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

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).