Maine College Ripping Down Trees Along Saco River Before Possible Appeals By Opponents

By Ted Cohen

The University of New England on Tuesday allegedly jumped the gun by beginning clear-cutting along the Saco River in hopes of building a research pier.

The opponents to the Biddeford project are crying foul, saying the school should have waited for appeals to be filed.

A group whose members moor their boats in the river argues that the school should have delayed beginning clearing trees.

Mooring Owners is contesting the Saco River Corridor Commission's approving the pier despite the panel’s banning tree removal in an order issued 20 years ago.

The boaters maintain that the planned research pier will displace moorings that are protected by regulations beyond the commission's purview.

The college “did not wait to see if a citizen might appeal the recent Planning board decision” allowing the project to move forward, Mooring Owners said in a statement.

The group called out the state's largest daily, the Portland Press Herald, for quoting it as calling the tree removal illegal.

The tree cutting is “technically legal,” the group said. "Mooring Owners did not say the move was unlawful.”

College President James Herbert contends the school has the necessary state and federal permits for the project.

Local media covering Biddeford have been falsely reporting that the pier has the green light to move forward.

Former city councilor Kyle Noble issued a statement Tuesday blasting the university for failing to let the appeals period expire before beginning removing trees for an access road to the pier.

Kyle said the tree removal is “premature.”

A group going by the name Pier Concerns said an appeal of the recent Planning Board decision is in the works.

The coalition described the college’s hasty tree removal “another sleaze play.”

“They started razing trees along the riverfront” the group said. “They’re not waiting around for any lawful appeal. More arrogance.”