An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Commission to Study the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund (2016)

In 2015, the legislature authorized a commission to study the funding structure of Maine’s Public Reserved Lands – a network of over a half million acres of public land that includes some of Maine’s most outstanding natural features. Public Reserved Lands are managed for a variety of resource values including outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat conservation, and commercial timber harvesting. The study commission developed a set of recommendations for improving access, prioritizing recreation infrastructure projects, and clarifying that timber harvesting revenue should be used by the Bureau of Parks and Lands for stewardship and management. he bill was enacted unanimously in the House and Senate before the governor vetoed it. The House veto override vote, scored here, failed by nine votes.

YES is the pro-environment outcome.