Maine DEP and Maine DOC lied

Never make concessions or deals with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection,
Department of Conservation or SAPPI. They signed a letter stating the intent to form a steering committee to monitor the impacts of the 1997 Lake level management plan. It never happened. Whenever DEP or DOC makes promises do not believe them. Promises were also made to have the 2 in 9 year late fall lowering happen in the first years. SAPPI only did it once in the first 9 years. Ron Lovaglio, DOC Commissioner at the time, would become SAPPI's northeast regional manager.
One high ranking employee was demoted by Lovaglio for speaking out about the destruction of Songo Beach by SAPPI's increase in summer lake levels for increased hydro profits. This one employee was key in the publicity battle for control of Sebago Lake's water levels. It was very strategic for SAPPI and their high water coalition to have him silenced by the DOC. The Portland Water District's vocal support for a return to pre-82 lake levels and fluctuations suddenly evaporated. Also, they shied away from monitoring the damage of what was happening. Below are the excerpts from the 1997 EIS describing the plan. FERC must not mind being misled.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project 2984 -Sebago Lake 1997
Relicensing of Eel Weir Dam

p.16
C. Approval of Settlement
There are three elements of the settlement plan that require clarification to permit proper implementation and enforcement of the plan—two of which were addressed in the lake level management plan filed by Warren but not expressly addressed in the settlement plan. In the April 3, 1995 filing, Warren proposed to conduct certain studies of the effects of the lake level management plan, and provide the result of the studies to the public, upon request, and to the Maine resource agencies.
We are approving that proposal, with certain minor revisions, with the proviso that the steering committee that Maine proposes to form to discuss and determine monitoring requirements and study needs for evaluating the plan may change the plan for conducting these studies. The Commission must be given notice of any such changes in monitoring and study requirements..

p. 17-18
The Maine DEP states its intention to set up a committee to monitor and study the results of implementation of the settlement plan, with representation of all the affected interests that reached agreement in this settlement plan, and we are requiring Warren to participate in such a committee, if formed. Obviously, if were to receive a broadly supported proposal to amend the plan from such a representative body, we would give it favorable consideration. However, it would appear that a cycle of at least nine years, more likely ten, will be necessary before any meaningful evaluation of its effects on the rate of erosion can be made.