[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6500704,"mediaKeyId","5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c","parentId",5548360,"title","Board directs staff to convene stakeholder roundtable to review LMF scoring; debate over climate guidance","audioSeconds",1736,"startMs",1944000,"endMs",3680000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c&start=1944&end=3680","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c/thumbnail_1944000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6500704/Maine/Board-directs-staff-to-convene-stakeholder-roundtable-to-review-LMF-scoring-debate-over-climate-guidance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500704-9f395cc653fae6390af773239d7025d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174675&Signature=ZJluclbwqUEA2wUQ4jAFej2sLX~nR-TZbYdf-zT1hwalGi-n0NlT5nUgxpby-gEFgTCQ9T87cTGcJnIYTrLQpS6lKN~nlq0LiyrYepRMPHYWsS7UegjDaMyYkh0yy7do1DXG3acjsThLetmezKFdbx4GtZVntH02wFX1tsyL4JJgKV1qcOabGdDezMpJFW2SChA0m5Guk3kHUO910Y2t3tfFWbBPPzbWh4NV7Tt6O162Nh7-g5WuHbOjpwT14ASJQA-9pHQvX3x7i2utgPi57mTHFB0ShLm4QiClWtPltmzVEQWuyP6PcafdPqH4QwhsX9X6kGNI6-g8928K7Opknw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Maine ","date","2025-08-06T01:24:44.337Z","article","The Land for Maine's Future Board directed staff to convene a stakeholder roundtable and to engage interested board members to review and recommend revisions to LMF scoring criteria. The motion charged staff to focus on aligning scoring with the statute and current state land acquisition policies, simplifying the scoring process for applicants and the board, and developing criteria and a process that foster the clearest possible understanding of project selection and program priorities.

Board discussion centered on scope and durability. Some members supported explicitly incorporating elements of the statewide climate strategy (referred to informally during the meeting as \"Maine Won't Wait\") where those elements are already in harmony with statute; others argued the scoring must remain grounded in statute to avoid making the program vulnerable to administrative or political changes. Members also emphasized that the roundtable should include a cross‑section of stakeholders—state agencies, land trusts, municipalities and public‑access advocates—while keeping the working group small enough (suggestions ranged from seven to ten members) to be functional. Staff proposed to solicit facilitator recommendations and to return to the board with an updated schedule and candidate facilitator.

Board members set the anticipated start for the roundtable in late July, asked for facilitator recommendations by mid‑July, and noted staff will provide interim reports at board meetings. The motion also included language that a board member and an alternate would serve as board designees to the roundtable.

Ending: Staff will assemble a facilitator recommendation and a proposed stakeholder list for board review; the board expects updates at the September meeting and final deliverables targeted for January (with flexibility if more time is needed).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Land for Maine's Future - July Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Land for Maine's Future Board directed staff to convene a stakeholder roundtable to review and recommend revisions to the program's scoring criteria with a focus on aligning with statute and simplifying the process.","taxTitle","Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Department of, Executive, Maine","taxId",28299,"location","Maine","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6500709,"Staff: elevated PFAS in some Hologic Farm soils but not groundwater; board told to proceed",70,1794000,1864000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c&start=1794&end=1864","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c/thumbnail_1794000.jpg","/articles/6500709/Maine/Staff-elevated-PFAS-in-some-Hologic-Farm-soils-but-not-groundwater-board-told-to-proceed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500709-837a707850ff45fd5eab7af80070df82/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174675&Signature=IL6pN1JxdmmAiotA7BLUU1E6fNOmL0jMOEU-yDt3G9R8cE021kqggxIzn4vV2uCx37onKjR2wkDV3qilXCgSgtcgxI9CYJ1JBrlBG6-PbSNw2wFfIIFxzOIFW9pDXwvSueUllhCX4-aT7CC3CsYnRIIxRZ4QLk9NRhb5UZ9BrRbGRQjQooR4UvLmRhJ3Jnohvgm664wL9eo81X90em~x2s7OGwArZebKdCOBkwhhMgV4v3-iMTX8DDBmSLPrPkNjv3jF-7yvZ9h9zLgKrAYP-S0dCOf3u4s8vxnwleezdLRzL2PsWEtE4oxg6okd2fc~S-YchIP2KmVvrT5F6Tncug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the meeting, staff provided an update on the Hologic Farm conservation project. Jason Beulace reported the soil testing program found elevated PFAS levels in three of eight fields at levels described as slightly to moderately elevated; groundwater testing found no detectable PFAS.

Beulace said the landowner has worked with technical staff to develop a mitigation plan to avoid PFAS carryover into agricultural products. Staff consulted the PFAS response team and an appraiser; the PFAS review concluded the levels present will not restrict agricultural uses or reduce the valuation used for the conservation easement. As a result, staff recommended no board action was required and that the project proceed as planned.

Ending: Board members had no questions on the update; staff recorded the result as a due‑diligence update and will continue to monitor any required mitigation steps during closing.","Staff reported soil sampling at the Hologic Farm found elevated PFAS in three of eight fields but no PFAS in groundwater; the bureau recommended proceeding with the conservation project and the appraiser said the PFAS does not affect easement valuation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6500713,"Board approves $427,500 working‑waterfront allocation for Stonington Lobster Co‑op",462,1317000,1779000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c&start=1317&end=1779","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c/thumbnail_1317000.jpg","/articles/6500713/Maine/Board-approves-427500-workingwaterfront-allocation-for-Stonington-Lobster-Coop","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500713-e5d9475913a46581f66a2dff8a61e520/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174675&Signature=VFvAkpatDE73kgFDHendZDvhW4Fb5~4od1yg8cmheF5Xii21KIqZUDXafxgsibEWxZUJF3u7tciq3vBturVYm9SkUVP4LBeOoHgdQ~w1oMFu~Sa8DyjwHh72hW-LoKzkaOufNJwl4BqsgYJOwhk2aipPAzAPk6Oi2X9d--78eVcG6jC0toOofHP-wpU7FEEg31PPtGyvyrkBkjH4s6FYl-wWkTj6i-N2Np6ow9T1cvbVT4jXC~qMsbV0uSdwHMpCB8y51bohgNMdOafdMiGtVVwNcSlig6oVSDl4WhjPdiGJe-WVsIjd6q5UxA7TpXu5kaNpNHDkItt3grEUXv8vQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Land for Maine's Future Board voted to confirm a $427,500 working‑waterfront allocation to support acquisition-related infrastructure for the Stonington Lobster Co‑op.

Staff presented the project as the co‑op's second application to LMF; the appraisal oversight committee recommended acceptance of the appraised fair market value of $1,710,000 and used the board's established 25% rule to derive a covenant value. Staff said the derived board obligation would be $427,500 and that the appraiser's value was slightly lower than a prior estimate but acceptable to the parties. Public notice of the project ran in the Bangor Daily News on June 28 and staff reported no public comments were received.

A board member moved the recommendation to confirm the $427,500 allocation \"subject to standard conditions\"; there was a second and the motion passed. The board recorded the result as unanimous in the meeting record.

Ending: Staff will move forward with project documentation and standard closing conditions; board members were reminded there may be additional closings before the September meeting.","The board confirmed a $427,500 allocation from working waterfront funds to support a fee/covenant acquisition for Stonington Lobster Co‑op; the appraisal oversight committee recommended use of a 25% covenant rule and staff reported no public comments during the notice period.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6500719,"Land for Maine’s Future board hears fund balances, warns unallocated pools are low",290,93000,383000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c&start=93&end=383","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c/thumbnail_93000.jpg","/articles/6500719/Maine/Land-for-Maines-Future-board-hears-fund-balances-warns-unallocated-pools-are-low","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500719-df3d391c811e9cfaad87d5138ceebb57/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174675&Signature=k2nt4~BO8rAkjpB7zbqdzQsUEbXB0PV~mrMO3WfZQKH7BQYZz81rrWvfB~fluUxZXEfASeYK2hzYuqWMyZhUshnliPW-ewCsUWeqY7L-5Lyqjs-tMs~prfB4FgwH89JwcRKSWqVt43p5LLBR0EhEyq3smIKzq81H3w6MGzJi-qI72zHrApMuFWN5RfYSR-4AgFjsYcNoX9T4Au25Owr5gK~z7K3yozIGf-zDtvztBO6g3UNUkzX0pFn9k-dqRfFx5LQgKhvOjvAV6zHSoOdjpS5cKZa9mFZ1m3YgzEOC4jNVLKxZxorwJAtHuGiOTqXc3CKsD4r1zpVSVOMM39XRNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Land for Maine's Future Board meeting, staff reported the trust fund has a little under $21,000,000 in cash and has earned about $2,400,000 in interest to date. Laura Graham, director, told the board the account includes restricted gifts earmarked for land acquisition and unrestricted gifts used for administration, and that the interest earnings have been allocated to program purposes.

Board members spent the bulk of the discussion on how much of that money is already encumbered. Graham said the fund shows active allocations for 45 projects with slightly more than $17,000,000 earmarked for those projects and two closings completed since the last board meeting. She also noted several program set‑asides—working waterfront, working farmland and water access—are constrained by prior legislative direction tied to an earlier $40,000,000 appropriation.

Members asked for historical context and alternative ways to present the totals. Graham said the trust fund has cumulative inflows from bonds and appropriations dating to a 1987 bond and subsequent grants and bonds, and that staff can present the aggregate in inflation‑adjusted (current) dollars on request. Members discussed whether to show matching funds alongside the state investments to reflect total leveraged conservation impact.

Board members repeatedly raised that the Conservation and Recreation (CNR) unallocated balance is particularly low and that, without new funding, the board will be limited in issuing a future request for proposals for CNR projects. Several commissioners said they expect additional bond measures or appropriations could appear in the next legislative cycle but cautioned that bonds require legislative passage, the governor's signature and voter approval when applicable, which makes timing uncertain.

Graham and commissioners discussed potential sources and timing. Staff said there are bond bills carried over and the board may seek an update from legislative partners; commissioners said pursuing a stable, non‑bond funding source would reduce the program's boom‑and‑bust planning cycles. The board asked staff to prepare more detailed, inflation‑adjusted summaries and a clearer breakout of unrestricted versus restricted gift balances for a future meeting.

Ending: Board members set the next full meeting for September; staff were asked to return updated, inflation‑adjusted impact numbers and a clearer breakdown of allocated versus unallocated funds for agenda discussion.","Board staff reported the Land for Maine's Future (LMF) trust has roughly $21 million in cash and about $2.4 million in interest earned to date; members discussed low unallocated balances for several program categories and the need for new state funding or bonds.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6500699,"Staff reports Haystack project transfer closed; celebration planned July 24",122,3962000,4084000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c&start=3962&end=4084","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548360-b8d033f777a9b7249ec3e6cf35fc162c/thumbnail_3962000.jpg","/articles/6500699/Maine/Staff-reports-Haystack-project-transfer-closed-celebration-planned-July-24","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6500699-e486eecd0f2c955c51974a5d19dc050b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174675&Signature=aUiSPTquoEeqBZkH64Y8AmPW5IvtrRLkB6sKL0yePEjsTYS9otWLkzjAJm50G6sQaGwXpReMJWoboc0ojqTBNbwkN0rrYQBGsOL8hoa7Tm3ztwE~GuKLbonwfN~Zq5UMsoxB27wgXlozEJPs6jdcMgRksKH~6Cp~EnzVl5Nv9wHdr-yxBLzAcW4zO3rE2g8RT2J68alMdiNde2ik8ZRhGQqnKcM9VIQ4unhRCDMFjAwIpMxl0yIwcwKiOfbC1XqY7InOr~9vu06Ph~v9Fzp2fBg2HcAPZLtXAMQAimlsvT1INvhmqwbIrzbxCVslOrZFRYmaw3PuBr92dJjTQEbZkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Staff reported that the previously approved transfer of the Haystack project from the Midcoast Conservancy to the Georges River Land Trust has closed. Joe (staff) said the project closed on Monday, the consent agreement will follow the project agreement and was recorded with the deed, and the receiving land trust is hosting a celebration on July 24.

Staff noted the closing followed the board's prior approval at an earlier meeting and invited board members to attend the July 24 event; a registration page is being managed by the Georges River Land Trust.

Ending: Staff characterized the site as \"beautiful\" and confirmed the transaction is complete and recorded; board members were thanked and reminded of the upcoming event.","Staff said the transfer of the Haystack project from Midcoast Conservancy to Georges River Land Trust closed and that the consent agreement was recorded; the receiving land trust plans a July 24 celebration.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board directs staff to convene stakeholder roundtable to review LMF scoring; debate over climate guidance

Staff: elevated PFAS in some Hologic Farm soils but not groundwater; board told to proceed

Board approves $427,500 working‑waterfront allocation for Stonington Lobster Co‑op

Land for Maine’s Future board hears fund balances, warns unallocated pools are low

Staff reports Haystack project transfer closed; celebration planned July 24