Press Release

Press contacts:
Donald Mansius, office: (207) 287-4906
Morten Moesswilde, 287-8430

Department of Conservation to Hold Listening Sessions on Statewide Standards for Timber Harvesting in Shoreland Areas

AUGUSTA, Maine –(August 23, 2001) The Department of Conservation's Forest Service announced today that it would hold two listening sessions on Tuesday, August 28 to seek public advice on the development of statewide standards for timber harvesting in shoreland areas. The public is encouraged to attend:

MFS Listening Sessions
Statewide Standards for Timber Harvesting in Shoreland Areas
Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2001
Location: Black Bear Inn, Orono
Time: Session I - 2:30 to 4:30 PM and Session II - 7:00 to 9:00 PM

“Establishing clear, statewide standards for timber harvesting adjacent to water bodies is an important step toward ensuring the protection of important public trust resources and simplifying regulations for forest landowners,” said Maine Forest Service Director Thomas Doak. “I encourage interested parties to read our discussion papers and contribute to this important process by speaking at one of the listening sessions.”

Doak also noted that the Forest Service would accept written comments on the report until August 31. “Once the public comment period closes, we will review what we have heard and develop rules that will again go to public hearing later this fall. Once we have finalized the rules, we will submit them for legislative approval in January 2002.”

"The rationale for the statewide standards is fairly simple - landowners, foresters, and loggers have a right to expect fair, consistent, and understandable timber harvesting rules protecting water quality, no matter where in Maine they operate. That is not the case today," Doak concluded.

In 2000, the Legislature directed the Maine Forest Service to develop statewide standards for timber harvesting in shoreland areas that "resolve inconsistencies among [LURC and DEP] standards and retain [the] standards when those standards are consistent." The legislative mandate also states that, "The rules must provide the maximum opportunity for flexibility that achieves the goal of protecting the public resources while minimizing the impact on private resources."

Go to the Maine Forest Service web site for more information about Statewide Standards for Timber Harvesting in Shoreland Areas.

Copies of the discussion papers are available:

Maine Forest Service
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333.
(207) 287-2791

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