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Quality of Life

People flock to Maine every year to experience the way life should be, and that quality of life must be maintained. To preserve the best of Maine, we overwhelmingly supported a series of investments to address important areas.

The 123rd Legislature approved a bi-partisan bond package for Maine Voters to decide, which could provide $17 million to support the Land for Maine’s Future program, which protects and preserves public access to recreation spots and key habitat. The Municipal Investment Trust Fund will receive $1.5 million to provide incentives for local governments to minimize sprawl and revitalize downtowns. Maine voters must approve these proposals this November and in June of 2008 as part of two bond packages totaling $42.2 million.

This November (2007) you can also vote on an $18.5 million package to protect working waterfront, help with river front restoration and make capital improvements at our state parks and historic sites.

In addittion, the Maine Legislature addressed key environmental concerns regulating wood boiler emissions in a new law this session. Moving forward, the Department of Environmental Protection will adopt rules, which include provisions relating to stack heights, operation and sitting requirements, and code enforcement officer training issues among others.

In an effort to curb sprawl, the Maine Legislature enacted the Informed Growth Act. The law requires an applicant seeking a permit to build a large-scale retail development larger than 75,000 square feet to pay for a comprehensive impact study, a public hearing, and related municipal staff support in order to estimate the positive and negative economic and environmental effects of the project on the local area prior to permit approval.

Updated August 2007