Maine Audubon is pleased to announce the passage of LD 497, An Act Regarding the Regulation of Significant Vernal Pools Under the Natural Resources Protection Act in the Maine Legislature. Formerly worked within LD 1882 in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, this effort seeks to better protect state-recognized “Significant Vernal Pools,” essential breeding habitat for many amphibians, insects, spiders, and crustaceans. Relatively isolated from streams and subject to periodic drying, vernal pools provide a breeding haven with greatly reduced predator populations for eggs as they develop into newly-hatched frogs and salamanders.
LD 497 establishes a 100 ft. “no disturbance” zone around these vernal pools, closes an existing loophole that allows development to encircle these vernal pools in some instances, among other protections. The bill received roll calls in both the Maine House (Yea: 77, Nay: 70, Absent: 2, Excused: 2) and Maine Senate (Yea: 18, Nay: 14, Absent: 0, Excused: 3).
Maine Audubon Advocacy Director Francesca Gundrum issued the following statement:
“Existing regulations do not adequately protect the full suite of habitats that vernal pool wildlife require, and recent changes to federal wetland rules leave most vernal pools without any protection. The passage of this bill confirms that the majority of our lawmakers in Augusta recognize the importance of better protecting these wetlands in our state.”
Vernal pools are typically small, temporary wetlands—often less than one acre. Even though vernal pools may only fill with water for a short time in spring and fall, and often dry out by mid-late summer, their ecological significance for wildlife plays a much larger role. They’re important to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Vernal pools are critical breeding and feeding habitat for amphibians including wood frogs, spotted and blue-spotted salamanders, four-toed salamanders, spring peepers; American toads; gray treefrogs; green frogs; and bullfrogs. Other animals, including fairy shrimp; garter snakes, great blue herons, raccoons, clams, diving beetles, and even moose rely on these habitats for parts of their life cycles, and will benefit from additional protections.
Read more about vernal pools here >
