| Summary: | For more than 10,000 years, the Penobscot people have used the Penobscot River watershed for sustenance, transportation, economic well-being, spirituality, tradition, and culture. The Penobscot River has been deeply intertwined with the Penobscot Tribe’s survival and identity throughout history. The dams have interfered dramatically with the traditional relationship between the Penobscot Nation and the tribe’s ancestral homeland because fish are scarce and those in the dammed impoundments are contaminated. The Penobscot Nation, working with Penobscot River Restoration Trust, several other conservation organizations, and state and federal governments, is poised to help restore the Penobscot River by implementing the Penobscot River Restoration Project. Specifically, the Trust has purchased three dams from PPL Corporation, with plans to remove two nearest the sea (Veazie and Great Works) and bypass a third (Howland) to restore imperiled Atlantic salmon and the full assemblage of 11 native sea-run fish while maintaining hydropower. By reducing the number of dams that fish must pass on their way to and from spawning grounds and maximizing fish passage at the remaining dams, the agreement addresses the root cause of the problem - too many dams -- and creates a sustainable solution. Globally significant due to its innovative, collaborative, ecosystem-wide approach to reconnecting upriver habitat to the Gulf of Maine, the project will significantly improve access to nearly 1,000 miles of historic habitat while maintaining hydropower generation.
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