Environmental news and info
July 13, 2010- Firewood
Please buy firewood where you camp! Moving firewood can spread insects and diseases that kill trees. For further information:
www.aphis.usda.gov
or
United States Department of Agriculture
May 19, 2010- Private Gravel Roads-need help fixing it? Read on:
Need Help fixing your private gravel road?
Most private gravel roads need repair every spring. Owners/users need to bring in loads of gravel to replace what washed away over the winter and during spring rains. Where does that gravel go? Some folks think it stays in the ditches but it washes out of those as well, straight to the nearest brook, stream and lake.
According to Wendy Garland with DEP, “Year after year MDEP assists local associations with watershed surveys documenting pollution sites in lake watersheds, and year after year the biggest, most common problems are related to roads. If we are going to improve or protect the water quality of our lakes, we need to address erosion issues from our roads.”
Some of the most challenging roads to fix are those that are privately owned with or without a road association. “The ones without a road association can be particularly problematic as they don’t have a formal organization to help raise funds to get the needed work done”, adds Kristin Feindel, also of the DEP. This is where the Guide to Forming Road Associations can help.
While both Garland and Feindel say it is not hard to form a road association, they admit it takes time and commitment. To make the job easier, DEP, with the help of the local Soil & Water Conservation Districts, will be offering workshops introducing the Guide at various locations around the state. To determine the workshop locations DEP is asking interested residents of private roads to contact Sue Miles at MDEP, 207-764-0477 or sue.miles@Maine.gov and provide basic information. As Garland explains “We will look to hold the workshops where there is strong interest and schedule the workshops to maximize the number of roads we can assist.” DEP will compile a list of interested roads up until June 18th, 2010 and will schedule the workshops for July and August. Workshop locations will be posted on www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/training/index.htm
The Guide and appendices can be found on DEP’s web site. Look for the link to Camp Roads at www.MaineDEP.com.
The single largest pollutant to Maine lakes is soil and the greatest source is private unpaved roads. Is your road one of them? Learn what you can do to ensure your road isn’t harming your lake visit www.MaineDEP.com.
April 03, 2010- Water Quality Workshops
I just got the website from Wendy Garland with the web address to watch for upcoming water quality workshops.
www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/workshops/. Also important is the Maine Lakes Conference sponsored by the Maine Congress of Lake Association (COLA)-Saturday June 26th Colby College, Waterville Maine (www.mainecola.org)
April 03, 2010- Treasure Island Parking Lot
Coming attractions this summer: Treasure Island parking lot will be receiving a "face lift" to help with erosion control. Should be an exciting event, and volunteers may be needed.