Background
Protecting Maine from
out-of-control development
Maine is changing, and if real estate developers and big box store owners have
their way, these changes may permanently spoil some of Maine’s special
places like Tidewater Farm in Falmouth, Penjajowok Marsh in Bangor and Moosehead
Lake. Luckily, Maine has a great program, Land for Maine’s Future, to protect
the rural landscapes that define our natural heritage and rural character.
Mainers have enthusiastically approved bonds totaling $85 million for this successful
program, but the program’s money has run out. It’s time to replenish
the program’s funding with a $75 million bond, allowing the state to be
at the table when Maine’s lands are on the auction block.
Sprawl threatens our
natural environment
Sprawling development threatens farms, woodlots and open spaces that define
the traditional rural landscape of Maine. The unplanned growth cuts precious
open spaces into smaller and smaller pieces, limits Mainers access to recreational
lands and destroys wetlands that are critical for clean water.
Developers have set their sights on Maine
At least 6 million acres of woods in Northern Maine (about a quarter of all
land in the state) has changed hands in the last five years and only 6.7 percent
of Maine’s land is publicly held, below national or regional averages.
Left to their own devices, real estate speculators and strip mall developers
like Packard Development of Massachusetts will turn our state into metro-Boston.
There is a way to stop the developers and their allies in the state house, but
we’re going to need your help to make it work.
Protecting land for Maine’s
future
Since its start in 1987, the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program has
purchased land and conservation easements covering 192,000 acres in over 120
projects in all of Maine’s counties. Voters have overwhelmingly approved
bonds of $35 million and $50 million for this, leveraging over $50 million in
both private and federal funds.
Environment Maine, along with a broad coalition of other groups, is advocating
a strong next step to protect our lands—the passage of a $75 million bond
for purchasing critical habitat and recreational areas—protecting it from
real estate speculators.
Simultaneously we will be working to get funding for towns to develop long range growth management plans and to give the plans the weight of law. So towns can prevent developers from destroying their unique character with big box stores and strip malls.
Time is of the essence
Land prices are skyrocketing, often in the most ecologically important areas–along the coast, rivers, mountains and lakes. If the state is going to protect these important
areas for future generations, the program must act now.
Environment Maine is calling on the Legislature to approve a $75 million bond to fund the Land for Maine’s Future program. Environment Maine will then encourage voters to approve it at the polls in June. The program needs to be funded now, while we can still afford to protect our special places.
Standing up for Maine’s environment
Caring about the environment is critical, but it’s not enough. Winning real results that protect our environment requires action. We recently protected Maine’s waterways by getting the biggest blueberry grower to stop aerial pesticide spraying by organizing local activists and threatening legal action.
We focus exclusively on protecting Maine’s environment, researching problems, advocating solutions and educating and involving Maine citizens.