An Act to Allow Barrier Fences to be Erected to Protect Homes from Coastal Storms (2009)
In 1978, Maine banned the construction of new seawalls because the walls increase coastal erosion and worsen storms by preventing sand dunes from naturally protecting beaches and homes. LD 1218 attempted to lift this ban and allow the construction of any permanent barrier to protect a residential property from natural disasters. The bill was defeated because its broad language would have allowed unregulated construction of many seawalls and other barriers along Maine’s coast and because the state proposed alternative solutions for protecting residential properties without causing damage to sand dune systems.
