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Bartlett commission questions repeated bank-stabilization permits after 2023 floods
Summary
The Bartlett Conservation Commission reviewed four expedited minimum-impact wetlands permit applications for bank stabilization on the Saco River and Rocky Branch, urged a longer-term approach to river management and will consult the Saco/Swift Local Advisory Committee before responding.
On Feb. 11, 2025, the Bartlett Conservation Commission reviewed four expedited minimum-impact wetlands permit applications for bank-stabilization work related to flooding in 2023 and expressed concern about a pattern of repeat stabilization projects.
Commission members said repeated bank stabilization can conflict with natural river migration and may be a short-term response to a longer-term trend of increasing flood events. While they noted the immediate impacts to existing wetlands described in the permit notices were small, the commission said it prefers a long-term strategy that could include limiting new development adjacent to the river.
Chris Fithian, a commission member, said he would reach out to the Saco/Swift Local Advisory Committee to determine whether that body has concerns to add to the commission’s review. The commission did not record a formal vote on the permits during the meeting.
The items under consideration affect stretches of the Saco River and the Rocky Branch; commissioners emphasized interest in flood-resilient, ecology-minded solutions rather than repeated structural fixes. The commission plans to collect additional input before taking any formal position.
