Plum Creek owns the property west of Greenville, and its logging contractor was clearing land for TransCanada, the developer of a wind farm. The Land Use Regulation Commission issued a notice of warning to TransCanada based on the erosion. A Maine environmental group called for the state to fine Plum Creek and a logging contractor for cutting trees too aggressively. The Natural Resources Council of Maine released photos of the erosion, which it said was effectively a 900-foot-long mudslide, along with internal communications that it says show Plum Creek's logging contractor was warned to stop working in the area until after the ground froze.

Erosion Impact on Landscape Maine

Based on an evaluation of internal documents from Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC), the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) concludes that Plum Creek and one of its logging contractors, Theriault Tree Harvesting (TTH), last fall violated Maine regulations designed to protect water quality and Maine forests from poor timber practices.  Specifically, in late October 2008 these companies caused massive erosion problems in Kibby Township, Franklin County, including a mud slide approximately 900 feet long. Plum Creek and its contractor ignored communications calling on them to stop work until proper erosion control measures could be implemented (1). Plum Creek and TTH also declined to even show up for an after the fact site inspection meeting with LURC officials to view the damage to the site(2).

Erosion Impact on Landscape Maine

This time the focus is Kibby Mountain in western Maine where Transcanada is in the process of developing a wind power project, and where related logging operations by Plum Creek and a sub-contractor have been linked to serious land use violations. Pictures taken at the site by an independent engineering firm and provided to the Land Use Regulation Commission in late October show a logging road so damaged by rain, logging activity and erosion that it created a mudslide described as nearly 900 feet long.

Erosion Pollution Impact on Landscape Maine

Transcanada is constructing a 44-turbine, 132-megawatt wind facility in the State of Maine. The site spans 22 kilometers along the ridge line on Kibby Mountain and Kibby Range, just south of the Quebec border. These photos demonstrate the degree of terrain alteration just to support the access roads through the project site.

Erosion Impact on Landscape Maine

Transcanada is constructing a 44-turbine, 132-megawatt wind facility in the State of Maine. The site spans 22 kilometers along the ridge line on Kibby Mountain and Kibby Range, just south of the Quebec border. These photos demonstrate the degree of terrain alteration just to support the access roads through the project site.

Erosion Impact on Landscape Maine

The Maine Land Use Regulatory Commission approved Transcanada's 44-turbine facility. Construction was initiated in 2008. Heavy mucked wheel ruts along the skidder access road overlook turbine location A18 in the background.

Erosion Impact on Landscape Maine

The Maine Land Use Regulatory Commission approved Transcanada's 44-turbine facility. Construction was initiated in 2008. Half-mile spur off has some ditching maintenance needs along the landing yard. The spur road is creating some sedimentation and coloring of runoff water in this area. Upslope skidder access roads are not being used and are waiting for the erosion control crew to restore the skidder roads back to a finalized stable state.

Erosion Impact on Landscape Maine

The Maine Land Use Regulatory Commission approved Transcanada's 44-turbine facility. Construction was initiated in 2008. A closeup shows heavy mud flow breaching the silt fence and flowing down an existing unused skidder trail many hundreds of feet.

Erosion Impact on Landscape Maine