The Portland Press Herald / The Maine Sunday Telegram

March 4

Conservation commissions good for Maine

— WELLS — Maine's conservation commissions are making a comeback. A freshet of new commissions are forming, quiescent ones have sprung back to life and long-standing ones are building a body of remarkable work.

And a newly invigorated statewide group, the Maine Association of Conservation Commissions (www.meacc.net) has coalesced under the able leadership of Robert G. Shafto to help this grassroots revival take root.

The reason for all this activity is simple: Mainers love the towns and cities where they live and realize that if they want to preserve what is important to them and their communities, they had better get to work at the local level.

And that's the beauty of the conservation commission. Each town decides for itself what is most important to protect, and how to go about it. The resulting innovations might surprise you.

n In Bar Harbor, where there was concern over the loss of the dark nighttime sky, the commission championed a Dark Skies ordinance to encourage lighting that spares the night sky while saving energy.

n In Kittery, where failing septic systems are a problem for water quality in Spruce Creek, the commission hosted a series of ''septic socials'' to teach homeowners how to take better care of their tanks while also extending system life.

n In Wayne, the commission is mapping vernal pools.

n And in my home town of Wells, the commission and town have, since 1985, set aside funds to acquire conservation lands for future generations to enjoy.

Open-space planning, invasive species control, farmland protection, managing town forests, advising planning boards, educating people about alternatives to pesticides and fertilizers -- the list of activities goes on and on.

At the state level, those of us who care about Maine's ''Quality of Place'' need to wish this conservation commission revival Godspeed.

The quality of Maine's natural environment is a tremendous boon to our state. It sustains the Maine ''brand'' and provides us all with a great place to live, work and play.

While much good work on this has been done by both government and nonprofit organizations, and especially the Land for Maine's Future Program, the truth is that the fate of Maine's natural environment will largely depend on decisions made by Maine's 488 municipalities.

Conservation commissions not only play a critical role in guiding these decisions, they build public support for conservation within their towns, and serve as training grounds and stepping stones for future, conservation-minded town leaders.

Currently, we know of 76 Maine conservation commissions, (or bodies that fill a similar role such as open space committees). In the 1970s, there were more than 200, so there is plenty of room for, and a need for, growth.

Most municipalities would benefit from an effective conservation commission. So if you're in a town with a conservation commission, contact them and see how you can help -- there are many ways to serve on either a short term or permanent basis.

And if you're in a town without a conservation commission, contact MEACC and we'll help you form one. The future of your town depends on you.

And preservation of Maine's quality of place may well depend on the humble -- and collectively, mighty -- conservation commissions, and the dedicated citizen volunteers who serve on them.

— Special to the Telegram