BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 13, 2021
There is much discussion in Maine about how best to mitigate climate change. The December 2020 “Maine Won’t Wait” report of the Maine Climate Council sets forth a broad and well-researched set of actions to do so. One of them is simple and relatively inexpensive: Keep Maine’s forests as forests. This opportunity is right in front of us, but is often relegated to the back burner. This action should be prioritized, and quickly. Conserving forests through conservation easements is one of the more cost-effective strategies to help reach carbon neutrality by maintaining forest cover. A bond for the Land for Maine’s Future Program would replenish this program and enable opportunities for forestland conservation that keeps land on the tax rolls and accessible to the public. ~ Karin R. Tilberg, Forest Society of Maine