An Associated Press story in last Saturday’s newspaper reported that the Natural Resources Council of Maine “backs” a national park proposal for Maine’s north woods. While we strongly support plans to replenish the successful Land for Maine’s Future program, which has been out of money for four years, our board of directors has taken no position on the national park proposal.

Like Gov. Angus King, legislative leaders and citizens across the state, we believe substantial new funding for the Land for Maine’s Future program, combined with other public funds and private contributions, is necessary to protect many of Maine’s most treasured places. The original program purchased 65,000 acres in all 16 counties, places that wil be enjoyed by generations of Mainers to come.

Gov. King’s $50 million land bond proposal is an encouraging development. While we believe a more generous proposal would come closer to meeting the state’s needs, we are optimistic that the governor and Legislature will work together to send a significant land acquisition bond out for voter approval.

We wholeheartedly agree with Gov. King’s recent statement, “The time has come for us to renew our commitment to land conservation, to do for our grandchildren what Percival Baxter did for us — by preserving those special places throughout Maine that so much define us as a people. If we don’t we’ll turn around in a dozen years and wonder where Maine went.” Brownie Carson Executive director Natural Resources Council of Maine Augusta