MCPI Coalition Event: Opening Remarks
Remarks by: Stewart Fefer, Project Leader, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf of Maine Coastal Program: Falmouth ME 207 781-8364 x17 stewart_fefer@fws.gov
At the USFWS Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, we work with partners (other federal agencies, state agencies and non-profits) to conserve important habitats in the Gulf of Maine watershed and have learned and seen first hand the power of groups at all levels working together to conserve lands. In my remarks here this morning, I wanted to put the MCPI in context of the remarkable land conservation efforts of the overall Land Trust community.
MCPI was implemented in Maine because of the success of land protection efforts of the Land Trusts in Maine. These notable accomplishments and Maine’s leadership in land trust efforts was recognized and to be captured and spread to other areas nationwide.
The timing of MCPI is fortuitous for Maine and for Land Trusts nationwide. I say this for several reasons.
1. For Maine, demographics indicate population shifts to the coastal areas, less people per household, market forces and government policies result in increasing sprawl encroaching valuable open space. Maine’s more affluent members seek waterfront properties sometimes displacing traditional uses. This is leading to a changing coastline; one that, according to our State Planning Office , will be classified as suburban by 2050 if these trends continue.
At the same time, political and financial support for Federal land acquisition has been significantly reduced. There is concern amongst Federal lawmakers about the amount of Federal land and the backlog of management and maintenance needs for these lands and the required funding for these needs. This has resulted in reticence to purchase more Federal land and decreases in funding of Federal land acquisition.
Within the past five or so years, a major shift has occurred from federal land protection and ownership to funding of partners, of Land Trusts, State agencies, municipalities with Federal grants to protect own and manage land, often in perpetuity. Many of these grants require match to demonstrate commitment and to leverage these federal funds.
This is key—by working in partnership by leveraging funds and sharing goals we can accomplish more land protection. One example of this trend at the Federal level is CELP a new land conservation program focused on the coasts which in recent Congressional committee reports indicated significant support.
At the State level, in Maine, economic and political factors limit the State’s capability to purchase, own and manage land. The LMF Program in Maine also involves projects working with Land Trusts, leveraging funds and capabilities to achieve more land conservation than could be accomplished alone. With all of our efforts, and continued citizen support, the State’s LMF program will continue to be an essential part of Maine’s land conservation partnerships providing a vital role for land conservation.
The MCPI will assist the coastal Maine Land Trust community in being in the best position to take advantage of these Federal and State programs through the implementation of our Strategic Conservation Framework—helping with systematic efforts to identify high quality projects to move forward, to increase the number of projects and to increase the funding for these projects.
This is very significant. Land Trusts have the potential to greatly increase their role in land conservation in coastal Maine and this is critically needed. MCPI’s assistance in this is fortuitous for Maine.
2. The timeliness of MCPI is fortuitous for Land Trusts nationwide. This may not have been evident when planning for MCPI in its formative stages. However, media attention and media investigation of national Land Trusts reported practices have raised concerns among members of Congress as well as the IRS. Subsequent Congressional committee investigation and IRS reviews have raised issues yet to be resolved.
The MCPI framework provides assistance to Land Trusts in confronting these concerns through promotion of land trust capacity—through strategic planning, easement registry, and implementation of best practices.
A sustained implementation of the MCPI framework will assist in building ME land trust capacity and practices and have Maine serve as the national example to Congress that Land Trust land protection has viable public benefit, meets common standards and is sustainable into the future.
This will happen with each of us continuing our active participation and implementation of this partnership effort. Working together, we can make Land Trust efforts more successful at conserving coastal Maine’s resources, character and quality of life into the future. Thanks for your participation in the Coalition and for doing your best to conserve Maine’s coast.
