Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

As clearly stated on the ACEC website, Faye supports the ACEC designation for the following reasons:

• ACEC towns receive higher priority for funding consideration for open space, self-help programs, and for agricultural, habitat, historical, and archeological preservation. Public education and awareness concerning these special local resources are enhanced and stewardship plans are developed.
   
• Larger developments or projects that are state funded or require state permits receive extra scrutiny and a more thorough environmental review by state agencies if they are within an ACEC. The goal of that review is to ensure that the resources, goals and issues identified by the local communities in the ACEC process are properly addressed.

Impact Fees

• Growth in this region has caused school budgets to blossom and infrastructure costs to skyrocket - while at the same time distributions from the State have decreased. Impact fees shift the burden of paying for that growth away from the long time resident. Money assessed to new development can be put into a fund for future open space purchase, or what the community designates. Leadership that is not afraid of the building lobbyists is needed at the State House to make this possible.

Leadership at the State House to get our region the tools it needs to protect our communities' resources.

• Funding to Identify & Protect Water Resources
  Residential growth has put a severe strain on our water resources. The availability of water also limits the availability of jobs by hobbling the ability of a company to expand. We need to plan for our future and determine how we will use and share this critical resource.
   
• Overhauling our obsolete zoning legislation to allow and encourage cities and towns to truly chart their future courses
  There are a number of zoning laws, which severely hamper a town's ability to manage its growth. We need to work together as a region to change these laws.
   
• Provide funding to make train service a more viable option in Ayer
  The lack of parking and the lack of mid-day train service make commuting by train a less likely alternative. It goes with out saying that the impact of the already horrible traffic is extremely detrimental to the environment in a number of ways. If we can work together to get the cars off the road, and the people into trains, it will help the environment.
   
• Establish additional incentives that allow landowners to donate land or continue to maintain as open space, forest or agricultural lands.
  There are existing programs that provide tax incentives to landowners. Yet, despite these programs, these lands continue to disappear at an alarming rate. We need to listen to these landowners and work with them to develop a preservation program that works for all.

Read Faye's Position on:   Education | Housing | Healthcare | Transportation