Landmark Legislation Provides Ongoing Conservation Funding for Land for Maine’s Future

A Major Win for Maine’s Conservation Community

“This legislation is a conservation win for Maine and for the people and families who live here and those who visit—and arrives just as LMF approaches its 40th anniversary,” said Jeff Romano, public policy director at MCHT. “This ongoing support will strengthen the program’s ability to advance locally led conservation projects that protect working lands, wildlife habitat, water quality and public access for hikers, snowmobilers and paddlers alike.” 

“This is a historic moment for conservation in Maine,” shared David Trahan, SAM executive director. “For more than a decade, land trusts and sportsmen have joined forces to revitalize the LMF program. Establishing dedicated funding has been a shared goal for years, and this legislation finally delivers it. It ensures that the Maine outdoors I knew in my youth will continue to be available for future generations of Mainers looking to enjoy traditional outdoor activities including hunting, fishing and wildlife watching.”

A Program with Statewide Impact

Since its creation in 1987, LMF has helped protect more than 650,000 acres, including sustainably managed forests, productive farms, working waterfronts, critical wildlife habitat, and more than 65 public water‑access sites. The program has long been recognized for its ability to leverage state dollars with private, municipal and philanthropic support—making possible conservation projects that would otherwise be out of reach.

LMF has garnered broad support over the years because it respects landowner rights by acquiring land only from willing sellers. The program also rewards projects with strong community support and encourages collaboration between local, regional, and statewide partners, leading to conservation outcomes that take many different needs and interests into account.

A Decade of Collaborative Progress

LMF has historically relied on intermittent bond funding. In fact, the program went nearly a decade without new resources between 2012 and 2021. This year’s legislative win builds on a series of recent successes achieved through the partnership MCHT, TNC, SAM and the broader Maine land trust community formed to reenergize this critical land conservation program. Key milestones achieved by this partnership have been:

• 2018: Convening a bipartisan Conservation Task Force to revitalize LMF and identify other ways to strengthen future land conservation activities in Maine.
• 2019: Collaborating with the Conservation Task Force to release two dozen recommendations, including renewed state commitment to LMF.

More recently, the partnership has worked closely with Governor Mills and legislators from both sides of the aisle:

• 2021: Approving a $40 million LMF appropriation—the first new funding for the program in nine years.
• 2023: Creating the LMF Trust Fund, which has generated more than $3 million (and growing) in investment income in less than three years.
• 2026: Enacting dedicated, ongoing funding, ensuring long‑term program stability.

Rather than turning to another bond issue and adding to the state’s debt service or looking to the General Fund, the new funding mechanism directs 25 percent of the investment income from the state’s Budget Stabilization Fund into the LMF Trust Fund each month. This not only provides more long‑term stability for the program, but does so in a more fiscally sound way for Maine taxpayers.

The new funding mechanism also aligns with the state’s four-year climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, which identifies securing ongoing LMF funding as a key priority. Because conservation projects take time—in some cases, months to years—the consistency and availability of LMF funding enables many landowners and community members the flexibility to conserve their properties when the time is right for them.

Looking Ahead

This legislative win honors the program’s long line of successes while better positioning communities around the state to meet the conservation challenges of the next generation—protecting drinking water, supporting natural resource–based industries and working lands, strengthening climate resilience, and ensuring that every Mainer has access to the outdoors, with a focus on locations close to where they live.

TNC, MCHT and SAM will continue working with partners, lawmakers and people in Maine to ensure that LMF remains a powerful tool for protecting the places that define the state. Stay tuned for opportunities to learn more about and celebrate LMF during its 40th anniversary in 2027!