By Mario Moretto, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — A state senator known as a moderate on Tuesday called out Gov. Paul LePage for the “artificially created crisis” about voter-approved conservation bonds worth more than $11 million. LePage has refused to issue the bonds, jeopardizing more than 30 land preservation projects Read More
forestry
Group Calls on LePage to Release Conservation Bonds
WCSH-6 TV news story CUMBERLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — Lawmakers, town officials and conservationists are calling on the governor to release voter-approved bonds to preserve land. They held a press conference in Cumberland Monday, where they raised public and private money to buy a 215 acre parcel of private land. The remainder of the funding Read More
Withholding Bonds an Attack on Maine’s Democracy
By Ann-Marie Mastraccio, William Noon, and Patricia Hymanson Seacoast Online news story In 2010 and 2012, Mainers voted to approve over $14 million in bonds to fund projects by the Land for Maine’s Future program. These projects involve nearly 50,000 acres of conservation land used for recreation, agriculture, water access and wildlife preservation across the Read More
Legislative Panel Rejects LePage Department of Conservation Overhaul
by Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor Sun Journal news story AUGUSTA — A key legislative committee has rejected a proposal by the administration of Republican Gov. Paul LePage that sought to dissolve the state’s Bureau of Public Lands and fold its functions into two other agencies within the state’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. As part Read More
Committee Rejects Plan to Split Bureau of Parks and Lands
by Nakell Williams WABI-TV news story The Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry rejected a part of the governor’s budget plan. It involves splitting the Bureau of Parks and Lands and placing public lands under forestry. Committee members say they didn’t get any supporting calls or e-mails from constituents. They also say they Read More
Maine Should be a Place Based on Laws, Not LePage’s Whims
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Gov. Paul LePage was easily re-elected in November and he will no doubt leave his mark on the state and its government. However, this doesn’t give him license to ignore existing state laws or policies. After refusing to sign off on the issuance of bonds approved Read More
Legislators Worry LePage about to Put Public Lands in Pro-harvesting Hands
Many believe he’s planning to have the same director for the forest service and the parks bureau, two agencies with different missions. By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — State lawmakers and conservation groups are raising concerns that Gov. Paul LePage will soon appoint the current director of the Maine Read More
LePage Says He’ll Decide Which Land Deals Maine Will Fund
The governor reiterates that his decision to withhold bonds is designed to press for increased timber harvesting. By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Gov. Paul LePage said this week that he plans to personally review and choose conservation and public easement projects before funding them with voter-approved bonds. His announcement has Read More
Project to Conserve Maine State House Backdrop in Limbo
Funding already approved for Augusta’s Howard Hill and other projects is in question as Gov. Paul LePage threatens to withhold Land for Maine’s Future bonds. By Michael Shepherd, Staff Writer Kennebec Journal news story AUGUSTA — A project that would preserve the wooded backdrop to the Maine State House has a problem in the Maine Read More