The most recent Maine Legislature session ended before any bonds were agreed upon, leaving funding for certain state programs up in the air.
One of the programs in limbo is the Land for Maine’s Future fund — our state’s most successful conservation program. Amazingly, despite the fact that voters have supported Land for Maine’s Future FIVE TIMES since 1987, it is as of now completely unfunded.
To protect our critically important natural resource economy, ecotourism industry and wildlife habitat — not to mention enact the will of the people — I strongly urge our Senator Black and Representative Landry to return to August and vote to fund Land for Maine’s Future as soon as possible.
It is likely that legislators will reconvene for a special session to vote on other bonds. So what better time to act on behalf of Land for Maine’s Future? Funding this vital program NOW will ensure that public lands remain publicly accessible, and that conservation agreements remain in force.
Scott Cronenweth
Industry
Maybe taxpayers are getting fed up with paying astronomical prices for mostly cutover woodlands while losing tax base. There is plenty of land locked up already for the liberals to roam freely.
The Whistle Stop Trail, a Rails to Trails conversion is a community and area + see below
“Land for Maine’s Future This property was acquired in part with funds from the Land for Maine’s Future program. For more information about the LMF program and the places it has helped to protect, please visit the LMF webpage.”
See also
https://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/details.pl?park_id=76
I doubt there is no community in the county that a Rails To Trails conversion passes by that would not say it is an economic asset for it and its area
They opted to fund other things…like welfare for illegal aliens and $40k teacher pay to start, much without our consent…leaving the things WE actually may want to do unfunded. That is all that happened. Too bad.
Many of these programs are NOT vital programs at all. All they do is shift that tax burden from land owners to US. Enough. If you want a socialist state, you have to pay for the socialist programs FIRST. Conservation and other luxuries come last.
94% of Maine is privately held, the other 6% is state and national parks. These hunting, fishing, hiking, camping etc. areas listed in the Gazetteer are on private property, very little of it is actually state maintained, nor should it be. The state paying to maintain these lands is tantamount to the state paying to have your lawn mowed. And bonds are federally taxed and charged interest, right now the the federal interest rate is at 2.25% it was at 2.50% but the feds want to set it at 3% by 2020. Not to mention there has been no conservation related questions on the Maine ballot in almost 6 years and, that $10 million in bonds was issued. So if it isn’t on the ballot, how is it “the will of the people”? bond issues don’t carry over from year to year or voting cycle to voting cycle they are voted on provided they are put on the ballot, the state just can’t issue a bond because somebody wants one, they have to be put on the ballot by someone, so if nobody puts it on the ballot, congress is under no obligation to do anything about something that is funded by a bond. Come on people, this is high school government class stuff.
Mr. Planet
If you travelled around the state you would see that land protected by LMF from development is hardly cut over forest land. It is uninformed assertions like yours that make informed discussion difficult. Go to LMF on the web and check out what has been protected by LMF over the years.