Public-land debate

With his land-bond proposal last week, Gov. Angus King set the other half of the debate over acquiring public land in Maine. His proposal is a serious, reasoned position that, held against the major Democratic plan, promises to offer Maine a substantial debate on the direction it will take with public land.

The governor proposed that Maine approve a $50 million bond — to be issued at $10 million a year for five years — with a required match of at least $25 million from private or public contributions. (The governor’s staff reports that, already, large donors have come forward to meet that requirement.) Administered through the Land for Maine’s Future program, the money would be targeted at places of exceptional natural and recreational value.

Legislation by Sen. Chellie Pingree and House Speaker Steve Rowe would float a bond for $75 million, add $20 million in direct funding and use $5 million a year for 10 years from the real estate transfer tax. Their plans are ambitious and reflect the growing concern that the large scale land sales in Maine during the last 12 months will lead to misplaced development and the exclusion of the Maine public.

As lawmakers consider these proposals and several others on the table, they should return often to the core questions of why the state wants the land and how can it be secured most cost-effectively. Preserving public access, protecting unique areas, directing development and improving wildlife habitat are some of the answers to the first question; easements and targeting purchases to places where population pressure is greatest are part of the second. A useful guide to these questions is the work done by the Land Acquisition Priorities Advisory Council, which concluded that bond money should be used to protect undeveloped coastline, water access, farmland and open space in southern Maine. The council made these recommendations before the land-buying spree of 1998, and added the caveat that land in northern Maine would become more of a priority if large parcels of it began to change hands.

There is widespread consensus in Maine for public land purchases. Even a property-rights associated group, called Keep Maine Free, approves, but wants to limit state land ownership to 7 percent of the state and 10 percent of any county. About 5 percent of Maine currently is publicly held. It is unlikely than any of the proposals in the Legislature would exceed those percentage limits.

Given his parsimony in other areas of the budget, Gov. King’s proposal was a welcome surprise. His contribution to the debate helps ensure that the legislative session will end with a substantial bond for land purchases.