SUMNER — Fifteen residents crowded the selectmen’s meeting room to hear John Maloney of the Androscoggin Valley Council of Government explain the proposed new shoreland zoning map for Sumner.

The most persistent questions were on how wetlands were delineated on the ground. Maloney said the limits of wetlands are determined by vegetation, hydrology and soil type. He has a list of people offering to make the determination, however there is no certification or licensing of them.

George Jones, who had spent 25 years on the Salem, N.H., planning board before retiring to Sumner, said, “The thing I see lacking here is there is no stated authority for authorization or challenging” the zone limits.

Maloney said that even if the Planning Board approves a proposed building as complying with the shoreland zoning ordinance, some future bank appraiser may refuse a loan because he feels there is a possible violation. No solution was offered.

Residents rejected a proposed zoning map at the annual town meeting. Maloney oversaw the redrawing of that map by AVCOG. The new map drew numerous questions that were answered by Maloney. He said that the area covered by the ordinance is divided into five zones with varying restrictions. These zones were shown in various colors on the map.

Residents will vote on a revised map at a special town meeting after Maloney reviews sections called into question.

Maloney said that as far back as the mid-1970s Sumner had a shoreland zoning map. There was a major revision in 1987 due to new state legislation. Since then, the state has refined its map of wetlands and important waterfowl habitat, which necessitates this update to Sumner’s map.

The major difference, other than greater accuracy, is that forested wetlands are no longer included since the shoreland zoning ordinance only considers open wetlands.

On the new map some land that had previously been shown as resource protection, the most restrictive classification, has been changed to limited residential. This may permit some new construction on shoreland lots. Resource protection prohibits all new construction with only a few exceptions on some “grandfathered” lots.

Questions were raised about vernal pools. Vernal pools are pools that hold water in the spring but dry up later in the year. Maloney said they were not covered by this ordinance, but they fall into three categories.

Significant vernal pools contain a specific concentration of amphibians during the breeding season. Nonsignificant vernal pools do not have that concentration of amphibians, while decoy vernal pools are man-made, usually by logging equipment.