Top

Natural Resources Council of Maine

Protecting the Nature of Maine

Support of LD 684, An Act To Increase Vegetative Buffers in the Shoreland Zone

    • Posted on by

    Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. My name is Nick Bennett, I am the Staff Scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), and I reside in Hallowell. I am testifying in support of LD 684 on behalf of NRCM and its 20,000 members and supporters.

    NRCM believes the concept of increasing buffer size is a sound one, and the Committee should consider it carefully. I have attached a document from the Vermont Agency for Natural Resources that shows the increase in effectiveness for many buffer functions with increasing buffer size.

    I hope this information will help the Committee as it consider the important issue of buffer sizes in the shoreland zone. I would be happy to take any questions.

    About Nick Bennett, Staff Scientist and Healthy Waters Director

    Nick is a graduate of the Yale School of Forestry. Prior to working at NRCM, Nick worked at an environmental consulting firm, the Center for Marine Conservation, and the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole.