Dear Editor:

I am writing to encourage my fellow Alna residents to vote no on Article 27, an amendment that would seriously  weaken Alna's Shoreland Zoning Ordinance.

Our well-crafted 1993 Ordinance is the end product of many stakeholders and countless hours of local debate. It has stood the test of time as our primary safeguard for the ecological health and natural beauty of Alna's most precious resource: our much loved Sheepscot River. 

Our town’s long tradition of river stewardship has been bolstered recently by numerous conservation groups investing over two million dollars in river restoration, mostly to remove  dams and restore sea run fish populations.The heavily forested river bank portion of our 63-mile river flowing from Head Tide to Sheepscot Cross Road is largely undeveloped, giving it a serene, wild quality that is unique in Midcoast Maine. Here, you can unplug and unwind, watch for eagles, otters, and sturgeon, and particularly at the Bass Falls Preserve, enjoy something that is increasingly rare and precious: the sounds of silence.

The proposed changes to Alna's SZO threaten the river's tranquility and put the restorative gains we have made at risk. Let’s not allow the incessant demands of one individual override the common interest and push the town towards a too-hasty alteration of our time-tested SZO. Please join me in voting no on Article 27.

Chris Kenoyer

Alna