Dissemination of floodplain management standards and procedures to local officials

Maine's Code Enforcement Officer Training and Certification Program has certified 418 individuals and counts 346 Maine communities compliant with the State of Maine Code Enforcement Officer Certification Law, which was enacted in 1988. The program has had a profound impact on local code enforcement efforts in the state. In order to really understand this accomplishment and the impact upon floodplain management and other code enforcement, one must first understand the historical setting of code enforcement in the State of Maine. Maine is a very large and diverse state. Diversity describes its physical characteristics, its weather, its institutions, and its people

Out of the floodplain : A partnership that worked - The Fort Fairfield, Maine, acquisition/relocation initiative

On April 16, 1994, a major ice jam transformed the main street of Fort Fairfield, Maine, into a river of rushing flood waters and large chunks of ice. The towns's commercial center sits about 100 yards south of the Aroostook River, which, on that day was jammed with ice, sending its waters out into the adjancent floodplains. On the north side of the river, raging flood water and cascading blocks of ice devastated a neighborhood containing about 30 homes and several businesses. The flood recovery effort successfully carried out in the Town of Fort Fairfield offers a model for other recovery initiatives involving local, state, and federal government partnerships. A high degree of independence and skepticism about the federal government exist in rural areas and small towns. A recovery plan or mitigation strategy that is dictated by federal and state agencies is likely to fail. A more appropriate role for federal and state agencies can be to assist local officials and citizens in clearly identifying recovery options and the benefits and costs of each

Managing coastal erosion hazards in Maine

Natural processes cause hazards when shoreline recession or flooding threatens coastal development. Change of the coastline itself is not hazardous until something of value is threatened. The major causes of coastal hazards are storm surge, sea-level rise, erosion, and inlet migration. In recent decades human activity has become a major cause of coastal erosion. Coastal Maine sea levels can become elevated one meter (three feet) under a storm's center and may persist for the duration of the storm. This elevation is superimposed on and is independent of the tides. The threat of coastal flooding and erosion is greatest when a storm surge is superimposed on spring or perigean high tides. The recognition of coastal hazards from erosion and flooding is useful in directing public policy that may reduce the loss of property and life. Erosion rates could be used to determine a setback line in coastal sand dunes. New development could be concentrated landward of one or more setback lines in order to reduce future losses

Maine's Shoreland Zoning Program

The State of Maine is blessed with tremendous natural resources. The state is 90 percent forested. It has thousands of lakes and ponds, and thousands of miles of coastal shoreline, from the sandy beaches in the southern part of the state to the rocky shores downeast. Maine's economy is closely tied to those resources. Tourism and forest products are major industries. The purposes of the shoreland zoning law are varied. Major purposes include maintenance of safe and healthful conditions; protection of water quality; protection of fisheries and wildlife habitat; protection of freshwater and coastal wetlands; and conservation of shore cover and natural beauty