MAINE MORNING STAR • January 27, 2025
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is looking to update the definition of coastal wetlands in some areas of statute, but lawmakers have questions about how much it could affect landowners and developers along the state’s 3,500 miles of shoreline. Rather than reference the highest annual tide to define the area of a coastal wetland, the department is proposing a switch to the highest astronomical tide. Naomi Kirk-Lawlor, who represented the DEP, said the highest astronomical tide would be a “more consistent delineator.” after a series of severe storms and flooding events last winter. Gov. Janet Mills earmarked more than $21 million in her supplemental budget last year to rebuild working waterfronts. There have also been multi-million dollar federal investments to make Maine’s infrastructure more resilient to the effects of climate change. Maine Audubon and Sierra Club Maine testified in support of the bill.