PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 26, 2021
Groups representing interests from commercial fishing to real estate expressed support Monday for a proposal to float $80 million in bonds to fund purchases by the Land for Maine’s Future program and another $35 million for state park maintenance. The two bills, L.D. 983 and L.D. 687, received support Monday from the Land for Maine’s Future Coalition. LMF was established in 1987 and has helped protect more than 600,000 acres in Maine, including working waterfront sites, access to rivers, lakes and ponds, and farmland and working forest. The funding provided by Maine is often matched by federal programs. The state program hasn’t received new funding since 2012. The additional funding for state parks is needed because there is a backlog of $50 million worth of maintenance projects that have been deferred. If the Legislature approves the two measures, the bond questions would be placed on the November 2021 ballot.