PRESS RELEASE
February 2, 2011
GrowSmart Maine
309 Cumberland Avenue
Suite 202
Portland, ME 04101
207-699-4330
CONTACT: Kimberly Ballard
Testimony of Nancy Smith, Executive Director of GrowSmart Maine in favor of LD 49,
“An Act to Allow Storage of Lobster Traps on Docks”
February 2, 2011
Senator Saviello, Representative Hamper and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. My name is Nancy Smith and I am the Executive Director of GrowSmart Maine. As many of you know from our previous interactions with the committee, GrowSmart Maine is a statewide non-profit citizens' organization working to grow Maine's economy, protect its distinctive character, and enhance our state's quality places.
As a part of our on-going effort to help grow Maine’s economy, GrowSmart Maine is particularly enthusiastic about common sense proposals which seek to grow the economy in a sustainable manner while at the same time preserving our state’s unique character and quality of place. Our understanding of the situation that LD 49 is seeking to address is that DEP is interpreting current Maine law to require the department to prohibit in certain instances the storage of lobster traps on coastal docks. While we understand that there may be a minimal negative environmental impact on coastal waters as a result of the shade created by a large stack of lobster traps, we also strongly believe that allowing lobster traps to be stored on docks is a longstanding tradition and an important part of the lobstering economy in Maine. In addition, it is clear that common sense adjustments to current law such as the one represented by LD 49, help to sustain the local coastal economy while at the same time preserving Maine’s quality of place.
Thank you for the opportunity to present these remarks. Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding GrowSmart Maine’s enthusiastic support for LD 49.
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