Harpswell Conservation Commission

Throughout the summer, the Harpswell Conservation Commission has presented a series of articles for homeowners focused on preserving land within the 75-foot shoreline setback. Local arborists and stabilization contractors have provided advice on methods to improve the resiliency and overall aesthetics of coastal properties with nature-based design and installation strategies

People call us in alarm because they see their land disappearing. If close to the ocean, that loss can come from erosion caused by the ocean through wave action or from groundwater erosion.

Plants, like animals, are affected by stress. They deal with native pests and diseases, as well as introduced threats, which quite often have few natural controls. But that's another story for a later discussion.

Harpswell's 216 miles of coastline, more than any other town in Maine, attract droves of visitors, but require legal and ethical responsibility to protect the marine environment. What flows off the lawn or out of the woods ends up in clam flats, estuaries and coastal waters. The headline-grabbing stories of Maine ponds taken over by algae are bemoaned as recreational fishing and water quality are impacted.

Everyone who owns waterfront property wants a view of the ocean. We do a lot of work for clients with waterfront property and often hear the same thing: "We want to know how much we are allowed to take out to open up as much view as we can get."

To raise awareness of what landowners can and can't do within the 250-foot shoreland zone, and especially within the 75-foot buffer from the "highest astronomical tide line," the Harpswell Conservation Commission will publish "The Power of Plants," a series of informational articles by local arborists, experts in shoreline stabilization and other contractors.

Conserving water by harnessing your landscape is the topic of "The Power of Plants," the third program in the WaterWise series offered by the Harpswell Conservation Commission.

The Harpswell Conservation Commission will hold a public workshop about water conservation, "Be Water Wiser: Preserving Harpswell's Water Supply," at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Harpswell Community School.

Harpswell's Conservation Commission is organizing a series of presentations, "Fractured Bedrock: Understanding Harpswell's Water Supply," to help us understand where we get our water, how it gets there, and how we tap into it.