Funding for Dickey-Lincoln Act

Number: 1975-28

 

WHEREAS, the St. John River watershed in northern Maine is a significant wildlife and fisheries habitat, a wilderness area with little access, and is highly productive in forest products which are renewable resources; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Dickey-Lincoln hydroelectric project would destroy forever this unique resource by flooding 89,000 acres of the watershed; and

WHEREAS, the hydroelectric project would promote primary peaking power electrical energy for only an estimated one percent (1%) of the electricity needs of New England in 1980; and

WHEREAS, this wilderness area is important, both regionally and nationally, because it is one of the only undeveloped remote areas in the entire northeastern United States; and

WHEREAS, this project has questionable economic justification and there are less expensive and destructive energy source alternatives; and

WHEREAS, flood control could be achieved by less expensive and destructive alternatives;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual convention assembled March 14-16, 1975, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hereby opposes any further funding of the Dickey-Lincoln hydroelectric project and its construction and, instead, encourages that such funds be appropriated for research into the development of alternative energy sources and energy conservation techniques.