PRESERVING FARMS AND WORKING FORESTS THREATENED BY SPRAWL
Suburban sprawl has already consumed tens of thousands of acres of land in Maine that used to contribute to our natural resource-based economy. The problem is particularly acute in southern Maine where a 108-percent increase in urbanized land over the past two decades has caused greater Portland to be labeled the "sprawl capital of the Northeast."
Development pressures force farmers and woodlot owners to make difficult choices between preserving their land for traditional uses or selling acreage to developers. Sometimes landowners really do not have a choice at all, as escalating property taxes make it impossible to hold onto land. I know how difficult it is for landowners to see family lands give way to strip malls and cul-de-sacs. The people of Maine are working hard to preserve our working forests and to protect our communities from sprawl. Maine voters approved a $50-million bond to fund the Land for Maine's Future board, and continue to expend scarce municipal resources to protect important lands. Mainers also contribute their time and money to support our state's 88 land trusts. They are doing important work, and it is time for the federal government to lend a helping hand.
I have introduced legislation, the Suburban and Community Forestry and Open Space Act, which would establish a $50-million grant program within the U.S. Forest Service to support locally-driven projects that preserve working forests. It has been endorsed by numerous conservation and environmental organizations as well as small woodlot owners and associations representing the forest products industry. It is no accident that I first unveiled my legislation at the Smiling Hill Farm, a working family farm in Westbrook owned by Roger Knight. For those who don't know it, Smiling Hill Farm is surrounded by commercial development and is only minutes away from the mega-stores around the Maine Mall. Like many farms in Maine, it comes complete with a working woodlot. I drafted my legislation with farms like Roger Knight's in mind, and I am grateful that he is among the many landowners who have endorsed my legislation.
As part of the program, state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, could compete for funds to purchase land or conservation easements to keep forest lands threatened by development in their traditional use. Projects funded under this initiative must be targeted at lands that are in parts of the country that are threatened by sprawl. The legislation requires that federal grant funds be matched dollar-for-dollar with state, local, or private resources and be used to promote sustainable forestry and public access to forest lands. My legislation protects the rights of property owners with the inclusion of a "willing-seller" provision, and it allows non-profits, states, and municipalities – but not the federal government – to hold title to land or conservation easements purchased through the program.
The $50 million that would be authorized by my bill would help achieve a number of stewardship objectives. First, my legislation would help prevent forest fragmentation and preserve working forests, helping to maintain the supply of timber that fuels one of Maine's most important industries. Second, the resources made available as part of my legislation would be a valuable tool for communities struggling to manage growth and prevent sprawl. Currently, if the town of Gorham or another city trying to cope with the effects of sprawl turned to the federal government for assistance, none would be found. My bill will change that by making the federal government an active partner in preserving forest land and managing sprawl.
We can all be proud of the work being done in Maine to protect our working forests for the next generation, and I am grateful that many of the people and organizations that are leading this effort have joined in supporting my legislation. My Suburban and Community Forestry and Open Space Act recognizes this success and acknowledges that the federal government must step up to the plate to support locally-driven land preservation efforts.
