Episode 19: Friends of Casco Bay

Today we're going to be talking about an important Portland, Maine based organization that concentrates on the preservation and protection of the seas around us. It's called The Friends of Casco Bay.

As I look out from my studio on the beautiful waters of Casco Bay, I find myself thinking, well, this place is gorgeous. This bay is a playground for sailors, kayakers, fishermen, and boaters. The islands are well taken care of. There's no floating debris to be seen. The waters look healthy enough, and I know that doesn't come without a lot of hard work.

In the 1980s, in a report called Troubled Waters, staff scientist, Paul Hague of the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston identified serious signs of environmental degradation in Casco Bay, including bacterial pollution, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, PCBs, and high concentrations of pesticides.

The problems of a rapidly developing New England coastline had made their way all the way up to Portland with potentially deadly consequences. Casco Bay had been identified in that report as one of the most polluted regions in the nation.

Mainers, I know, don't sit back, they do something. In 1989, a group of concerned Mainers in the Greater Portland community formed the Friends of Casco Bay. The organization has been at the forefront of monitoring and advancing protective measures as legislative initiatives in the state since that time, now over 35 years.

I'm fortunate to have two guests with me today, executive Director Will Everett and Sarah Freshly, who is the community organizer and volunteer coordinator for the Friends of Caco Bay here in Portland. I was interested to hear from Will, just what the town of Portland was like back in the early 1980s.