Natural Resources Goal:
To ensure that Mount Desert’s variety of natural resources are protected for current and future generations.
Throughout the history of the town of Mount Desert inhabitants of the island have relied on the natural resources for survival, from Native Americans’ reliance on its waters and the early days of logging and fishing, to Acadia National Park and the visitors that come to our town each year. Among these resources are the ocean; fresh water lakes, streams, and rich forests that provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species; predominately dark night skies, and scenic vistas. Together these resources help shape the character of Mount Desert; any future development must strive to preserve these resources.
Objectives:
1. Improve our town’s organizational ability to preserve important natural areas.
Strategies:
a. Work to create a island-wide body that would monitor and review the health of the island’s natural resources; provide town boards with information that could be used in reviewing development proposals; and develop educational material for residents to learn more about these natural resources. This would be done by utilizing existing regional resources, such as schools and environmental organizations.
b. Create a detailed inventory of our town's important natural resources and identify the role these resources have in the health of the region's ecosystem. This inventory will be used as the basis for future planning efforts and shall include information on vernal pools, wetlands, plant and animal species, wildlife corridors, large blocks of unfragmented land, viewsheds, and buffers with Acadia National Park.
2. Work to protect the quality of our town’s freshwater and saltwater resources.
Strategies:
a. Review and revise our standards governing and controlling both the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff from new development to incorporate Low Impact Development principals and Best Management Practices as identified by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. These principals use modern methods to control stormwater runoff so that it emulates natural hydrogeological systems, and to maintain existing drainage patterns where possible.
b. Update the Land Use Ordinance to improve sewage disposal regulations.
c. Support regional efforts to inventory, educate citizens about, and improve water quality, including ongoing involvement with the MDI Water Quality Coalition.
d. Reduce the use of pesticides by the Town on town-owned properties.
e. Work with a ground-water expert to complete a comprehensive hydrologic study of the town’s water resources, in order to assess the capacity of the town’s residential and commercial growth areas to absorb development based on water supply. This information will be use to update the Land Use Ordinance as necessary.
3. Work to protect and preserve the distinctive peace, tranquility, and integrity of the community.
Strategies:
a.Support efforts to decrease traffic congestion, point and non-point source pollution, noise pollution, and other activities that are inconsistent with our small town’s character.
b. Update the Land Use Ordinance whereby all new and retrofitting of outdoor lighting fixtures for municipal facilities will be “Dark-Skies” friendly, and whereby all new and retrofitting of outdoor lighting fixtures for commercial and residential development will be encouraged to be “Dark-Skies” friendly, particularly along waterfront areas. This would include standards for new lighting fixtures, a timeline for retrofitting old lighting fixtures, and light trespass standards, aimed at containing light on a landowner’s own property.
c. Adopt a policy to reduce the number of street lights in Mount Desert, in order both to minimize light pollution and to reduce expenses for the town.
d. Update the Land Use Ordinance to protect vegetative buffers and encourage revegetation.
e. Include tree planting and similar landscaping measures as part of any downtown revitalization plan completed by the Town.
4. Promote the preservation of natural areas, scenic resources, and undeveloped land.
Strategies:
a. Support efforts of landowners to protect their undeveloped land, whether through encouraging them to participate in the Open Space Tax Program or through other means.
b. Initiate a planning effort with neighboring communities to protect larger blocks of unfragmented land and important wildlife corridors that extend into neighboring communities.
c. Support efforts by regional and state conservation organizations, such as Maine Coast Heritage Trust, to protect important tracts of land and key natural resources.
d. Update shoreland and resource protection zoning to ensure adequate protection of key natural resources, while ensuring development is allowed where it will not impact these resources.
5. Ensure that new residential development is compatible with the integrity and qualities of Mount Desert.
Strategies:
a. Continue to update our open space development the cluster section (section 5.16) of our subdivision ordinance (or cluster ordinance) to create financial incentives for developers those developing land to protect significant amounts natural/scenic areas whenever development occurs in rural areas.
b. Create a program that determines when and how new growth-area developments with densities higher than the underlying zone allows could be developed contingent on creating preserving an appropriate amount of developable land in more rural areas of Mount Desert. This program depends on a list of priority parks, recreation, conservation, and scenic resources in Mount Desert that should be the target of these development offsets. This program depends on creating a fund into which developers pay their offset fees; the proceeds of this fund are then used to purchase land or development easements.
c. Create voluntary guidelines to encourage developers to follow ecologically sound building practices, such as efficient and cleaner energy consumption and green building materials; and educate the public on the methods and benefits of these types of practices.
d. Create performance standards for development occurring on slopes of 15% or greater.
e. Update the Land Use Ordinance to restrict development occurring atop ridgelines or on slopes greater than 25%.
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