The Conservation Committee consists of seven (7) members appointed by the Town Council.  Each year in the month of March, the Town Council will meet and appoint a new member for each of the outgoing members for a term of three (3) years.  The terms shall commence April 1 and end March 31.  A member of the Conservation Committee must be a minimum of eighteen (18) years old, a legal resident of Bucksport and United States citizen.  Current committee members are:

  Julia Edelblute - term expires March 31, 2011
  Robert G. Cloutier, Jr. - term expires March 31, 2011
  Kathy Downes - term expires March 31, 2013
  Mary (Betty) Barker - term expires March 31, 2013
  Linda Plourde - term expires March 31, 2012
  Gaylen Gray - term expires March 31, 2012
  John Christopher - term expires March 31, 2012

The duties of the committee are:

1. Keep an index of all open areas within the municipality including open marshlands, swamps and other wetlands, for the purpose of obtaining information relating to the proper protection, development or use of those open areas. The committee may recommend to the Municipal Officers or any municipal body or Board or public agency of the State, a program for the better protection, development or use of those areas, which may include the acquisition of conservation easements.
2. Receive gifts, as accepted by the Town Council, of personal property in the municipality’s name for any of the committee’s purposes and to administer any such gift for those purposes subject to the terms of the gift.
3. Acquire land or interest in land, as approved by the Town Council, in the municipality’s name for any of the purposes set forth in this section.
4. Assume supervisory responsibility for the care and planting of all public shade trees in the community.
5. Review all proposals for the planting, removal, or relocation of public shade trees. The committee shall approve proposals, meeting applicable arboricultural standards adopted by the committee and other reasonable requirements if any.
6. Determine and inventory unique natural areas throughout the community pursuant to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
7. Recommend to the Town Council for consideration amendments to the zoning and subdivision ordinances aimed at protecting State identified critical and natural heritage areas throughout the community, if any.

Regular meetings will be held three (3) times annually.  Special meetings may be called from time to time by the Chairman or by at least three (3) members of the committee.  All meetings will be open to the public, except for executive sessions as provided under the laws of the State of Maine.  Committee meeting notices will be posted at the Bucksport Town Office, on this website and the local new media.

For additional information on the Conservation Committee, please click the link below