Woodland selectmen agreed on July 17 to relinquish administration and enforcement of regulations governing timberland harvesting in shoreland areas to the state of Maine.
The selectmen similarly had voted to pass along such shoreland zoning duties to the state in 2016, but the final documentation was never completed to make it happen.
“The state lost the paperwork,” said Steve Wentworth, Woodland’s Code Enforcement Officer.
Shoreland zoning regulations are focused mainly on the harvesting of timber near bodies of water such as Caribou Stream. Such regulations typically are administered and enforced by each municipality.
“There had not been any issues with timber harvesting,” in 2016 when the town first considered giving the state enforcement powers, according to Wentworth.
Recently, however, there have been reports that trees have been cut on one logging site too close to the Caribou Stream, he said, adding that he was not at liberty to discuss the situation publicly at this time.
The zoning rules are designed to regulate development and harvesting of trees within 75 feet of the stream to, among other things, protect the stream and shore from erosion, prevent and control water pollution, and maintain the natural beauty of the waterway.
“You always want to protect the canopy,” said Wentworth, explaining that the actual number of trees allowed to be harvested can be quite variable.
In cases where there may have been a violation of timber harvesting provisions in shoreland areas, the state can sometimes be better prepared to enforce the regulations, according to Wentworth.
“The state has much better access than we do,” he said. Forest Rangers are currently investigating any possible violations that have occurred on the Caribou Stream in Woodland.
