By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — Resident Eric Dibner used his nominationto the Casco Open Space Commission as a chance to speak about how the upcoming comprehensive plan could offer opportunities in conservation. 

On Tuesday, the Casco Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to nominate Dibner to the Open Space Commission. 

The comp plan “will call for participation by folks who will own the vision, the vision of what the town will look like, and how the town should act and behave,” Dibner said.

“It will cover areas of economic growth, housing and conservation,” he said.

The townspeople will have an opportunity to lead the way in conservation and to address problems that the whole world is facing. 

“The community will not only be working on community issues but also global issues,” he said. 

He talked about making plastic recycling more efficient at the town’s transfer station. He talked about reducing the use of plastic through educational outreach. 

He mentioned the balance between establishing solar energy and maintaining land that has other valuable uses. 

“Working on renewable energy like solar energy is an important future for the Town of Casco,” he said. 

“We should protect the resource of our farm land. I wouldn’t want to cover beautiful farm land soil with a solar array. We will need these farms. We can be more self-sufficient in terms of food. We could cut down on the cost of transporting food” by growing more produce locally, he said. 

“Finally, forests are so important. They are carbon. They capture carbon and keep it there. Every tree matters is helping to rebalance the climate,” Dibner said.

What the town puts into action as part of the comp plan could be “not just protecting Casco but helping in the future of the whole world,” he said. 

In ending, he thanked the board for supporting Open Space and its goals. 

“Without you, we would not have the leadership and support to make these things happen,” he said.