This week was a busy one with the Council engaged on many issues on behalf of our members and next week (and likely every week for the foreseeable future) will be more of the same. But, before we dive into specifics, we would first like to thank our members for traveling to Augusta to participate in a number of important hearings and events this week. We know that legislators always appreciate hearing from our membership on important issues directly, so thanks to those who answered our calls for participation.
Scott Ferland, General Manager of Maine Woods Company, featured as guest speaker at the Child Care Caucus to discuss efforts to bring a new child care facility to Portage
Jim Robbins testifying before the Taxation Committee in support of LD 1313
We will also need to sound the alarm again on a newly printed bill scheduled for a public hearing next week that presents a multi-faceted threat to our industry: LD 1529, “An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide.”
Inspired by John Hagan’s late succession old growth (LSOG) mapping project, this bill would do a few (seemingly unrelated) things:
- Define LS and OG forests in statute
- Direct the LMF board to give preference to land acquisition projects that conserve LSOG forests with acquisition of fee or easement projects that includes logging rights in perpetuity
- Require ACF to include information regarding LSOG forests in the director’s report on state forests
- Require the LUPC to adopt rules to reclassify all lakes that are currently undeveloped but high value into other management classifications and
- Direct ACF to develop a comprehensive, statewide strategy to enhance the conservation of LSOG forests that includes zoning subdistrict designations (regulatory taking)
Unfortunately, this is yet another example this session of private landowners working collaboratively on a conservation project only to have that work used against us by special interest groups in Augusta seeking to achieve conservation goals by taking these privately-owned resources through regulations.
In addition to defining late successional and old growth forests in statute, which is the first step towards regulation, this bill seeks to bypass the Comprehensive Land Use Planning process at the Land Use Planning Commission to force the adoption of rules regarding land use districts and standards to reclassify potentially hundreds of lakes and ponds as Management Class 1 or Management Class 6.
This move would be a massive taking of landowner values and rights, and it could have unintended consequences for public access to private land. It would also bypass the public process and legislative input baked into the Comprehensive Land Use Plan process by directing the LUPC to reclassify these lakes and ponds as routine technical rules (no additional legislative sign off).
No matter how you look at this bill, it is hostile, unfounded and should be resoundingly rejected.
For private landowners, loggers and the mills and manufacturers that these sustainably managed forests supply, this bill represents a five alarm fire!
Please strongly consider attending the public hearing to deliver comments, either in person or online. If you’re unable to attend the hearing, please provide us with your comments in strong opposition to this bill that we can deliver along with our testimony.
WHO: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee
WHAT: Submit testimony online or join us in testifying in strong opposition to LD 1529, “An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide”
WHEN: Thursday, April 17 1:30 PM
WHERE: Cross Office Building, Room 214 or sign up to testify online
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Also next week, in addition to the meetings listed below, the Department of Environmental Protections will hold a stakeholder meeting to allow the public to provide input on the Initial Draft Material Type List for the new Extended Producer Responsibility program. Materials that are not deemed to be “readily recyclable” on this list will be subject to higher fees under the program.
As with the rest of the program, Maine is out of step with every other state that has developed an EPR law, and it has failed on many accounts to recognize the recyclable and compostable qualities of paper products. The full background document is linked here, but we will provide a snap shot of the paper designations here for your quick reference.
WHO: Department of Environmental Protections, Packaging Program
WHAT: Stakeholder meeting on draft Initial Packaging Material Type List
WHEN: Wednesday, April 16 from 9-11 am (public comments accepted through April 30)
WHERE: Room 25/26 of the Ray Building at 28 Tyson Drive in Augusta or register online here
That’s all for now. As I’m sure you’ll notice, we have opted to not provide a comprehensive overview of this week because there is so much currently going on. If you would like to see a list of our bill positions with links to our testimony, visit our website here.
Thanks, and as always, if you have any questions about any upcoming bills or our policy positions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Patrick Strauch and Krysta West
Maine Forest Products Council