Wiscasset campground faces uncertain future
The Chewonki Campground in Wiscasset could face closure if the 53-year-old recreation spot loses several acres of trees to the nearby Wiscasset Municipal Airport for required upgrades.
The Bangor Daily News reported that town officials are attempting to negotiate with Chewonki’s owners for an easement on several acres of trees at the campground that would be removed in order to clear obstructions for the airport and make room for navigation lights.
The airport — which has increased takeoffs and landings by 44% over the past 12 years — could lose out on federal funding if it doesn't take the safety measures as required by the Federal Aviation Administration for future growth. Funding for roads and other state Department of Transportation projects also could be jeopardized.
Pam Brackett, one of Chewonki’s owners, told the BDN that losing the trees in face of expanding the airport could jeopardize the campground’s future because it would lose the quiet, shady appeal that attracts many of its regular campers. Anne C.R. Leslie, a spokeswoman for the adjacent Chewonki Foundation, said the installation of lights could impact wildlife as well as degrade the visual environment.
If Chewonki doesn't agree to selling the easement in exchange for money that would allow the campground to replant trees, the chairwoman of the town’s Board of Selectmen and a FAA spokesman said they may take the wooded property by eminent domain.
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