Other Considerations About Buffers

Clearing Vegetation for Development in the Shoreland Zone

The guidelines for development as outlined in the Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act require that:

(1) no cleared openings be created within 100 feet of great ponds (a great pond is defined as being 10 acres or larger), or within 75 feet of other water bodies, streams or wetlands, with the exception of a winding pathway no wider than 6 feet to provide shoreline access;

(2) selective cutting of trees and shrubs shall not exceed 40 percent in a 10-yr. period;

(3) tree pruning is limited to the lower third of the tree, to create views, and to the removal of dead branches in order to maintain healthy trees. Shrubs such as alders may be pruned to improve the view of the water, and may be thinned if less than 4 inches in diameter, but no new openings may be created;

(4) natural vegetation and ground cover shall be maintained within 100 feet of lakes.

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A copy of the DEP Issue Profile, "Clearing of Vegetation in the Shoreland Zone", has been included with this handbook. In some municipalities, local ordinances are more restrictive. If you have questions about permissible activities within the shoreland zone, contact your Code Enforcement Officer.

Planting your buffer

Before you start work on your project, you will have to decide whether to create beds or add plant material with point plantings. There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods.

Expanding your buffer with point plantings means that you will dig a hole (deeper and wider than the root ball), add compost, peat moss, or other organic matter, insert the plant and extra soil, and cover the exposed area with several inches of good mulch. The grass around the new plants can be mowed until the plants are large enough to shade out surrounding grasses, or the grasses can be left to grow up. Either way is okay for the plants, but this is a question of aesthetics and time-management. Choose a maintenance program that you can live with.

Developing a buffer strip by digging beds requires more up-front work and in some areas, may require permitting -- check with your CEO about local and state ordinances. This method involves removing sod from the entire area you are going to plant and replacing it with plants and additional soil. Once all plants are in place, the whole bed should be mulched with at least four inches of well-rotted bark mulch or compost. The mulch will absorb moisture, discourage weeds, and eventually decompose into the foundation of that well-regarded duff layer.

Remember to keep new plants watered throughout their first and second seasons. Once the root systems are well-established, the plants can survive with little attention, except in times of extreme drought. Give them a little "TLC" to get them started.

If the soil in your area is lacking in organic matter, is clayey, or is heavily-compacted, you will want to add compost to your plantings for the first few years in order to build a healthy soil. Keep in mind that a healthy soil supports small organisms that help to break down nutrients and pollutants for uptake by plants.

the buffer handbook

Other Considerations About Buffers

Clearing Vegetation for Development in the Shoreland Zone

Planting your buffer