The Maine Planning Basics Webinar Series
Co-initiated by the Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning at DACF, Maine’s Regional Councils, and the Maine Association of Planners, is intended for those new to the profession and those new to planning in Maine. This program responds to a significant increase in new planners in the State. We aim to provide practitioners with an introductory understanding of land use planning legislation and regulations and the governance context in which planners function in Maine.
Webinar Event Calendar
Training sessions are scheduled for the first Friday of each month from 12 pm to 1:30 pm via Teams. Meeting ID: 228 421 998 631 Passcode: qx9wB6jw
| Session Name | Featured Speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Culture Integration for Community Planning | Danielle Moriarty, Program Director, Maine Arts Commission | Friday May 1, 2026, 12:00-1:30 pm |
Webinar Archive
Arts and Culture Integration for Community Planning, 5/1/2026
Art and culture are essential tools in the planner’s toolkit. Arts and culture play a powerful role in shaping vibrant communities. For rural and small communities in particular, leveraging local creative assets can offer meaningful, scalable solutions to challenges such as downtown revitalization, population retention, and civic engagement. Integrating arts and culture into planning efforts helps communities build on what makes them distinct while fostering inclusive, place-based development. In this webinar, the Maine Arts Commission will present a foundational overview of arts and culture planning and creative placemaking strategies that can be adapted to communities of all sizes. Real-world examples from across Maine will highlight how artists, planners, and local leaders are collaborating to activate public spaces, strengthen local economies, and deepen community connections. Case studies will demonstrate how even modest investments can yield significant community impact.
APA CM Dashboard: https://planning.org/events/eventsingle/9328192/
Farm Viability Solutions for Municipal Planning: Creating a Farm-Friendly Community, 4/3/2026
Agriculture is facing significant challenges that threaten the viability of farms and the land base on which they rely. The viability of farming as a business is paramount to the future of farming and the benefits that farms and farmland create for our communities. Farmers need a local policy environment that supports them as they expand their businesses, compete in new markets, and grow food to meet their communities’ needs. In this webinar, Maine Farmland Trust presented intentional steps towns can take to support local agriculture and the viability of farms. Real world examples highlighted farmers and municipal representatives working collaboratively to identify and address the needs of local agriculture through community engagement, innovative regulatory strategies, and land use planning. Attendees derived tangible ideas for how municipalities ultimately create a truly “farm-friendly” community.
APA CM Dashboard: https://planning.org/events/eventsingle/9326738/
Presentation: View webinar recording: Farm Viability Solutions for Municipal Planning: Creating a Farm-Friendly Community.
Solar and Energy Storage Handbook, 3/6/2026
Sy Coffee, Clean Energy Fellow, Maine Department of Energy Resources
This session provided an overview of the Solar and Energy Storage Handbook for Maine Communities.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Solar and Energy Storage Handbook.
Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) Practical Guidance for Municipal and Regional Officials, 2/6/2026
Brenda Kielty, Assistant Attorney General Public Access Ombudsman, Office of the Maine Attorney General and Eric Stout, MaineIT FOAA and Litigation Technical Support Coordinator State of Maine, Department of Administrative and Financial Services
This session provided Maine municipal and regional planners with a practical, up-to-date overview of the Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA), with a focus on real-world compliance, emerging issues, and common pitfalls.
APA CM Dashboard: https://planning.org/events/eventsingle/9326627/
Presentation: View webinar recording: Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) Practical Guidance for Municipal and Regional Officials.
Title II, ADA, 12/5/2025
Jill Johanning & Jason Angel. Title II ADA overview
Presentation: View webinar recording: Title II, ADA.
Maine Office of Community Affairs, 10/3/2025
Samantha Horn, MOCA Director. Service improvements due to enhanced cooperation.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Maine Office of Community Affairs.
Maine DEP Site Law Presentation, 9/5/2025
Kerem Gungor, Senior Environmental Engineer, Maine DEP. Site Law overview presentation.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Maine DEP Site Law Presentation.
Maine DEP Shoreland Zoning Presentation, 8/1/2025
Colin Clark, Shoreland Zoning Coordinator Maine DEP. Shoreland Zoning overview presentation.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Maine DEP Shoreland Zoning Presentation.
Opening Up About Open Space: A Panel Discussion on Open Space Planning in Maine, 6/6/2025
This was a panel discussion moderated by: Greg LeClair, Municipal Planning Biologist, Beginning with Habitat.
Panelists:
- Howard Lake, Readfield Open Space Committee and Kennebec Land Trust Board Member
- Matt Markot, Bridgton Open Space Committee and Loon Echo Land Trust Executive Director
Presentation: View webinar recording: Opening Up About Open Space: A Panel Discussion on Open Space Planning in Maine.
Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Planning, 5/2/2025
Join us to learn of the progress of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan in the latest instalment of our Maine Planning Basics Webinar. These sessions are held the first Friday of the month. Nicole Lazure, Outdoor Recreation Planner with the Bureau of Parks and Lands is the presenter. She covers the status of Maine’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan including timing, what’s involved, and feedback from participants on items to consider including in the plan.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Planning.
Floodplain Management 101, 4/4/2025
Join us to learn from the Maine Floodplain Management Program in the latest instalment of our Maine Planning Basics Webinar. These sessions are held the first Friday of the month. This session covers floodplain management, including construction, ordinances, and the National Flood Insurance Program.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Floodplain Management 101.
Recruiting, Training, and Organizing Volunteers, 3/7/2025
Join us to learn about how Volunteer Maine can help Maine communities fulfill volunteering opportunities. Topics covered include AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps Operating Grants, including Maine Rural State AmeriCorps.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Recruiting, Training, and Organizing Volunteers.
Infrastructure Funding for Communities, 2/7/2025
Join us for a webinar exploring two funding mechanisms for communities. Learn about the Maine DECD Community Development Block Grant Program and DEP’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This discussion covered two of Maine’s primary funding tools for those seeking infrastructure improvements and expansions. The primary focus of this session was funding for wastewater and stormwater maintenance and expansion.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Infrastructure Funding for Communities.
Zoning for Rural Communities, 12/6/2024
Join us for a webinar exploring Cape Elizabeth’s Greenbelt Plan and Town Center Plan. Learn how these plans have helped to preserve the rural and natural areas in the town while also intentionally directing development to the town’s center. The examples from Cape Elizabeth can serve as models that other rural communities can follow to create a vibrant town center, a safe and inviting pedestrian and bicycle environment, and linkages to the town’s open space and nearby residential neighborhoods.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Zoning for Rural Communities.
Sustainability and Resilience Planning, 11/1/2024
Join us for a webinar to explore the importance of sustainability and resilience planning. Learn how communities can build a more sustainable future by reducing their environmental impact, adapting to climate change, and enhancing their resilience to disasters. Our speakers, Abbie Sherwin, SMPDC Resilience Division Director, and Karina Graeter, SMPDC Sustainability Division Director, will discuss best practices, share case studies, and provide valuable insights to help your community thrive in a changing world. Presentation available as PowerPoint and PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Sustainability and Resilience Planning.
MaineDOT Community-Based Initiatives and Active Transportation Planning, 10/4/2024
Join us for an overview of MaineDOT’s role in implementing comprehensive plans at the local level. Dakota Hewlett, MaineDOT’s Active Transportation Planner, will explain how he works with municipalities and partner organizations to plan, fund, and coordinate infrastructure projects that support bicycling and walking in Maine. Mr. Hewlett will discuss recent projects, share best practices, and explain how your community can get involved with MaineDOT’s Community-Based Initiatives. Presentation available as PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: MaineDOT Community-Based Initiatives and Active Transportation Planning.
MaineDOT Local Road Assistance Program, 9/6/2024
MaineDOT’s Community Services Division distributes over $20 million of highway fund money per year to Maine’s 502 civil divisions through the Local Road Assistance Program (LRAP). Learn from Pete Coughlan, Director of the MaineDOT Community Services Division, who will discuss the following topics related to local road maintenance:
- The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
- Federal Functional Classification
- Local Road Assistance Program payments to municipalities
- Road System Management Software (RSMS) for inventorying local road conditions and planning/budgeting future road work.
- Joint purchasing programs
- Local road design standards
- Planning local roads for resiliency
Presentation available as PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: MaineDOT Local Road Assistance Program.
Best Practices for Comprehensive Planning, 8/2/2024
Comprehensive Planning Best Practices. Hosted by Hancock County Planning Commission and presented by Jay Kamm, Senior Planner with the Northern Maine Development Commission, and Ashley Gamache, Planner II with the Municipal Planning Assistance Program. Presentation available as PowerPoint and PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Best Practices for Comprehensive Planning.
Lessons Learned from New Planners, 6/7/2024
Listen to a panel discussion with new planners who reflect on their experience working as planners in Maine. Hosted by Hancock County Planning Commission.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Lessons Learned from New Planners.
Site Plan Review Presentation, 5/3/2024
Learn about the importance of site plan review and its relationship with other reviews, such as subdivision. Hosted by Hancock County Planning Commission and presented by Leah Rachin, an attorney with Drummond Woodsum. Presentation available as PowerPoint and PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Site Plan Review Presentation.
Maine DEP Shoreland Zoning Presentation, 3/1/2024
Maine DEP Shoreland Zoning overview presentation. Hosted by Hancock County Planning Commission and presented by Colin Clark, Shoreland Zoning Coordinator, Maine DEP. Presentation available as PowerPoint and PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Maine DEP Shoreland Zoning Presentation.
MaineHousing Presentation, 2/2/2024
MaineHousing overview presentation. Hosted by Hancock County Planning Commission and presented by Dan Brennan, Director of MaineHousing. Presentation available as PowerPoint and PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: MaineHousing Presentation.
Subdivision Presentation, 11/3/2023
Maine Subdivision overview presentation. Hosted by Hancock County Planning Commission and presented by Lee Jay Feldman, Director of Land Use and Planning at the Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission. Presentation available as PowerPoint and PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Subdivision Presentation.
Growth Management Law Presentation, 10/6/2023
Overview presentation of Maine's Growth Management Law. Hosted by Hancock County Planning Commission and presented by Judy East, Bureau Director, Resource Information and Land Use Planning at DACF. Presentation available as PowerPoint and PDF.
Presentation: View webinar recording: Growth Management Law Presentation.
Low Impact Development - It Works Better and Can Cost Less, November 1, 2011
Presented by LaMarr Clannon, Non-Point Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO)
Presentation: NEMO Low Impact Development slide presentation
Background Information:
Taking action to protect clean water and cut expenses can become a win-win situation with Low Impact Development (LID) techniques such as green streets, infiltration areas, porous pavement and gravel wetlands. This webinar presents data from the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center on the effectiveness of various treatment techniques in cold climates, and economic case studies on the use of LID techniques in watersheds, both nearby and across the nation.
Developing Resilient Local Communities in a Changing Climate, December 15, 2010
Presented by Malcolm Burson, Associate Director, Policy Services and Climate Adaptation Program Manager, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Presentation: Developing Resilient Local Communities in a Changing Climate
Background Information:
The webinar introduced the concept of 'resilience' as a lens for assessment and planning and was intended to allow local officials to learn more about key consequences of a changing climate that they may not have considered yet. After a brief review of current information about observed and forecast climatic changes in Maine and potential local impacts, the webinar focused on the need to assess vulnerability and develop forward-looking responses in four critical areas:
- Public safety and emergency preparedness
- Public infrastructure, including transportation and drinking/waste/storm water management
- Public health
- Local housing and development
A 2009 University of Maine report, Maine's Climate Future has catalogued what we already know about how climate changes are affecting all parts of our state and all sectors of our economy. The 124th Maine legislature requested and, in 2010, received a report, People and Nature Adapting to a Changing Climate: Charting Maine's Course, that outlines initial steps Maine should be taking to build local and state-wide capacity to respond to these changes.
Optional Shoreland Zoning Standards for Areas Adjacent to Great Ponds, November 19, 2010
Presented by Bill LaFlamme, Coordinator, Nonpoint Source Training and Resource Center, Division of Watershed Management, Maine DEP
Presentation: Optional Shoreland Zoning Standards for Greater Protection of Areas Adjacent to Great Ponds
Supporting documents: Optional Shoreland Zoning Standards For Areas Adjacent to Great Ponds Handout
Background Information: The NPS Training Center develops and implements training workshops; develops and maintains various publications and a video lending library; and acts as a clearinghouse for NPS and BMP information.
This Webinar provides information on what municipalities may wish to adopt to provide additional protection to Great Ponds. Unbeknownst to most municipal officials, current Shoreland Zoning requirements provide only a basic level of protection. These optional standards, many of which are based on DEP's LakeSmart program, are designed to better protect water quality by further minimizing polluted stormwater runoff. This will maintain existing recreational uses of great ponds as well as shorefront property values. The 19 standards promote the maintenance of large undisturbed buffers, the adoption of a phosphorus control ordinance, the use of non-phosphorus fertilizer, the use of erosion and sediment control practices on roads and pathways, and proper maintenance of septic systems. The webinar provides detailed information on each proposed standard and is also an opportunity to provide feedback before the standards are officially released.
Adaptation to Sea Level Rise in Saco Bay, June 17, 2010
Presented by Peter Slovinsky, Coastal Geologist, Maine Geological Survey and J.T. Lockman AICP, Planning Director, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
Presentation: View webinar recording.
Supporting documents:
- Adaptation to Sea Level Rise in Saco Bay, Peter Slovinsky
- Creation of a Sea Level Adaptation Working Group, J.T. Lockman AICP
For More Information Visit: MPAP's Climate Variability webpage.
Place-Based Maine & Form-Based Codes for Planners, May 27, 2010
Presented by: Alan S. Manoian, AICP, Director Planning and Community Development, Town of Bridgton, Maine
Presentation: Place-based Maine & Form-Based Codes for Planners
Background Information:
The following materials are referenced in this presentation:
- Form-Based Code Institute website
- Station Area Form-Based Code, Farmer's Branch, TX
- Pleasant Hill Bart Station Property Code, Regulating Plan and Architectural Standards, Waldon, CA
Place-based Maine & Form-Based Codes: An Introduction to Form Based Codes, April 22, 2010
Presented by: Alan S. Manoian AICP Director Planning and Community Development, Town of Bridgton, Maine
Presentation: View webinar recording: Place-based Maine & Form-Based Codes: An Introduction to Form Based Codes.
Supporting documents: Place-Based Maine & Form-Based Codes slide presentation
For More Information Visit: MPAP's Form-Based Codes webpage