The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Jane Brekke is director of Sierra Club Maine.
As a student at the University of Maine in Orono in the late ‘90s, I fully immersed myself in what I feel is Maine’s most valuable legacy: the outdoors. From learning to flyfish with friends, snowshoeing with the outdoor club, cross-country skiing right from campus, and mastering outdoor skills in Coach Walt Abbott’s outdoor leadership class, I fell deeply in love with the natural world in Maine, and I credit this experience for providing me with a lifelong passion to protect these places that I grew to love.
The Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program was established in 1987 as the state’s primary funding source for protecting the outdoor spaces that we all love. By conserving over 650,000 acres of land and working waterfronts, supporting traditional industries like farming and fishing, and securing public recreational access, the LMF program works not only to protect the environment but also Mainers’ ways of life.
Where I live, in York County, LMF grants have been used to protect over 2,500 acres in the York River/Mt. Agamenticus/Tatnic Hill region in six communities. Other projects supported in my area include the Tidal Waters, Tibbets Farm, Dunn Farm, Lovers Brook Farm, Spiller Farm, Braveboat Headwaters, Bauneg Beg Mountain, Hope Woods, Ferry Beach, Old Talbot Farm, Kennebunk Plains, and many others.
LMF-funded land generally must remain open to traditional and recreational activities. These properties are critical to our community’s health and well-being. They are also an integral part of our lives as Mainers, and are the basis for so many important life events.
I’ve been told about marriage proposals and fire rescues atop Bauneg Beg mountain. My daughter’s first hike was up “Mt. A.” She learned about vernal pools, the state-endangered Blanding’s turtle, and the state-threatened spotted turtle at Tatnic Woods preserve. In the summer, we pick strawberries at Spillers’ Farm and enjoy the beauty of Kennebunk Plains’ purple northern blazing star, which occurs only in York County.
In my previous work with Great Works Regional Land Trust, I had the privilege of helping to prepare and submit an LMF application to establish the Tidal Waters Conservation Area along the Salmon Falls River in South Berwick. The preservation, with the support of the landowners, prevented future development from impacting important upland, salt marsh, and intertidal habitats and provided an opportunity to reduce use pressure on nearby Vaughn Woods State Park. The town voted overwhelmingly to support this project because they know of the value conserved land provides to their community members. Hunters, anglers, birders, day hikers, and all other lovers of the outdoors benefit from these protected public lands. They are part of our identity and way of life.
Nearly all of the $40 million allocated to LMF in 2021 has been spent or obligated, yet there is still much land to protect in our state. Maine has experienced unprecedented development pressure since the pandemic, putting farmland at risk, limiting waterfront access and making it harder to enjoy the special places. We know that our communities need funding for so many important things right now, but if we don’t commit funding to protecting our natural places, they will continue to disappear. Now is the time to invest in working lands, our recreational economy, climate resilience, and the beauty and open spaces that define our state.
I ask that you contact your legislator and Gov. Janet Mills directly and tell them that you support funding LMF. There are several different bills that could accomplish this goal, but for now, please tell them how important public lands are to you, and that they need to fund the Land for Maine’s Future program this year and in the years to come. Also, go spend some time outside! Do you have LMF recreation areas near you? Check this link to find out!