CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District announces the signing on Sept. 6, 2016 by the Corps and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP) of the documentation for a Special Area Management Plan for vernal pools (VP SAMP) in Maine. The document is titled, “A Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) for Vernal Pools in Maine” and dated August 2016.

The Corps defines the SAMP process as a “comprehensive plan providing for natural resource protection and reasonable economic growth containing a detailed and comprehensive statement of policies, standards and criteria to guide public and private uses of lands and waters and mechanisms for timely implementation in specific geographic areas.”

The Maine VP SAMP improves the agencies’ capacity to protect the natural resource functions and values of vernal pools while supporting municipal goals for growth. The Maine VP SAMP supports municipal growth by allowing vernal pool impacts in designated development areas in exchange for conservation activities in designated rural areas. The Maine VP SAMP promotes the meaningful conservation of vernal pools and surrounding habitat by applying landscape level conservation principles and assessment criteria to identify conservation targets in rural areas.

The Maine VP SAMP itself does not involve the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. or the transportation of dredged material for the purpose of disposing of it in ocean waters. However, it sets up a process to enable applicants to use an expedited process which also will improve the long-term management of vernal pools.  

The Corps public notice, which includes the Maine VP SAMP and the framework for the process, is available on the Corps website at: www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx. For a municipality to be able to use the Maine VP SAMP, it must meet its requirements.

More information on the Maine VP SAMP (file # NAE-2016-00007) is available from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Ruth Ladd), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751; or by contacting Ruth Ladd at 978-318-8818 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to ruth.m.ladd@usace.army.mil.