Staff Writer
Staff photo/Kathy McCartyTHE AROOSTOOK BAND OF MICMACS will now serve as guardians for the Canada Lynx, thanks to a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service grant for $250,000 that will be used to purchase 1,200 acres in Winterville Plantation. On hand for the presentation were, from left: D.J. Monette, Native American liaison, external affairs, USFWS, Northeast Region; and Aroostook Band of Micmacs Chief Victoria Higgins.
Chief Victoria Higgins was on hand Oct. 6 at the Tribal Office, located at 7 Northern Rd., Presque Isle, to accept a check for $250,000, as partial funding for the purchase of 1,200 acres of wildland in Winterville Plantation, in an effort to protect the area’s lynx population. The Canada Lynx is a protected species in the United States under the Endangered Species Act.
“It fills my heart. To preserve the land for our people and protect wildlife — this is wonderful,” said Higgins. “This increasing our total land to approximately 2,600 acres, including the area around Spruce Haven, Loring, Presque Isle, Littleton, Island Falls and now Winterville Plantation.”
Higgins said the year has been filled with good news, with the tribe receiving $54,000 for weatherization efforts earlier in the year, as well as $250,000 for housing in Littleton and $250,000 presented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for purchase of lynx habitat.
“We got funding for our farmers’ market and have some good farmland we can put to use. We’re considering a fish hatchery. We have 683 acres at Loring that we’re beginning to put to use. We just bought 160 acres in Island Falls, which we want to keep natural; we have no intent to develop that land,” said Higgins.
D.J. Monette, Native American liaison, external affairs, for the USFWS, presented the $250,000 check to Higgins. He said this was the first grant of its kind in his coverage area.
“This is the first tribal wildlife grants funded to acquire land. It’s actually the first in our region, Maine to Virginia,” explained Monette.
Monette said this was a national program open to federally-recognized tribes.
“They can apply for grants, as long as they’re recognized. There have been other grants across the country for land acquisition, but none in the area I cover,” said Monette.
“This is historic for the tribe,” said Fred Corey, Micmac Environmental Department. “This doubles our land and our natural resources.”
Corey said the $250,000 will be combined with matching funds from the tribe, totaling just over $194,000, to cover the land acquisition cost of just over $444,000.
“Our portion covers expenses, such as appraisal costs and legal fees,” explained Corey.
In addition to permanently protecting important Canada Lynx habitat, the land acquisition will provide the Aroostook Band of Micmacs with land for forestry, hunting and fishing for the 1,000 members of the tribe.
USFWS funds are being provided to the Micmacs through the Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. The program assists federally-recognized Indian tribes with the development and implementation of programs for the benefit of wildlife and their habitat, including species that are not hunted or fished.
For additional information, contact Monette at 413-253-8662 or Corey at 764-7775.
The tribe will also benefit from funding made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Just over $250,000 was secured earlier this month and will be used to build a duplex home on Medicine Wheel Rd. in Littleton.
“We have nine homes in Littleton, 16 in Connor — the old base housing that we received grants previously to upgrade. We have homes near Spruce Haven, as well as 23 self-help homes located all over Aroostook with owners purchasing. We have another 66 units in Presque Isle. That brings our total to around 129 homes. This funding will allow us to build two new homes near the nine we already have in Littleton,” said Higgins.
Richard Dyer, housing director for the tribe, said groundbreaking occurred in September. The units will provide additional housing for the 1,000-member tribe. Members are currently scattered across Aroostook County.
Dyer said this will give qualified tribal members a nice place to live. He anticipated the units being completed in time for families to move in and enjoy Thanksgiving in their new homes.
