By A.J. Higgins MPBN news story A conservation group that took a stand 40 years ago to protect the Bigelow range in western Maine has re-emerged to draw public attention to state policies they say could endanger the public lands. The Friends of Bigelow say the LePage administration is ignoring state law, forestry science and… Continue Reading
overharvesting
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,… Continue Reading
Legislature’s Public Lands Commission Slams Forest Door on Governor’s Demands
By George Smith Bangor Daily News column A special Commission organized by the legislature to respond to Governor Paul LePage’s demands that money be diverted from the Public Lands Bureau to fund heating assistance has unanimously rejected those demands, effectively shutting the forest door on the Governor. But the Commission did vote to divert some surplus… Continue Reading
LePage Administration Pushes to Cut Funds for Home Heating Efficiency; Even as Governor Demands More Such Funds Before Releasing LMF Bond
NRCM news release On Tuesday, Governor LePage’s top energy staffer, Patrick Woodcock, led an effort to cut $7.5 million for home weatherization and heating efficiency from the Efficiency Maine’s proposed three-year budget at the same time the governor is refusing to release voter-approved Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) funds because he claims to be concerned… Continue Reading
Commission Struggles with Proposal to Divert Timber Revenues as Market Sours
Legislators are examining timber harvesting on state-owned lands and use of those logging revenues following a heated legislative debate also tied to the fate of the Land for Maine’s Future program. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Members of the commission reviewing the management of Maine’s state-owned lands grappled Tuesday with… Continue Reading
Reason, Science and the Law: Where LePage’s Public Forest Plans Fall Short
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Gov. Paul LePage says he’s giving up on the Legislature, but there’s no indication he’s backing down from his effort to cut more wood from the state’s public lands and set aside the revenue so rural, low-income households can afford to upgrade to lower cost heating… Continue Reading
Commission Shows Little Appetite for Raiding Maine Public Lands Trust Fund
“No extra cash,” say Public Lands directors by Christine Parrish Free Press news story “This is not the State’s woodlot. It’s the people’s land. It’s our land. We hold it in trust for Maine people. It’s not just about the money we make.” — Will Harris, former director, Maine Public Lands The first hurdle for… Continue Reading
New Commission Debating Future of Our 600,000 Acres of Public Lands
All Mainers have right and responsibility to provide input on priorities to the panel. By George Smith Central Maine newspapers column We have a big stake in the work of the new Commission to Study the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund, organized by the Legislature. After all, we own those 600,000 acres of public lands…. Continue Reading
Heavier Logging of Maine Public Lands Focus of New Commission
by Christine Parrish Free Press news story A new commission has just been formed by the state legislature to study the impacts of a shift away from a conservation forestry focus on Maine Public Lands to the commercial timber approach it embraced in 2013 — and the possible uses of those new timber dollars. The… Continue Reading
