Ogunquit News
Conservation Commission meets this week after a year of accomplishments
By C. Ayn Douglass
OGUNQUIT - The nine-member Conservation Commission had a productive year in 2006.Established in 2002, the commission has been proactive in protecting Ogunquit's natural resources and establishing parameters for the future development of the town in respect to open space and monitoring the Ogunquit and Josias rivers for signs of pollution. This year, members of the commission attended workshops and mini-seminars conducted by GrowSmart Maine, Maine Healthy Beaches, Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, NEMO and the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission (SMRPC).
In addition, they held seminars for the residents on growth issues and environmental protection programs with presenters from the Mount A to the Sea Coalition, Maine Department of Marine Resources, SMRPC, York County Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Wells Reserve and The Nature Conservancy.
In the interest of making Ogunquit residents aware of the need for protecting open space, the commission invited the local community to a public meeting attended by more than 40 residents and board members. Speakers included representatives from SMRPC and the Wells Reserve. From that meeting, citizens helped to prioritize conservation essentials.
The commission is in the process of identifying large undeveloped tracts of land that have conservation potential that are currently on the tax rolls. It is hoped that the landowners will be approached to participate in a plan to protect large contiguous parcels that provide a wildlife habitat corridor or could allow for public access.
The commission has been working on an amendment to the town's ordinances that would assess an impact fee for subdivisions and developments that cannot meet the proposed open space or cluster housing requirements. With the help of SMRPC, the language for the amendment has been proposed and may appear on the April town warrant.
Both the Josias and Ogunquit rivers have been monitored by commission members to record results of non-point E-coli contamination through the year. Testing will continue in 2007 with the support from Healthy Beaches, the Ogunquit Sewer District, the Wells Reserve, Wells Planning Office and the Maine Department of Marine Resources with the ultimate goal of protecting the natural habitat of the tidal estuary.
To further protect the estuary, the commission, in cooperation with Town Manager Phil Clark and the Department of Public Works, fenced the entire Ogunquit Beach dunes area of 3.5 miles and placed restrictive signage both the ocean and river.
Back on Sept. 2, the commission and more than 40 volunteers collect, dispose and recycle debris and trash from the dune area. In addition to local volunteers, the cleanup day drew International Peace Volunteers from Wells Reserve and Laudholm Farm.
The commission has also acquired, by private donation, a one-acre parcel of waterfront land on Bourne Lane and dedicated a small park on the Josias River. Two benches will be placed on the quiet area, one in memory of Phil and John Cavaretta's mother, the other to be a memorial bench to be sold by the commission for a donation to the Conservation Land Fund.
The next Conservation Commission meeting is set for tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 18, at 6:30 p.m. For a full agenda, see our website at www.yorkindependent.net.
