Brunswick mulls conservation effort Zoning change would protect thousands of acres of wildlife habitat

BRUNSWICK – A proposed zoning change designed to protect thousands of acres of wildlife habitat in this midcoast town from residential development will be aired Monday night at a public hearing.

The proposal, which may be the first of its kind in New England, would require developers to preserve habitat through conservation easements or by paying impact fees that could be used to finance the acquisition of open space elsewhere in town.

A two-year study showed that Brunswick has an abundance of wildlife, ranging from deer and coyotes to mink and bobcat. Some of these animals need access to large tracts of undeveloped land in order to hunt and breed.

The study identified wildlife corridors and mapped out 15 unfragmented blocks of undeveloped habitat. The blocks range in size from 150 to 1,700 acres and total more than 7,300 acres.

The proposed zoning amendments would provide incentives to developers who place such land under conservation easement.

“A healthy ecosystem is a sign of a healthy community. It can be a place where people want to live,” said Steve Walker, Brunswick’s natural resources planner who helped develop the groundbreaking proposal.

“We feel as though we have done our homework, that this is a fair and equitable approach to balancing development with protection of wildlife habitat,” he said.

A town committee that included real estate agents, developers and landowners examined how to balance rural residential growth with wildlife habitat protection. The zoning amendments up for consideration are based on the panel’s recommendations.

After the public hearing, the Town Council will decide whether to accept the amendments.