By Ed Morin MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage has released $5 million in voter-approved land conservation bonds. The Land for Maine’s Future bonds, approved by Maine voters in 2012, had been caught up in a political tug of war between the governor and state lawmakers. LePage had said he wouldn’t release Read More
land bonds
Task Force Balks at LePage Plan to Divert State Timber Revenues for Home Heating
Citing constitutional restrictions, the commission spurns the governor’s idea to fund the home heating program with income from expanded logging on public lands. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — A task force has recommended against using revenues from logging on state-owned lands to help low-income Mainers heat their homes, Read More
$6.5 Million in Conservation Bonds, Held Up by LePage, Officially Expire
By A.J. Higgins MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine — As Maine hunters take to the woods on the first regular day of deer season Monday, many are finding access to traditional hunting grounds blocked by landowners who are posting their property. Ironically, this is also the day that nearly $6.5 million in voter-approved Land for Read More
LePage’s Land Conservation Interference Solidified Support against Him
By Jeff McCabe, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed I want to publicly thank Gov. Paul LePage for single-handedly raising the profile of Land for Maine’s Future. If he didn’t keep holding hostage its voter-approved bonds, there wouldn’t have been an occasion to look into just how much Mainers support this conservation program. Read More
Land for Maine’s Future Supporters Take LePage Fight to Sportsmen
The Land for Maine’s Future Coalition hopes to tap key constituency in effort to pressure governor to release voter approved bonds. By Steve Mistler, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA –– Supporters of the Land for Maine’s Future program used the first regular day of the deer hunting season and the expiration of Read More
LePage Frees $2.2 Million for Land for Maine’s Future
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage has reversed his earlier stance and will allow the Land for Maine’s Future program to use $2.2 million in cash it has on hand to fund conservation projects. However, LePage will continue to block the issuance of $11.5 million Read More
Maine People Tell Governor: You’re Wrong!
By George Smith Bangor Daily News column It is time for the Governor to realize he isn’t going to get his wish of diverting funding away from Maine’s public lands, and do the right thing: release those Land for Maine’s Future Bonds. Maine people strongly agree on this, and an opinion issued yesterday by Janet Read More
The Tools We Use to Preserve Maine’s Great Outdoors are in Jeopardy
By Kaitlyn Bernard and Carolyn Brodsky, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Beautiful fall days are just one reason we are lucky to live in the great state of Maine. From the Cutler coast to the Mahoosucs and from Aroostook State Park to Mount Agamenticus, every corner of Maine seems postcard worthy in Read More
Alternate Funding Allows Blueberry Hill, Knights Pond Conservation Purchase
The towns of Cumberland and North Yarmouth, along with three conservation groups, buy a 215-acre tract that had been endangered by a political fight over Lands for Maine’s Future bond money. By Matt Byrne, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story A coalition of private conservation groups and two towns have pooled resources to buy Read More
