LMF Workgroup Issues Recommendations

In July of 2020, the Land for Maine’s Future Board created a workgroup to hear feedback from and discuss with cooperating entities how to collaborate most effectively in meeting shared goals to conserve natural, recreational, and working lands.

The work group, which included representatives from a half dozen land conservation groups, LMF Board members, a municipal official, and staff, met four times between September and December. They discussed many issues including the appraisal review process, project agreements, management plans, conservation easement requirements, and project scoring. Their goal was to look at the foundational aspects of the relationship between LMF and its partners, and to develop recommendations for consideration by the full LMF Board that help ensure the Program is accessible and impactful, while also maintaining the qualities that have engendered strong public support since the Program’s establishment in 1987.

The work group finalized their recommendations in early January and presented them to the Board on January 26. The LMF Board accepted the recommendations and agreed to work on the issues in the upcoming year. They tentatively developed a schedule for upcoming Board meetings to include the following topics:

• March: Department sponsorship, applications, scoring, and awards
• May: Appraisal requirements and review process
• July: Easements and project agreements