A three-year plan for the time-honored alewife catching on private property received an OK from the Dresden Board of Selectmen when the owner presented it to the board Monday night.

Jeff Pierce owns the property on both sides of the stream in the village where fishermen can obtain alewifes during the annual spring run and so monitors and restricts what people can take. There is no public access to the fishway for netting the alewives, selectmen said.

Usually Pierce allows non-commercial fishermen to take home a bushel of the alewives, for use for striper bait or for cooking (smoking) even though the state of Maine allows a restriction of a dozen per day. The state law applies to both municipal and privately-owned access.  

Most of the alewife runs, like the one in Damariscotta, have public access that volunteers maintain. Pierce, the only private owner of access, said he allows the bushel limit to honor a law dating back 1741 when all of New England instituted a colonial law for all alewife runs going through municipalities.

“It has a widows and orphans clause,” he said. The law concerns widows and orphans in deference to biblical requirement to look after the well-being of widows and orphans.

The village resident said if commercial fishermen take any, he limits them to a bushel per year.

“One bushel only and that is it,” he said with emphasis.

“Each year I have to submit a harvest plan a year in advance,” Pierce said. The plan typically covers a three-year period and has to receive approval from the town of Dresden at its annual town meeting in June each year after selectmen’s approval, according to Pierce.

Pierce also has to submit the plan, which he said is basically the same as the previous three-year plan, to the Maine Dept. of Marine Resources (DMR) for approval. The town or the DMR has the authority to change the plan to comply with any state or local ordinance changes, he said.

Chairman Phil Johnston asked, “What happens if you become deceased or sell the property? I want to make sure it has a perpetuity clause for public access.”

“The public can come into the river and stream (via boat),” he said. “If I sell the property, the onus is on the new owner.”

The new plan will cover 2014-2016 thus renewing it; the previous one expires this year, Pierce said.

Other business

In other action, the board accepted bids of $319 per gallon for heating oil and $179 per gallon for propane gas from Main Street Fuel in Richmond.

The board anticipated salt bids from the Maine Council of Governments, but they did not have them Monday, Selectman Allan Moeller said. In that case, selectmen will take up the matter at their next regular meeting Mon., Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. at Pownalborough Hall.

Moeller also told the other board members Call’s Hill Road will receive a patch at the section where water covers the road as a temporary measure until the town can make a more nearly permanent fix including culvert work there.

Mowing on Blinn Hill Road will continue this week to take care of brush there including the sumac growth.

Town administrative assistant Trudy Foss said she sent a letter to Holbrook Road contractor to remind the company about a performance bond.

Selectmen spoke about transporting antifreeze themselves to Clean Harbor instead of having the company removing it from the transfer station to save money.

The board expected at a tax agreement from the town’s attorney, Eliot Field, concerning acquisition of properties because of owners’ tax delinquency.

Regarding the town’s acquisition of the properties, Johnston said, “I think we’re moving forward on it.”

Foss reported she sent out flyers to residents asking if anyone would like Hall-Dale students to do some work at their homes on Community Service Day scheduled Sept. 20. Susan Bickford-Lilly volunteered to help with supervising the project in town. So far five or six people have responded to the offer, according to Foss.

Fire Chief Steve Lilly explained an invoice for $1,317 the board discussed covered the cost of repairs on Engine Six, which has been out of service. The board asked Lilly to come to meeting whenever the town receives such bills for the board’s approval.

Moeller said Main Street Fuel will consider the cost of moving a furnace now in the Old Town Hall to the Village fire station.