MAINE PUBLIC • September 22, 2023
State environmental regulators are seeking to further limit coastal development to protect sand dunes from rising sea levels. The new rule would require that planning be based on new dune maps created by Maine Geological Survey. At the Board of Environmental Protection's hearing Thursday Maine Audubon Wildlife Biologist Laura Minich Zitske spoke in support of the rule change. "Sea level is rising. Things are changing. It is imperative that we respond and can proactively protect our coastal communities and use the best available geology," Minich Zitske said. But land use attorney Sandra Guay warned that the rule change will affect buyers, realtors, and code officers that have relied on older maps to make decisions.