Wabanaki Nations Will Be Represented for the First Time
January 15, 2026 (Augusta, ME) – A bill to strengthen Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) has become law, with provisions to expand and update this important oversight board for the 10.5 million acres of Unorganized Territories (UT), covering approximately half of the state.
The new law (LD 870) includes a number of important reforms that will help the LUPC to better represent the enormous statewide significance the region holds for Maine’s future when it makes planning and zoning decisions.
The changes include a new Commissioner representing the Wabanaki Nations, a new Commissioner appointed by the Legislature representing the state’s interests at-large, and improved qualifications for forestry, land use planning, conservation, fisheries, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and natural resource-based businesses within the UT.
“The Wabanaki Alliance is very pleased that LD 870 has become law. Our people have been stewards of these lands and waters now called Maine since time immemorial, and this measure helps ensure a needed voice and perspective on the Land Use Planning Commission informed by ancestral wisdom and relevant cultural practices,” said Wabanaki Alliance Executive Director Maulian Bryant. “It is necessary for all Mainers that we work together for the health and wellbeing of our homelands, and we stand in unity with everyone who has worked to make this effort a reality. We remain committed to the full restoration of our rights as sovereign nations, and we are thankful for this step forward in collaboration and friendship.”
The Unorganized Territories include the largest unfragmented forest left in the eastern U.S. that contains habitats and ecosystems that are globally significant. Beyond its ecological importance, the North Woods also play a major role in sustaining Maine’s economy by supporting local jobs in the outdoor recreation and forestry sectors. Additionally, approximately 80% of the land owned by tribal nations in Maine is located within the UT.
“These reforms recognize that the Unorganized Territories are a culturally important landscape with economic, natural resource, and outdoor recreation values of local, statewide, national, and even international significance,” said Luke Frankel, Woods, Waters, & Wildlife Director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
The new law will modify the LUPC in the following ways:
- Increase the number of Commissioners from 9 to 11.
- For the first time, provide a Commissioner based on a joint recommendation of the federally recognized Indian nations, tribes, and bands in the state.
- For the first time, provide an at-large Commissioner based on a joint appointment by the President of the Maine Senate and Speaker of the Maine House.
- For the first time since 1974, updates the qualifications for appointees to represent a broader range of expertise, including in forestry, land use planning, conservation, fisheries, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and natural resources-related businesses.
LD 870 was introduced by Representative Bill Bridgeo (D-Augusta), and Representative Jim Dill (D-Old Town) played an important role in the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee in recommending the amendment to add a Commissioner to represent the Wabanaki Nations.
“LD 870 will enhance the LUPC’s ability to address pressures on the UT that have been building in recent years and will only increase,” said Representative Bridgeo. “For a landscape as large as Maine’s unorganized territories — which comprises more than half of the state of Maine — there is a very substantial state interest that needs fair representation on the LUPC. I also commend my colleagues on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee for adding Wabanaki representation to the LUPC through their amendment to the bill, which I strongly support.”
“I am pleased that the Wabanaki Nations in Maine will now have a seat at the table for this important commission that plays a vital stewardship role for the critically important forests, waters, and wildlife of Maine’s unorganized territories,” said Representative Dill. “This addition is long overdue.”
Eight of the 11 commissioners would continue to be appointed through the recommendation of the County Commissioners of the eight Maine counties with the most acreage in Maine’s 10.4 million acres of UT, and one appointee would continue to be made by the Governor. All 11 Commissioners still need to be confirmed by the Senate. The new law also establishes term limits for Commissioners to no more than two consecutive four-year terms.
LD 870 was one of 52 bills that Governor Mills allowed to become law last week without her signature. The law will go into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns.
