by Laura Sewall Times Record op-ed As was the case during last year’s legislative session, there are a number of bills before state lawmakers that, if passed, would surely compromise the quality of Maine’s environment. They are often cast as critical to support Maine’s economy, but that falsely pits jobs against the environment. In a Read More
regulation
Panel Unanimously Passes Bill to Overhaul Land Use Regulation Commission
By Kevin Miller, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Members of a legislative committee on Thursday unanimously endorsed a bill to reform Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission after lawmakers reached an accord to remove the most contentious aspect of the measure. The bill, LD 1798, will replace the seven-member slate of Read More
Maine LURC Reform Proposal Wins Key Committee Endorsement
MPBN news story A controversial proposal to revamp the Land Use Regulation Commission has been unanimously approved by a legislative committee, virtually guaranteeing its passage by the full Legislature. Debate over the future of the agency esponsible for zoning and planning in Maine’s vast unorganized territories has raged for more than a year. But one Read More
LURC Change Too Risky
Bangor Daily News editorial As the legislative session shifts into high gear, the debates become less academic. It’s no longer general ideas and vague improvements that are on the table; it’s real, often substantive changes. Once those changes become state law, it’s difficult to undo them. The initiative to improve the way the Land Use Read More
LURC Overhaul Expected to Stir Debate
by The Associated Press Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — A proposal to overhaul the agency that regulates development in the nearly 10 million acres of Maine known as the unorganized territories is heading for votes by the Legislature. A vote Thursday by the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee to send the bill Read More
LURC Reform: It’s All About the Money
by Sandra Neily Bangor Daily News op-ed Decentralize and localize LURC with more county representation? Allow a county to opt out of LURC oversight? Remove centralized management of a forest asset that drops billions of dollars a year into the Maine economy? Imagine North Woods resources as an affiliated, sprawling string of factories. (Maine people Read More
Lawmakers Make Some Progress on LURC Reform Bill
by Kevin Miller, BDN staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Members of a legislative committee began vetting a list of proposed reforms to the Land Use Regulation Commission on Thursday but opted to delay until next week debate on the most contentious issue surrounding the agency. A bill pending before lawmakers would Read More
LURC’s Role Needs to Be Reaffirmed, Not Subject to Local Political Pressure
The agriculture committee should reject the LURC reform proposal to protect Maine’s woods by Robert Kimber Portland Press Herald op-ed Our license plate rightly declares that Maine is Vacationland. Tourism is one of our major industries, and the future of that industry depends on maintaining the health, integrity and beauty of the Maine coast and Read More
LURC Reform Plan Threatens Home Rule
by D. Gordon Mott Bangor Daily News op-ed LURC reform will bring a sea change to planning, zoning and permitting in the state’s Unorganized Territory. Good reforms will give our natural resource economy a deserved higher standing, and there’s an intent the new, larger Land Use Planning Commission will be made up of people with Read More
