Bangor Daily News editorial We give the Land Use Planning Commission, which oversees zoning and development in the state’s more than 10 million acres of unorganized territories, credit for listening to public criticism of a plan to allow more scattered development in these areas. After public hearings and comments that were overwhelmingly negative, the commission Read More
Land Use Planning Commission
State Panel Told to Protect Maine Woods from Development Sprawl
By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story A proposal to change how development is allowed in Maine’s Unorganized Territory still is being met with some vocal opposition, despite some minor changes that a state planning body has made to the draft policy. Many of the roughly three dozen people who spoke Thursday Read More
Testimony on LUPC’s Proposed Rule Revisions: Revised Application of the Adjacency Principle & Subdivision Standards
Public Hearing on LUPC’s Proposed Rule Revisions: Revised Application of the Adjacency Principle & Subdivision Standards Testimony of Catherine B. Johnson My name is Cathy Johnson and I am the Forests and Wildlife Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). NRCM has over 20,000 members and supporters including people who reside in Read More
LUPC Proposal Would Forever Scar Maine’s North Woods
NRCM calls on planning agency to drop proposed changes that would harm wildlife, recreation, and local economic development NRCM news release Augusta – People from across Maine, and the state’s leading environmental advocacy group are calling on the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) to drop a proposal that would allow widespread development on more than Read More
Maine’s North Woods Threatened by State Policy
The Land Use Planning Commission would open millions of acres of fragile ecosystems to development. by Rebecca Tripp, a resident of Searsport Portland Press Herald op-ed Maine’s North Woods is the largest undeveloped forest in the Eastern U.S., and it is being threatened by a proposal put forth by the Land Use Planning Commission, which Read More
Maine Environment Spring 2018 Newsletter
Maine Environment Spring 2018: What’s Inside! In this issue of Maine Environment, we feature an important story about big-picture implications of plastic waste, and why we need to shift away from the use of “convenience plastics.” It also highlights the work Sarah Lakeman, NRCM’s Sustainable Maine project director, is doing with local Maine towns to Read More
Public is Right: There’s No Reason to Change Unorganized Territory Development Rule
Bangor Daily News editorial A website devoted to changes that would allow more scattered development throughout Maine’s Unorganized Territories begins with this statement: “Development that is farther away from public services can lead to difficulty providing those services, and scattered development may interfere with forestry, recreation, and habitat. Right now, new zones for subdivisions and Read More
Proposal Could Create “Retail Hubs,” Sprawl in Maine Woods
By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story Officials who oversee development in the state’s Unorganized Territory were urged Wednesday to not make rule changes that critics say could create sprawl in the Maine woods and undermine development in northern municipalities. Approximately 100 people attended a public hearing Wednesday in Brewer by the Read More
Land Development Proposal Raises Concerns for Northern Maine Residents
by Melissa Lizotte The County news story MARS HILL, Maine — Several individuals expressed concerns about a new proposal that could lead to more commercial development in unorganized territories of Aroostook and the state during a public informational meeting held at the Bigrock Ski Lodge on June 14. The Land Use Planning Commission has proposed Read More
