DAMARISCOTTA — Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection’s Gravel Road Maintenance Practices Certification course will be held on Thursday, July 20, in Damariscotta. Registration deadline is July 14.

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District and Maine DEP are co-sponsoring a four and a half-hour classroom and field event hosted by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust on Thursday, July 20, 2023 at the Denny Conservation & Education Center, located at 3 Round Top Lane, Damariscotta. The training will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and includes morning refreshments and materials.

“The proper maintenance of gravel roads in Maine is important for providing residents safe access to their properties and minimizing costly capital repairs to these roads over time, but it is also an important part of protecting our natural resources from degradation,” said SWCD, in a news release.

In this training, participants will learn how proper maintenance protects water quality, review gravel road materials, evaluate a gravel road for maintenance needs, create a road maintenance plan, discuss gravel road Best Management Practices, and will include a site-walk of a local gravel road to provide a real-life scenario for discussion of potential improvements and practices.

This training is intended to provide a resource for gravel road owners, town officials, contractors, and watershed organizations to better understand methods and practices for evaluating and maintaining gravel roads using the Maine DEP Camp Road Maintenance Manual.

This class qualifies for 4 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) for individuals Certified in Erosion Control Practices by Maine DEP. Each CEH afford certified individuals one year of recertification. Presented by John Maclaine Non-Point Source Training Center Coordinator and Dave Roque, Retired Soil Scientist ME DACF.

Pre-registration with payment of $95 (mail-in registration) / $98 (online registration) is required by Friday, July 14. Attendees may register and pay online or download a registration form from the Knox-Lincoln SWCD website at https://www.knox-lincoln.org/events-workshops/gravel-roads-workshop-jul2023 or for more information, contact Knox-Lincoln SWCD office at 596-2040, julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Knox-Lincoln SWCD is an equal opportunity provider and employer.