LePage says he’ll release $5 million in land conservation bonds
Gov. Paul LePage told legislative leaders Monday that he’ll allow the issuance of $5 million in voter-approved bonds for the Land for Maine’s Future program after refusing to do so for months.
More than 30 land conservation projects across the state that were expecting to be funded with the bonds have been in limbo since the spring. LePage had refused to allow the issuance more than $11 million in conservation bonds approved by Maine voters until the Legislature approved his plan to cut more timber on public land and use the new revenue to pay for heating assistance programs. Lawmakers, so far, have refused to do so.
About $6.5 million of the bonds expired in November because it had been five years since they were approved by voters in November 2010, according to the Bangor Daily News. Lawmakers will consider reauthorizing those bonds when they return in January for the upcoming session.
Tom Abello, senior policy adviser for government affairs for The Nature Conservancy, told the BDN that he’s heard from Republicans and Democrats that there is support for reauthorizing the 2010 bonds.
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