BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 30, 2021
Maine is the most forested state in the country. While 91 percent of those trees are privately owned, many landowners grant access to the forests, making them a broad economic driver. These rural, remote corners are central to the identity of the people who live in them, are symbolic for those who live slightly farther away and a draw for many others. The character of those woods is at the center of the referendum on Central Maine Power Co.’s hydropower corridor, which Mainers will vote on this Tuesday. The 53-mile stretch of new clearing needed to complete the 145-mile route has been portrayed as a scar on the land by project opponents. Supporters point to its long working history and economic benefits.