PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 2, 2023
South Portland officials said Thursday that the city plans to restore Willard Beach dunes that were washed away during a Dec. 23 storm that generated exceptionally high tides. The city said that the dunes protect wildlife habitat and public infrastructure, including the wastewater pipe that runs along the beach. The restoration plan calls for repurposing used Christmas trees and placing them into the dunes to trap blowing sand. The approach has been used successfully in other parts of the country to rebuild dunes. South Portland’s project will serve as a pilot for Maine, but it must first be approved by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.