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For more information contact Cathy Johnson at cjohnson@nrcm.org or (207) 622-3101. Download this fact sheet

A mother and child enjoy a summer day at Birch Point State Park in Rockland. Photo by Allison Wells.

Funding the Land for Maine's Future Program for the Next Generation

NRCM supports funding for the Land for Maine's Future program.

The Land for Maine's Future (LMF) program invested its last dollar in July of 2008. That is why a diverse coalition of more than 235 organizations has come together in support of a land bond to ensure the necessary funding for LMF to continue to work on behalf of Maine's citizens.

LMF has successfully . . .

• Conserved lands in each of Maine's 16 counties
• Completed more than 200 land protection projects
• Guaranteed public access to hundreds of thousands of acres
• Established access to dozens of water bodies
• Secured mountain summits, salt marshes, rivers, lakes, ponds, and coastal shorelines
• Provided an economic boost by conserving working farms and forestlands
• Addressed the diverse interests of Maine citizens – those who fish, hike, farm, raft, bike, boat, hunt, snowmobile, camp – in short, all who value the rich natural heritage that is Maine

LMF is effective because it . . .

• Operates exclusively on a willing seller/willing buyer basis
• Works collaboratively with state agencies, local communities and Maine citizens
• Adheres to a strict appraisal review process and stringent guidelines
• Guarantees public access and protects valuable natural resources for future generations to enjoy
• Stretches state resources by attracting millions of dollars in federal and private matching funds
• Is administered by a Board comprised of six private citizens and the five State Natural Resource Agency Commissioners – all confirmed by the Maine Legislature

LMF serves our . . .

• Communities by helping to address sprawl and by making Maine a more desirable place to live
• Economy by protecting the backbone of our natural resource based industries
• Environment by countering the impacts of fragmentation and loss of wildlife habitat
• People by providing greater public access to Maine’s outdoors and by protecting our heritage
  

LMF is supported by Maine's . . .

• Voters, who have overwhelmingly passed previous bonds of in 1987, 1999, 2005 and 2007. In fact, more than 63% of Maine voters supported the 2007 ballot initiative.
• Municipalities, who have invested their own tax dollars in support of many LMF projects
• Democratic and Republican legislators who have consistently shown strong support for LMF