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Dalyn Houser is the principal executive and administrative employee of the Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC), Maine’s state agency responsible for conforming environmentally safe development of the important Ossipee, Little Ossipee, and Saco Rivers.
A 2013 graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, Dalyn studied Environmental Science and Policy and has worked for important environmental and consumer organizations, including, inter alia, the United States Public Interest Research Group (“U.S. PIRG”) where she, as Florida’s state-wide manager, advocated federal and state public policies on renewable energy, public transportation, and other consumer and environmental issues.
For the last five years, Dalyn has operated the Commission’s large and growing land-use regulatory, water quality monitoring, and environmental education programs. During that time, the land-use program has seen applications double from approximately 60 to 120, including the permitting of projects of never-before-seen size like the Parsonsfield Solar Alternate Energy project and ongoing large-scale projects in Saco and Biddeford. Likewise, the water quality monitoring program has grown from the staff monitoring over 40 sites along the river, conducting in-house analysis of E.coli and Enterococci, completing the first analysis of all water quality data collected over 20 years for short and long-term trends, creating annual town reports, and pioneering eDNA research in water quality monitoring.
The Commission’s work protecting these rivers and their watersheds is shown in a video (accessible here). Please contact Dalyn with your comments or questions at your convenience.
John Boland, retired from a 36-year career as a fishery biologist for Maine’s Department of Inland Fish and Wildlife. He served as the Director of The Fisheries Division, and upon retirement as the Director of the Bureau of Resource Management, overseeing all fishery and wildlife resource management issues for the State. He keeps current with fishery and wildlife issues, as well as public access, legislative, and conservation issues.
He has served on a variety of boards and councils including the Northeast Fish and Wildlife Directors Association, The Atlantic Flyway Council, The Atlantic Coast Joint Venture, and various fishery councils and committees. In retirement he has volunteered his time with the Royal River Conservation Trust, Back in the Mainstream (veterans organization), Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum and others. He is currently a fly-fishing instructor at L.L. Bean.
When they are not at their camp in Oquossoc, John lives in New Gloucester with his wife Sandy. He enjoys gardening, hunting and fishing. They have two grown daughters, two grandchildren, and a spoiled yellow lab.
The environmental compliance officer handles all necessary enforcement actions on the commission’s behalf and ensures the compliance of all existing commission orders.
Please contact John if you have questions about compliance.
Jillian Emerson earned her B.S. in Microbiology/Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Quinnipiac University in 2008. After her degree completion she spent 10 years working in academic research in the Department of Molecular and Systems Biology (formerly Genetics) at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. Most of her work was focused in the area of circadian rhythms using a model fungal organism, Neurospora crassa. In 2018, she earned her ASCP certification in molecular biology (MB, ASCP(CM)). She is currently also the Water Quality Coordinator for Green Mountain Conservation Group in Effingham, NH.
The water quality monitoring program manager, hired by the executive director, oversees all facets of the water quality program. Jill develops annual water quality reports for all 20 corridor towns, including recommendations to preserve water quality based on the data collected through the program. She also works with the Maine DEP to ensure the program meets all QAPP (Quality Assurance Project Plan) requirements.
As the Administrative Assistant, Haley Lachance assists the executive director in administrative and operational tasks. Haley has a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from the University of Rhode Island. During her time there, she worked with the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experience (SMILE) Program to encourage 4th and 5th-grade students, from underrepresented communities, to pursue higher education and involvement in STEM fields. She is a lifelong resident of Southern Maine and delighted to be working with the communities within the Corridor to protect the Saco River Watershed.
Please contact Haley with questions about the permit application process.
The Saco River Corridor Commission is committed to protecting public health and safety and the quality of life for the state of Maine. The commission regulates land and water uses, protects and conserves the region’s unique and exceptional natural resources, and prevents the detrimental impacts of incompatible development. The commission was established in 1973.