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds
July 27 - Guilford - Piscataquis River Festival
August
August 3 - Dover-Foxcroft Homecoming Celebration
August 3 - Steel Drum Concert by Pan Storm 6PM Thompson Library Pavilion
August 6 - SLA Plant Paddle (requires registration); location and time to be announced later
August 9, 10, 11 - Bowerbank Days Event schedule:
Friday evening August 9, 7-10 pm. Dancing & hanging out with live music, raffles, silent auction; Food trucks will be on-site.
Saturday, August 10, 8:00 am-5:00 pm. 8:00 am - Gary Wakeland 5K road race - arrive early to register. 9:30 am - Parade
August 22-25 - 137th Annual Piscataquis Valley Fair, Dover-Foxcroft
August 24 - Sebec - Silent Auction & Pancake Breakfast 8:00-10:00 am
September
September 21 - Sebec - Whoopie Pie Sale - 8:00 am
September 28 - Guilford - Annual Harvest Fair
October
October 19 - Sebec - Bean Supper with Pulled Pork - 4:00-6:00 pm
November
November 2 - Sebec - Chicken & Biscuits - 4:00-6:00 pm
December
December 2 - Hometown Holiday Events
December date to be determined - Sebec - Christmas Partying Room.
Check for updates on these websites and Facebook:
Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft; Town of Dover-Foxcroft
Guilford Historical Society; Town of Guilford; Piscataquis Chamber of
Commerce, Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District,
Thompson Free Public Library, and/or Center Theater.
Most Sebec Events are being held at the Sebec Reading Room.