Recently, a major advocate for the restoration of the Presumpscot River passed. Dusti Faucher was a founder of the Friends of the Presumpscot River and continued with us as a board member, advisor and mentor until she passed. She lived for many years in a house off of Covered Bridge Road in Windham. It is where she came to know the river and in her, and her husband Ron’s dining room much of the future restoration of the river was set forth.
She was involved at the beginning of FOPR, when we took up a challenge to a de-inking paper pulp mill proposed by Stone and Webster on the site of the now Gambo Soccer Complex. She was a leader in the success of that campaign and with others, decided to move from a single issue to engaging with the broader and deeper challenges of whole river restoration. She lead clean ups, a successful river upgrade effort, and was the lead on the Cumberland Mills Fishway effort. This was the first use of a seldom known Maine State statute that empowered the state to order fish passage at non-hydro dams when fish presence was proven. The fish were found to be there and this statute was utilized successfully. Thus, fish passage was ordered at Cumberland Mills. Prior to this Dusti lead an effort to challenge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) relicensing of five dams on the upper Presumpscot River. This resulted in FERC demanding fish passage on all five dams. Saccarappa was the first and was to occur two years after passage at Cumberland Mills was operational. The FERC licenses were contested in legal appeals that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The result at SCOTUS was a unanimous ruling which upheld section 401 of the Clean Water Act. This ruling secured the State’s rights to regulate Hydro Dams and had implications nationally. It was because of this that Saccarappa was removed and that was the catalyst to the efforts of FOPR to move up river. It is why fish are now after nearly 300 years moving up river.
In reference to fish passage at Cumberland Mills she wrote:
“Fish passage at Cumberland Mills would constitute a huge step toward the continued ecological restoration of the Presumpscot …… Our constituents very much want the restoration of native fisheries on this river, and the ecological, recreational and quality of life benefits that will come when a river is brought back to life. Such a restoration can exist side-by-side with generation of hydropower on the river.”
Faucher noted, “Installation of fishways at Cumberland Mills dam would constitute a landmark event in the 250-year effort to overcome the barriers imposed by the numerous dams on this river. Once, the people who live around the river saw no reason to hope for a restoration of fisheries and wildlife to the Presumpscot; but now with the dramatic improvement in water quality and the chance to move migratory fish into downtown Westbrook and then upriver, the public has embraced the river instead of turning its back on it as they once did.”
These words were rang true in 2006 and they continue to be true now. It is a mindset that charted the course for which FOPR is now on and will continue to be on for years to come. Dusti was a momentous force for the river, and by the river and all of those that knew her, she will be greatly missed.