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January 2018
In this Issue:
The NPS Training and Resource Center's Winter/Spring 2018 Training Schedule contains a number of courses to provide training to the state's contractors, municipal employees, gravel road owners, shorefront property owners, real estate professionals and others.
For those individuals who are looking to obtain DEP certification in erosion control practices, ten programs in Basic and Advanced Erosion and Sediment Control practices will be offered at locations throughout the state. Most municipalities are now requiring contractors working in the shoreland zone to be certified if they are involved with soil disturbance activity, making certification pretty much a pre-requisite if you are doing excavation work in the state.
For contractors in need of re-certification credits who would like to attend a live class, and others who are interested in learning more about shoreland protection, gravel road repair or identifying and protecting freshwater wetlands, the Center in conjunction with the Lakes Environmental Association will be offering sessions in April and June. The half-day programs will contain a classroom and field component to help in visualizing points discussed in the classroom.
Finally, for real estate professionals who are involved with the sale of lakefront properties the Center is offering a class on Lakefront Property Values and Water Quality. This is a continuing education course approved by the Maine Real Estate Commission and will provide information on how water quality affects property values, recreational uses and public health. In addition, the course will provide updates on Shoreland Zoning Standards and the Natural Resources Protection Act.
Basic and Advanced Erosion and Sediment Control Practices
Registration Fee: Varies by Sponsor
Kennebunk, January 18, 2018, West Kennebunk Fire Station Training Room
To register, contact Paul Demers at 604-1311
e-mail: pdemers@kennebunkmaine.us
Wiscasset,
February 5, 2018, Town Office
To register, contact Stan Waltz at 882-8200 ext.109 Cell: 380-9873
Exeter, February 14, 2018, Town Office
To register, contact Philip Stevens at 774-276-0834
e-mail: outdoors017@yahoo.com
Lincoln, February 22, 2018, Northern Penobscot Tech
To register, contact: Bruce Arnold at 403-3306
Bridgton, March 6, 2018, Lakes Science Center
To register, contact Colin Holme at 647-8580
Farmington, March 20, 2018, Town Office
To register, contact Rosetta White at 778-4279
Saco, March 29, 2018, City Hall
To register, contact Melissa Brandt at 324-0888 ext. 214 Cell: 459-6914
Augusta, April 4, 2018, AGC Maine,
To register, contact Andrea White at 622-4741
Caribou, April 11, 2018, N. Maine Development Corporation
To register, contact Jay Kamm at 493-5757
Augusta, May 10, 2018, AGC Maine,
To register, contact Andrea White at 622-4741
Continuing Education Sessions for DEP Certified Individuals
Registration Fee: Varies Per Sponsor
Erosion Control, Residential Stormwater Management and Shorefront Regulations Bridgton, April 10, 2018, Lakes Science Center
To register, contact Colin Holme at 647-8580
Gravel Roads Workshop
Bridgton, June 1, 2018, Lake Science Center
To register, contact Alyson Smith at 647-8580
Wetlands Protection and Identifcation
N1863 Bangor, June 5, 2018, Maine DEP Office
To register, contact NEIWPCC / JETCC at 253-8020
Continuing Education Sessions for Real Estate Professionals
Registration Fee: To be announced
Lake Front Property Values and Water Quality
To register, contact NEIWPCC / JETCC at 253-8020
N1860 Portland, March 21, 2018, Portland Water District
N1861 Augusta, March 29, 2018, Armory
N1862 Brewer, April 10, 2018, Brewer Auditorium
 The Nonpoint Source Training and Resource Center's Summer/Fall 2017 Training Season provided 6 courses in erosion and sediment control practices throughout the state and 2 courses in the maintenance and repair of gravel roads. Participants included excavation contractors, municipal officials, consultants and owners of gravel roads. A total of 215 individuals attended these programs.
For individuals certified in erosion and sediment control practices who were in need of re-certification credits, the Center held 3 continuing education courses in various locations in the state. The topic of these programs was Good Housekeeping / Dealing with Contaminated Soils / Spill Prevention and Reporting. A total of 101 participants attended these classes. This course will also be available on-line this spring for re-certification purposes.
With regard to CD-ROM and on-line courses offered for re-certification, a total of 23 individuals renewed their certification using these programs.
The Center would again like to thank the sponsors, instructors, advisory committee members, and NEIWPCC/JETCC for their assistance in making this another successful training season.
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 Since 2011, under an agreement with Maine's logging industry, individuals who are certified as logging professionals under Maine's Certified Logging Professional (CLP) or the Quality Logging Professional (QLP) programs, or who have attended training in Forestry Best Management Practices offered by the Maine Forest Service or Sustainable Forestry Initiative, are automatically certified in erosion and sediment control practices by the Department. This certification or training has been completed by nearly all of the state's forestry operators and incorporates Best Management Practices designed to protect water resources that are similar to those found in the Maine Erosion Control Practices Field Guide for Contractors. Certification for these individuals remains in effect provided they maintain continuing education requirements for their respective programs. So the next time you see a logger working in a shoreland area, rest assured that he or she has most likely met the same DEP certification requirements as other excavation contractors.
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As of this writing, we still have more than 400 individuals who have not received continuing education credit to maintain their certification in erosion and sediment control practices. This means that their certification has expired or will expire on December 31st, 2017. With the current statutory requirement for contractors needing to be certified in order to work in the shoreland zone, this may pose a problem for those attempting to obtain municipal shoreland zoning permits. Code Enforcement officers may not issue permits to individuals whose certification has expired, which could lead to project loss or delay. In addition, as stated above, if you do not re-certify by June 30, 2018, your certification will expire and you will need to repeat the certification process by re-taking the 8 hour course and having to complete a site evaluation by the Department
If you are a certified individual, we urge you to check your certificate or I.D. card to make sure your certification is up-to-date. If it has expired, please make an effort to get a continuing education class completed this winter. You can complete this on-line using your choice of one of three courses available on the DEP Web site.
After you successfully complete the online course, print and forward the certificate along with $55 payable to NEIWPCC/JETCC, 584 Main Street, South Portland, ME 04106.
Or you can order one of the courses on CD-ROM by contacting NEIWPCC/JETCC at: 253-8020. The cost for the CD-ROM is $60. If you prefer to go to a class, you can attend any erosion control related class offered by the Department (see training schedule webpage) or other entity. The important thing is that you get this done before the start of the construction season so that you won't run into any permitting problems. If you have any questions on re-certification, please contact the Center at 215-9237.
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