As legislative committees wrap up their work, many of the bills we are following have had their public hearing and are being worked by their committees. This week we monitored six separate bills across five different committees, keeping the work interesting as the team deals with the nuance of each different committee.
***
On Tuesday, the Health and Human Services Committee held a work session on “LD 2144, Resolve, To Establish The Working Group To Prioritize Wellness And Mental Health Resources For Heritage Industries.” This bill would study the mental health and wellness resources available to individuals in heritage industries such as the farming, fishing, and the forest products sector. We will continue to monitor this bill and have asked that we have a seat on any working group that comes out of the bill. MFPC submitted testimony in support last week. The bill passed out of committee in an “Ought to Pass as Amended” posture with an amending provision to include considerations of traumatic brain injuries and general practitioner access.
Also on Tuesday, the Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation Committee held a work session for the department bill LD 2118, “An Act To Eliminate The Natural Areas Program And Reassign Certain Responsibilities Under The Program To The Department Of Inland Fisheries And Wildlife And To Amend The Law Governing Administration Of The Department Of Inland Fisheries And Wildlife, Bureau Of Resource Management.” This bill was introduced last year as LD 402 and went through the committee process before failing to pass in non-concurrence between the bodies. Last week, MFPC testified in favor of bill, asserting that the voluntary, non-regulatory functions of the Maine Natural Areas Program should be carried over to DIFW with an aim toward reducing duplicative work and to better fit within the expertise of the department. The bill was tabled after a presentation from Assistant Attorney General Lauren Parker describing the difference in rulemaking authorities between DACF and DIFW.
In response to a request for more information on how landowners use this voluntary inventory to inform management decisions, MFPC provided this memo (click here). The ACF Committee will not hold meetings next week, so we anticipate that the next work session on LD 2118 will be held the week of February 16.
***
On Wednesday , the IFW Committee received a report back on the working group that came out of last session’s LD 1308, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to Examine Issues Related to Public Access to Privately Owned Lands.” The working group was established last year with unanimous support from the Legislature.
The Public Access to Private Land report—developed through extensive stakeholder engagement, public comment, data analysis, and collaboration between the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife(MDIFW) and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF)— presents a comprehensive set of recommendations to strengthen the access tradition by addressing systemic challenges, improving education, supporting landowners, and securing predictable long-term arrangements where appropriate. Strengthening enforcement of existing laws emerges as the report’s most critical recommendation.
Page 7 of this consensus report states, “Recreational trails, both motorized and non-motorized, are also experiencing increased wear. Discussions regarding increasing the allowable size and weight of utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) have heightened landowners’ concerns about potential damage to trails, bridges, and surrounding natural resources. Trail widening, rutting, soil displacement, and damage to sensitive ecosystems have become more common concerns among landowners and clubs.”
It goes on to say that “Any efforts to increase the current weight restrictions for UTVs would likely result in significant closures of hundreds of miles of trail, fragmenting the connected trail system that recreators enjoy today. Off-highway vehicle use represents a significant and expanding sector of Maine’s outdoor recreation economy; however, most of these trails are located on private land, and landowners typically receive no direct financial benefit despite bearing the risks of damage, liability, and maintenance. Moreover, closure of motorized trails could also restrict access for non-motorized users—such as hikers and trail runners—who generally have minimal impact and are not the intended focus of such closures.”
The Legislature will be tasked with considering such an increase with LD 19 this session even though landowners and the diverse representation of the LD 1308 working group do not support such an increase. A 2025 poll of MFPC landowners representing 5.8 million acres of land, with at least 600 miles of the ATV trail system universally oppose any increase to the current weight restrictions.
The Council is highly engaged on this issue and will continue to make the point that any increase, especially before tackling the recommendations outlined in the report, threatens the future of the connected trail system that tens of thousands of Mainers currently enjoy.