As policy director for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, I know that when our environment improves, so does our economy.
I grew up in Winn and Peru, Maine, and have a deep appreciation for Maine’s mountains, rivers and lakes. I grew up where people are surrounded by the incredible beauty of our state but where local residents depend on a healthy environment for their survival and must have the ability to make a living from the natural resources that surround them.
That’s why, when the department became aware of obstacles that prevented the cleanup and redevelopment of working waterfront sites, I knew immediately that the red tape needed to be removed. The broad support that the department’s bill, LD 470, An Act Regarding Working Waterfronts Projects, received in 2013 reflects the values that we place on appropriate environmental protections, the importance that our working waterfronts have to Maine’s heritage and the significant economic value they have to our future.
There are working waterfront sites that have been historically active and used for commercial development. However, they have been abandoned for so long, the unsightly remnants of development have become overgrown with vegetation, and they contain contamination from hazardous materials. Instead of cleaning up the sites and putting them back into productive use — a result that would benefit both the economy and the environment — potential developers have been more likely to either conduct their developments in a way that promotes sprawl or choose not to develop along Maine’s coastline at all.
I determined it was time to remove those obstacles and propose a solution that would be both environmentally protective and economically attractive. LD 470, bipartisan legislation that was signed by Gov. Paul LePage, makes it easier for these sites to be cleaned up and put into use as productive contributors to our local economies.
In order to encourage the cleanup of these working waterfront sites, a federal brownfield or a site in the department’s Voluntary Response Action Program is exempt from compensation requirements for impacts to significant wildlife habitat. This means the financial resources of a developer can actually be used to clean up a property, so the site can be put back into productive use. It should be noted that these sites are on lands that are generally already developed or have historically been developed; therefore, if there are any impacts to significant wildlife habitat, they would likely be minimal. This law does not change wetland permitting or endangered species requirements.
The shoreland zoning standards are the cornerstone of our environmental regulations that aim to protect not only Maine’s coastline but its other valuable resources such as rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. DEP requires that municipalities use a shoreland zoning ordinance, which includes limits on removing trees and shrubs. By its very nature, a working waterfront site is in the shoreland zone. Frankly, sometimes the removal of trees and shrubs is necessary to prevent further harm to the environment. With LD 470 in law now, the department has the ability to approve appropriate vegetative removal standards in a working waterfront site.
Our coastline has been a driving economic engine for generations, whether by use by the military, shipping and rail, passenger transportation, ground fishing or manufacturing. The department recognizes the importance of our natural resources to Maine’s economy, and we know that without a healthy environment, these industries cannot continue to thrive.
The department is proud of its work to protect the coast and encourage more development in industries central to Maine’s identity. With all of the hyper-partisan rhetoric in government these days, it is refreshing when a common-sense proposal that protects the environment and improves the economy is supported by both sides of the aisle. I look forward to continuing the department’s work to protect our valuable natural resources and environment while ensuring a sustainable economy because we know that when they prosper, we all win.
Heather Parent is policy director at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.