McGowan named to Cabinet Baldacci asks prominent Democrat to head up conservation department

AUGUSTA – Patrick McGowan, a longtime player in Maine Democratic politics, was nominated Friday by Governor-elect John E. Baldacci to serve as commissioner of the Department of Conservation.

The 46-year-old York resident, best known for nearly defeating U.S. Rep. Olympia Snowe in 1992, is a strong proponent of state land acquisition. He spearheaded a $35 million bond issue for public land in the mid-1980s.

Speaking with reporters Friday morning, McGowan said that, if confirmed by the Maine Senate, his top priority would be to promote Baldacci’s $100 million land bond proposal.

“It’s had great support and millions have been spent for public lands,” he said. “So we’ll be back at it. I live along the coast now and places are being bought up and properties are skyrocketing. We need to see if we can preserve some of that land before it gets priced out [of reach].”

As commissioner, McGowan would oversee the natural resource agency that includes the Bureau of Geology and Natural Areas, the Bureau of Parks and Lands, the Land Use Regulation Commission and the Maine Forest Service.

He also would be responsible for the management, development and protection of Maine’s natural resources, including 17 million acres of forestland, 10.4 million acres of unorganized territory, 47 parks and historic sites and more than 500,000 acres of public reserved land.

“Pat is a consensus builder who will work closely with other departments in a coordinated effort to improve the quality of our environment, ensure Maine people’s continued access to these resources and promote the enduring connection between Maine’s environment and economic well-being,” Baldacci said in a prepared statement.

Appointed by President Bill Clinton, McGowan served for seven years as the regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration in New England. As regional administrator, he managed six field offices with more than 200 employees while supervising a $5 billion loan portfolio for New England, as well as regulating lending institutions, venture capital firms and nonprofits.

McGowan is a former five-term member of the Maine House of Representatives, serving from 1980-1990. He opposed Snowe for the 2nd Congressional District seat in 1990 and 1992.

While in the Legislature, he served on the Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources and Public Utilities committees. He was an original sponsor of the Land for Maine’s Future legislation. He served as chairman of joint standing committees on white-water rafting and the proposed natural gas pipeline.

A graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington, he is the former owner of several small businesses.

He is a recipient of the Nature Conservancy Presidential Award for land preservation, the New England Wildlife Award for endangered species protection, the New England Environmental Network for environmental legislation success and the Doc Lombard award for the promotion of sled-dog racing.