MONTVILLE – An article to ban genetically modified organisms from the town’s fields and forests is expected to attract debate during this year’s annual town meeting.

The town meeting will take place at the Montville Town Hall at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 29.

The purpose of the GMO ordinance is to ensure the right of Montville residents to equitable access to life-giving seed, to protect native plants and trees from cross-contamination by genetically modified plants, and to protect garden varieties bred using traditional plant propagation methods from genetically engineered or genetically modified organisms.

It also is designed to protect the health of the town’s residents by ensuring they are confident of the integrity of the plants they grow and eat and to defend the economy of the farmers, gardeners and foresters in town.

The ordinance states in part, “The impact on our natural environment from genetically engineered organisms and contamination from such is unpredictable, ultimately uncontrollable, and has received little study. It is undeniable that genetically engineered crops have the potential to contaminate other crops, plants, and trees at a distance, through cross-pollination.”

The ordinance would empower code enforcement to enforce its provisions and give those growing genetically modified crops two years to phase out their use. The ordinance has a 10-year sunset provision but also allows for it to be extended at the wish of the voters.

In the municipal elections, residents will nominate and elect from the floor three members to the Board of Selectmen, the road commissioner, the town clerk and excise tax collector, town treasurer and tax collector, three members to the planning board, three members to the budget committee and a representative to the SAD 3 board of directors. Voters also will decide on articles dealing with amendments to the town’s shoreland zoning ordinance.