After Giving Up Hope, Local Man Spreads His Clam Seed
Chief Willis update, Lamoine shooting update, MDI Bio lab Annual Meeting, ANP appoints staff
BAR HARBOR—A few years ago, shellfish harvester David Dunton sat on some ledges on the southern tip of a local island and had a hard think.
“Five to seven years ago, I really considered that it was time to quit,” Dunton said of the life he’s been doing for decades—harvesting shellfish. He sat there, he said, and thought, “I can’t stop the crash. I can’t stop the cycle.”
The shellfish he harvested weren’t growing as fast as they should or they could.
“The truth is 95 to 97% of this town’s (harvestable) shoreline is gone,” he told members of the town’s Marine Resources Committee Wednesday evening as they met at the College of the Atlantic.
But Dunton didn’t give up his hope or his livelihood. The committee charged with shellfish conservation programs in Bar Harbor hasn’t either.
Dunton took matters into his own hands after the moment on the ledges. “I left about 50 bushels of large clams in the mud. They seeded well.”
The clams have matured, in the 3-4 inch size range, and are in tight areas where he can keep an eye out for poaching and dangers.
According to the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, “Seeding a depopulated clam flat involves transplanting young clams to traditionally productive areas that now have low clam populations due to overharvesting by humans; natural predation by birds, fish, crabs, moonsnails, sandworms, bloodworms; or poor recruitment.”
There are a lot of things that hurt clams, but for this area, things are currently thriving.
“Nature did find a way,” Dunton said. “It absolutely succeeded. It’s encouraging—very encouraging.”
Nature had a little bit of help and now, according to Dunton, there are massive seeds where he put those large clams in the mud. However, that’s just one place.
“It’s sad watching what happened at Hadley Point and those areas. They are gone and they won’t come back,” Dunton said of the clams.
The seed is working though, he said, and starting to spread through the water.
“The clams we have now are in areas where the crabs don’t have a good way to attack them,” Dunton said. “It’s still dead out there. Out in back of my house, 80% of the mud is dead.”
In Clark Cove, committee members said, about 95% of the oysters were gone. Commercial harvesters and recreational harvesters took them. There are no regulations in Bar Harbor about this, Peterson said, so there was nothing Assistant Harbormaster Chris Johansen could do.
Clark’s Cove has been harvested by Dunton’s father and others for years. In the last two years, the cove, he said, has been stripped irresponsibly by what he believes are commercial diggers from other towns.
“I’ve seen them take quahogs—take them out four inches and push them out of there. They are taking the future,” Dunton said. “What’s going on isn’t protecting it.”
Conservation, understanding, and disseminating information are all part of the Marine Resource Committee’s volunteer work and commitment to the town and the waters around it.
Sometimes that information is easy to get out there and sometimes it isn’t. For instance, from mid-June to July 1 there is almost always a hen clams closure due to toxicity levels within the clams. “That’s something most Mainers don’t know, and the tourists don’t know at all,” Dunton said.
Harbormaster Chris Wharff and Johansen were both unable to attend the meeting. However, Johansen said that they “have done some clam enforcement and are finding quite a few harvesters out and about.”
The committee also discussed and tweaked new signs about some of the town’s shellfish regulations. The sign will feature four species (quahogs, Atlantic razors, oysters, and soft shell clams) and their harvest limits. It will also allow people to have quick access for biotoxin and conservation closure updates and other information. The committee agreed on several tweaks on the signs.
Two signs to start, put other information in the kiosk at Hadley Point, where Vice Chair Joanna Fogg said they aren’t seeing many people digging although she does see tourists pulling them off the beach.
There could be changes in the next couple of years for Bar Harbor’s shellfish regulations and if so, then the signs will change.
“The three big things that we’re trying to do as a committee right now are shellfish signs, DMR and town clam management plan, and the Comprehensive Plan input,” Chair Chris Petersen said.
PERMITS
Shawn Mahaney of the Army Corps of Engineers has been awesome to work with, he said, and the town now has an updated Army Core of Engineers permit, which allowed updated spots for conservation activity and added Mount Desert to the Bar Harbor license so that Mount Desert didn’t have to start from scratch to create its own license.
The Department of Marine Resources permit listed the groups shellfish study as part of Petersen’s own special license.
The town also received a renewed Acadia National Park permit for its shellfish experiments in Otter Cove for the sites there that are both in Mount Desert and in Bar Harbor.
NORTHWEST COVE WILL BE OPENING
The committee has received notice that Northwest Cove will be opening again since the DMR water quality samples have had low counts for the last two years. This means that the water is considered safe and that the 2019 high levels of microbials have cleared out. There were only a couple high levels in 2020. The notice about the opening, comes from the state and is set to come out August 4.
Petersen had tested the area as well and found that the microbials came from beaver, not dog, not horse, and not human sources.
“It could be an otter coming in. It could be a beaver coming in and having a really good reproductive year,” Petersen said.
Right now Blue Hill Bay is closed because of the recent two-inch rain event.
DMR TOWN CLAM MANAGEMENT PLAN
In the state regulations, it says that the town has to do a management plan every year. This year, the state is asking for more comprehensive updates.
“They want this at the end of the year,” Peterson said. “I would like this out the door sooner rather than later.”
The group discussed the plan and agreed to continue working on it.
RECRUITMENT STUDY
In late May through the first week of June, the committee placed clam recruitment boxes at Hadley Point, Thomas Island, Windaway, Clark Cove, Otter Cove below the causeway and Otter Cove above the causeway. There had been boxes there in the past.
The group also worked with Rusty Taylor to place boxes on the Mount Desert side of Otter Cove. Petersen also put boxes in Squid Cove. Boxes were still in place in July despite higher wave activity.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INPUT
The comprehensive plan is the blueprint and vision for the town’s growth for the ten-year period following the plan’s release.
Petersen told the committee members that Town Councilor and former Comprehensive Plan Chair Kyle Shank said that Planning Director Michele Gagnon will be reaching out shortly to schedule a session with the committee to get feedback on where the town is with its conservation efforts and help guide where the town should go as it pertains to policy writing. That session has not yet been scheduled and may be held in conjunction with another committee such as the Harbor Committee.
CHIEF WILLIS RETIREMENT UPDATE
As we discussed in our story yesterday, Chief James “Jim” Willis has resigned from his position as police chief for both Mount Desert and Bar Harbor.
He is taking a position at Dirigo Safety where he will be assigned to the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety as a liaison.
According to a July 17 email from Mount Desert Town Manager Durlin Lunt, “This is a great opportunity for Jim and is well deserved. As you know, Jim helped to birth the police sharing arrangement and has nursed it to maturity.”
Though Bar Harbor interim Town Manager Sarah Gilbert said yesterday that she wasn’t sure how the hiring process would go or who would be the acting chief during the hiring process, Lunt wrote in that email, “Under the police sharing agreement Captain Kerns becomes the acting chief of police until a permanent chief is selected.”
He added that Mount Desert plans to outline the next steps at its August 7 meeting.
LAMOINE SHOOTING UPDATE
According to an article by the Ellsworth American’s Jennifer Osborne, Dimitry Dubrovsky, 29, of Bar Harbor and 30-year-old Duncan Haass of Lamoine, are both held at Hancock County Jail after being charged with attempted murder.
The charges occurred after the men allegedly shot a co-worker where he lived in Lamoine Friday night. The victim, Spencer Trott, worked for Haass as his sternman.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, a witness heard two gunshots and then allegedly saw the men load someone into the back of a truck before driving off. Trott was later found on the side of a road in Ellsworth. Haass later arrived at the Sheriff’s Office and was arrested there.
Dubrovsky was arrested at his residence in Bar Harbor. State Trooper Dana Austin, who used to work for the Mount Desert Police Department, said that “Dimitry appeared to be cleaning out the back of his 2010, green in color, Toyota Tacoma pickup truck … when he was taken into custody.”
According to Osborne’s report,
“Austin interviewed the property owner of 21 Stolt Road, Jason McMillan, at 1:50 a.m. on July 15. McMillan advised that Haass had introduced Trott to him and asked if Trott could rent his cabin for a month. ‘Duncan, Dimitry and Spencer (Trott) all work together,’ Austin stated.
“At 8:03 p.m. on July 14, Haass allegedly called McMillan and told him to turn off his cameras and stay inside, Austin stated. Haass and Dubrovsky arrived in Dubrovsky’s pickup truck.
“’Both men exited the pickup and walked over towards the cabin,’ Austin stated in the affidavit. ‘He heard a gunshot and approximately 30 seconds later he heard another gunshot. He heard Dimitry yelling. He walked outside after the second gunshot. When he got outside, he saw Dimitry moving the body. Dimitry and Duncan told him to go back inside. He watched Dimitry put Spencer into the back of Dimitry’s pickup. Spencer was restrained with black rope.’”
Dubrovsky was charged with attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault, and violating conditions of release. His bail is $350,000 cash. Haass’ bail is set for $250,000 cash. He has an additional charge of elevated aggravated assault.
Our earlier article about the shooting is here.
Joy Absher selected as chief of visitor experience and education of Acadia National Park
National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider announced the selection of Joy Absher as chief of visitor experience and education of Acadia National Park. Absher is currently the visitor services manager for Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“Joy’s wide range of experiences and deep understanding of how to engage with visitors, youth, and community members will serve her well as she makes her transition to Acadia,” says Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “We cannot wait for her to arrive at the park and become part of our team.”
The position works with staff and partners to oversee Acadia’s visitor center operations; digital and interpretive media such as the park website, social media accounts, exhibits, signs, and waysides; education programs such as the Schoodic Education Adventure; and ranger-led walks and talks.
Absher’s career in federal service started as a seasonal Interpretation Park Ranger for the Blue Ridge Parkway, leading campground programs, junior ranger programs, and providing information at a visitor center. A few years later she accepted a permanent position with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the resource education division. During her time in the Smokies she served as acting education branch chief and assisted in concession management. She enhanced her experience in leading staff with interpretive planning and program delivery while working at Steamtown National Historic Site as the program manager for visitor services and resource management.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work at Acadia National Park,” says Absher. “I look forward to working with park staff, partners, and our neighboring communities as we work together to protect this amazing resource and promote our future park stewards.”
As a leader Joy finds purpose in engaging with others by active listening and a sharing of empathy, allowing for a personal transformation through new perspectives.
MDI BIO LAB ANNUAL MEETING
MDI Biological Laboratory Annual Meeting of the Corporation
2022 was a productive year at the MDI Biological Laboratory! Its scientists made new discoveries, we hosted 26 graduate students and postdocs on campus, we mentored a new cohort of budding young scientists and we custom-built a highly-advanced lightsheet microscope.
Please join them at 10:00 am on Thursday July 27, for the Annual Meeting of the Corporation followed by a luncheon with faculty and students. The meeting will be held as a hybrid event with in person attendance at Maren Hall on the MDI Biological Laboratory campus and online via Zoom.
This event is free and open to the public, but both in-person and zoom participation requires pre-registration.
The Corporation Bylaws and 2023 Corporation Consent Agenda can be found online.
Our live online Zoom presentations will be recorded and uploaded for those who cannot make the live session. Please note, when Zoom records, it captures the audience as well as the presenter. If you do not wish to be recorded, please turn off your video camera. Audio will still be available.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
https://www.barharbormaine.gov/125/Marine-Resources-Committee