Committee hears from Castine officials and preservation advocates on $18 million proposal to address backlog at state historic sites

LD 761 / Historic sites funding: Sen. Nicole Grochowski, D-Hancock County, told the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry on April 1 that many of Maine's nearly 20 state-owned historic sites "are in dire need of financial support to save them from falling into complete disrepair." She presented LD 761 as a mechanism to pick up a funding proposal left unfinished in the prior session.

Why it matters: Grochowski told the committee the Bureau of Parks and Lands oversees the sites but they were excluded from a $50 million ARPA investment in state parks and so remain ineligible for that funding. She said a statewide maintenance backlog across those sites totals about $32 million and the proposal before the Legislature would create an $18 million, non-lapsing carryover fund that could be used if the state ends a fiscal year with a surplus. Grochowski said the approach would stretch state dollars, noting some work could be matched by other sources, and highlighted Fort George in Castine as an example of a site that needs immediate work.

What witnesses said: Castine and regional witnesses emphasized both historic and economic reasons for investment. Representative Nina Milliken (Blue Hill Peninsula) described Fort George as a longstanding community landmark and said the town and surrounding businesses benefit from visitors. Roberta Boskowitz, chair of the Castine Select Board, cited a 2021 study that recommended a new agreement between the town and the state to better distribute maintenance responsibilities and argued that state investment could be a tourism driver heading into the semiquincentennial. Eliza Townsend of the Appalachian Mountain Club urged support, noting historic sites provide low-cost access to the outdoors and local recreational opportunities.

Committee action: After the hearing the committee moved LD 761 to work session and voted to recommend "ought to pass as amended" with a fiscal note. Roll call recorded 11 ayes and 1 absent (Sen. Henry Ingerson absent). The roll call names recorded by the clerk were: Representative Mark Cooper (yes); Representative Dean Craig (yes); Representative Steven Bunker (yes); Representative Caldwell Jackson (yes); Senator Russ Black (yes); Senator Rachel Talbot Ross (yes); Representative Bill Plucker (yes); Representative ??? Duret (yes); Representative Jim Dill (yes); Representative Lisonbee Hepler (yes); Representative Sharon Frost (yes). (Note: the transcript uses the names as spoken; committee clerks maintain the official roll.)

Context and next steps: Grochowski said a previous bill (LD 7 91 last session) was amended to include $1,000,000 per year for historic sites and later revised in the Senate to a possible transfer up to $18 million into a non-lapsing account; the House did not take final action and the effort stalled. The sponsor asked the AFA (Appropriations and Financial Affairs) Committee to consider a recommendation for the funding mechanism. The committee sent the bill forward from ACF as "ought to pass as amended" for the next steps in the legislature.

Ending: Supporters asked the committee to keep the sites on the funding radar and to consider mechanisms that allow the Bureau and local "friends" groups to match and leverage state funds. The committee closed the public hearing and advanced the measure to work session for additional deliberation and final committee reporting.