I. Introductions/Anti-Trust

Chairman Brooks called the meeting to order at 9:35 A.M. and welcomed the 26 people in attendance to the 70th meeting of Project S.H.A.R.E. After the general introductions, Chairman Brooks read the Anti-Trust guidelines.

II. Past Minutes

There was a motion by Dwayne Shaw, second by Sherrie Sprangers, to accept the minutes as presented. Motion carried.

III. Treasurers Report

Steven Koenig gave a summary of the Treasurers Report and funding initiatives. Chairman Brooks accepted the report as presented.

IV. Stakeholders' Reports

• WCSWCD – Barry Southard provided a summary of the Districts restoration work for 2005. He provided examples of the database and information used to track projects and make decisions.
• Machias/E. Machias – Bill Cherry reported on the pilot arch culvert installation. Post installation monitoring showed improvements to the downstream channel.
• ASC- Greg Mackey reported on the recent aquaculture escapes. Vandalism of 6 net pens resulted in the release of 100,000 large fish. Fish have been reported in the St. Croix. Most examined were not sexually mature. Excess brood stock were released in November in the estuaries of the DPS rivers. This complicates identification of adults entering the rivers. High water and lack of weirs has hampered monitoring this year’s returns. No redds have been reported in the Dennys as yet, but visibility is marginal due to high water. 14 redds are reported in the Machias. Again high water is a problem.
• UMO- Dr. Elskus is a aquatic toxicologist/fish physiologist at the USGS Unit at UMO. The focus of her research will center on two questions: Why are salmon disappearing, What is the extent and effect of mercury contamination. Her goal is to create assessment protocols based on habitat quality indices. Projects include:
1. Non-lethal assay to determine exposure to toxins
2. Are DPS salmon accumulating toxins and are the toxins biologically active?
3. Will dam removal on the Penobscot release toxins from the sediments and elevate toxins in the rivers?
4. Identify an indicator species for mercury in lower trophic levels.

V. Guest Speaker

Representatives from Maritime Pipeline presented on Phase IV expansion of the pipeline. They began with a general overview of the project from Canada through Maine to Massachusetts. The project intends to increase more storage and compression in order to deliver more product through the pipeline. The second portion of the presentation described the construction process. The construction process including BMPS for crossing DPS rivers was described.

There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 12:05 PM.

The next meeting is February 9, 2006 at the Hillgrove Community Center.

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