The Land For Maine’s Future (LMF) program has focused acquisition and protection efforts on areas of the state that have the lowest need for more public land.
An analysis of state holdings on a county by county basis reveals that the benefits (recreation, access and associated economic activity) and burdens (lost tax base and development opportunities) of public land are not distributed equitably in Maine. The six rural counties that already exceed the state median in both percentage state owned and public acres per capita (Piscataquis, Aroostook, Washington, Oxford, Franklin and Hancock) were targeted for 77.7% of all LMF purchases to date, and more than 90% of proposed new acquisitions. The LMF program has purchased or plans to purchase .65% of these “low priority” Tier 3 counties
LMF has failed to address the severe shortage of public land in southern Maine.
Tier 1 counties ranking below the state median in both percentage state owned and public acres per capita (Androscoggin, Cumberland, Kennebec, Lincoln, York, Waldo) account for only 12.5% of past acquisitions, and only 6.5% of new proposals. Acquisitions represent only .36% of these “greatest need” counties.
LMF has actually worsened the “Two Maine’s” divide.
Although it is true that LMF has had projects in all 16 counties, a closer analysis of their acquisitions reveals that the vast majority of their efforts have been and will continue to be focused on rural northern, eastern and western Maine. These public acquisitions are a backdoor approach to creating a giant park or wilderness reserve in rural Maine, and efforts to hide or spin the actual distribution of acreage acquisitions only serve to convince rural Mainers that their concerns are well founded.
County Distribution of Land for Maine's Future Projects |
||
1988-Present |
Proposed |
Total |
Tier 1 |
||
| Acres | %LMF | Acres | %LMF | %LMF | %County | Projects | |
| Androscoggin | 287 | 2,3.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 2.5% | 0.76% | 4 |
| Cumberland | 1,414 | 2.2% | 301 | 1.1% | 1.8% | 0.32% | 8 |
| Kennebec | 550 | 0.9% | 1,047 | 3.7% | 1.7% | 0.29% | 2 |
| Lincoln | 592 | 0.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.20% | 4 |
| York | 2,843 | 4.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 3.1% | 0.45% | 12 |
| Waldo | 423 | 0.7% | 490 | 1.7% | 1.0% | 0.20% | 5 |
| Subtotal | 8,109 | 12.5% | 1,838 | 6.5% | 10.7% | 0.36% | 35 |
County Distribution of Land for Maine's Future Projects |
||
1988-Present |
Proposed |
Total |
Tier 2 |
| Acres | %LMF | Acres | %LMF | %LMF | %County | Projects | |
| Somerset | 254 | 0.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.01% | 1 |
| Penobscot | 5,544 | 8.6% | 0 | 0.0% | 6.0% | 0.26% | 2 |
| Sagadahoc | 474 | 0.7% | 97 | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.35% | 3 |
| Knox | 40 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.02% | 1 |
| Subtotal | 6,312 | 9.8% | 97 | 0.3% | 6.9% | 0.13% | 7 |
County Distribution of Land for Maine's Future Projects |
||
1988-Present |
Proposed |
Total |
Tier 3 |
||
| Acres | %LMF | Acres | %LMF | %LMF | %County | Projects | |
| Piscataquis | 30,492 | 47.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 32.7% | 1.20% | 2 |
| Aroostook | 2,759 | 4.3% | 3,190 | 11.2% | 6.4% | 0.14% | 6 |
| Washington | 5,882 | 9.1% | 820 | 2.9% | 7.2% | 0.41% | 12 |
| Oxford | 687 | 1.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.7% | 0.05% | 4 |
| Franklin | 2,023 | 3.1% | 230 | 0.8% | 2.4% | 0.21% | 3 |
| Hancock | 8,384 | 13.0% | 22,276 | 78.3% | 32.9% | 3.01% | 4 |
| Subtotal | 50,227 | 77.7% | 26,516 | 93.2% | 82.4% | 0.65% | 31 |
| Totals | 64,647 | 100.0% | 28,451 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 0.47% | 73 |
*Acres: Acquisition by fee purchase or easement
*%LMF: Percent of LMF acquisitions
*%County: Percent of county acquired
*Projects: # of projects, completed and proposed
*Tier 1: Counties below State median in both percent State owned
and State land per capital (Greatest Need)
*Tier 2: Counties below State median in either percent State
owned or State land per capita
*Tier 3: Counties above State median in both percent State owned
and State land per capita
*Source: Maine State Planning Office
What's Your View?
Start or join a discussion on The Liars' Bench or email us