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House rejects bill to place entire Sears Island under conservation easement
Summary
After more than an hour of debate, the Maine House accepted the committee's recommendation that LD 226 "ought not to pass," rejecting a proposal to put the whole of Sears Island into a conservation easement.
Representative Paul of Winterport led an extended floor debate opposing LD 226, a bill that would have directed the state to place the entirety of Sears Island under a conservation easement. "This bill would put the entirety of Sears Island into a conservation easement, ending decades of division and strife for the people of Penobscot Bay region, protecting an irreplaceable natural resource, and maintaining the economic benefit the island provides to the area," Paul said on the House floor.
Supporters of the bill, including Passamaquoddy tribal representative Aaron Dana, argued the measure would protect a site of cultural and ecological importance and said renewable energy goals can be pursued without sacrificing sacred lands. "By supporting and moving to pass LD 226, we show that Maine is capable of leading on climate, while also…
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