All four candidates for the Camden Select Board are worthy individuals—we’re lucky to have them stepping up on our behalf—and I’m not completely sure how I will vote when the time comes. I had hoped to attend the Candidates’ Forum in order to hear their thoughts on the environmental challenges we’re facing.

With the bay rising in front of us, “100-year” storms apparently normalizing, warming waters threatening to bring hurricanes farther north and the prospect of ever-heavier precipitation and storm surges, why are we still talking about this dam or that seawall or bridge? Why aren’t we working instead to develop a comprehensive plan to deal with all of it? A long-term plan that covers Camden from the lake downriver to Main Street and Atlantic Avenue and the entire harbor out to Curtis Island? 

This would force us to make smart, integrated decisions about Harbor Park, the Main Street bridge, all the various dams and seawalls plus the town landing, the yacht club, Curtis Island Light and a breakwater. We’ve been talking about, or around, some of these things for years now—long enough, in fact, for them to be overtaken by events. Under the hammer of climate disruption, it’s no longer possible to separate some of these issues from the others.

Such a plan might take decades to implement, but let’s get serious. Looking ahead 50 years or more, what do we want for Camden? And then what do we have to do first, second, third and so forth to reach this goal? In the meantime, we need some band-aids, too: What can be done to the Harbor Park seawall, for instance, and the town landing right now so we’re not constantly repairing them while we put together the long-term plan? 

Camden is a relatively wealthy town and bushels of state and federal money seem to be available for this sort of work; we’re also blessed with capable, engaged and far-sighted citizens. We need leadership to set these goals and map out the steps to achieving them while keeping us informed, asking tough questions and rallying us to the cause. Right, that’s what I wanted to ask our Selectboard candidates: Are you up to this challenge? Or are you going to let a few more years slip by? 

Silvio Calabi lives in Camden