June 21, 2004
The business case for land conservation | Why protecting open space is important to Maine's economy
By Tim Glidden
Director, Land for Maine's Future, Augusta
Farmland. Wildlife habitat. Access for boating, hiking, snowmobiling, hunting or fishing. These are important parts of our daily lives, right? But when the economy is down or money seems tight, are they really essential to Maine's economy? Absolutely. These examples of land conservation, along with many others, make lasting and tangible contributions to Maine's economic well-being. In fact, Maine's economy is built around its natural resources in countless ways. Lose these resources and we lose the economic activity that they support.
Increasingly, business people realize that, in a state with so much undeveloped land as Maine, public investment in land for its intrinsic value is a great investment in economic infrastructure ˆ much like the investments we make in roads, power lines and schools. In fact, the state's Land for Maine's Future Program was established precisely for this purpose.
The Legislature captured this concept in the program's legal mission, noting that "the future social and economic well-being of the citizens of this state depends upon maintaining the quality and availability of natural areas."
Since 1987, Land for Maine's Future has backed land conservation efforts in all corners of the state. Supported by the proceeds of two bond issues, LMF has helped to conserve almost 200,000 acres of land in all 16 counties of the state. (Details of these 100+ projects can be found at www.maine.gov/spo/lmf.) Almost everyone understands the benefit of these projects when it comes to protecting wildlife habitat or scenic vistas or public access to Maine woods and waters. But what does that have to do with Maine's economy? As it turns out, everything.
From its inception a decade ago, the Economic Growth Council in its comprehensive report on the state's well-being, Measures of Growth, established a specific set of benchmarks for social and economic health ˆ including the level of publicly conserved land. The report's authors state, "One of Maine's greatest competitive advantages is its natural environmentˆ Land conserved from development where public use is encouraged is important to a vibrant and sustainable economy because the natural resources provide quality of life, jobs and industry for residents, and a draw for tourists."
Of the more than 260 organizations that have joined the coalition to pass a new land conservation bond this year, almost half are small and large businesses and organizations dedicated to economic development. They include inns, restaurants, large forest landowners, retailers, chemical companies, chambers of commerce and many others right across the spectrum of Maine's business community. These organizations understand that their future ˆ and the livelihood of their employees ˆ depends on a solid infrastructure of undeveloped lands throughout the state to which their businesses and the public have access. They also understand that to attract new talent to the state and retain our best people, Maine needs to protect its special qualities and unique character. Maine's landscape, both working and natural, is an essential ingredient of that character, as well as a direct economic asset.
However, with LMF's existing funds fully committed and the Legislature's failure to send a new bond issue to the voters this fall, the forward momentum of the program is in doubt. While work on existing projects will continue, any new initiatives will go on hold; there is a real risk that important opportunities will be lost as landowners succumb to the temptations of a hot real estate market.
Here are two examples of how LMF investments have already affected Maine's economy.
Rails to trails
One of LMF's earliest projects was the acquisition of old railbeds in Aroostook County with the vision of creating a year-round, multiple-use trail system. To that end, in 1992 and 1994, LMF contributed funds toward the acquisition of 71.5 miles of line through Washburn, Woodland, Caribou, Stockholm, Van Buren and New Sweden.
Today these trails are widely recognized as an economic as well as recreational resource ˆ an irreplaceable infrastructure asset. They attract thousands of snowmobilers to Aroostook County each winter. These trails have become an integral component of the regional economy and are aiding the county through a difficult economic transition.
Jim Gardner, town manager of Washburn, is very clear about the impact that Aroostook County's rails-to-trails initiative has had on his community. "The trails opened up an economic lifeline to the town of Washburn," he said. "We'd been in the economic doldrums for twenty years."
Griffin's One Stop in Washburn is a fine example of the trails' economic impact. A combination gas station, convenience store and restaurant, Griffin's has become Washburn's second largest employer. Owner Art Griffin claims that the trails make the difference between him being there or not. When Griffin was considering locating his business in Washburn six years ago, gas company representatives doubted that such a small town could support the necessary sales volume. Today, Griffin's is doing well ˆ and its owner credits his success to the trails.
The county trail system has been mentioned in national publications such as Outdoors Magazine, National Geographic, Down East and Maine Sportsman. These trails contribute to the economic health of the region as a whole. A 1999 study from the University of Maine found that the snowmobile industry generates approximately $261 million annually in Maine. Much of that spending takes place in Aroostook County, with help from the trail system.
Protecting the timber basket
Over the last five years or so, more than 25% of Maine's land, including vast stretches of the north woods, has changed hands. The financial realities of global markets for fiber are forcing timber land owners to take a very sharp pencil to their balance sheets. Many new owners do not necessarily plan to hold the land for decades. Investor groups, real estate trusts and pension plans build their objectives around shorter time frames; some seek to maximize their return by selling off lands that may have extra value for waterfront or vacation home development.
This turnover in ownership threatens public access to Maine's great outdoors. Maine citizens and visitors have depended on a centuries-old tradition of open, public access to the vast reaches of the woods. A large and growing economic sector now exists to serve these recreationists. Guides, sporting camps, outfitters, innkeepers, retailers and a myriad of other service providers all depend on this activity. Their success depends on the ability of fishers, hikers, hunters, moose-watchers and sportspeople of all kinds to get to the land. If access is closed off, they go elsewhere.
These same millions of acres of land comprise Maine's "timber basket." If these lands are broken up or interspersed with incompatible development, the production of fiber in the long term will be compromised.
Working with funds from LMF and other sources, the state and its partners have responded to this challenge by purchasing conservation easements on substantial amounts of forest land to protect public access and sustainable forestry.
Take the innovative project in Parsonsfield on the Leavitt Plantation. The fate of this 8,600-acre forest, which has supported generations of local families, came into question in 2000 when the land was slated for auction into more than a dozen parcels. Leavitt Plantation Forest represents York County's largest contiguous block of sustainably managed forest in single ownership, and provides high-value forest products that support the regional economy.
Recognizing that one-third of town residents derive income from the Leavitt Plantation, the people of Parsonsfield sought help in protecting it. In partnership with the town, the Nature Conservancy, a timber management company and many others, the state purchased a conservation easement that guarantees public access, wildlife protection and sustainable forest management. Leavitt Plantation Forest is a destination for hunters, snowmobilers, hikers, cross-country skiers and cyclists. Thanks to the efforts of a local company, Back Country Excursions, the property now has 80 miles of mountain biking trails. Under the easement's terms, the forest land will remain intact and be managed sustainably ˆ producing forest products and jobs for local residents.
There are literally dozens of other examples, including projects that conserve vital farmlands and water access points. The conclusion, however, is clear. Conserved, natural lands are an essential element of Maine's economic infrastructure. Careful and strategic land conservation is one of the best public investments we can make to prepare for Maine's future.
Farmland. Wildlife habitat. Access for boating, hiking, snowmobiling, hunting or fishing. These are important parts of our daily lives, right? But when the economy is down or money seems tight, are they really essential to Maine's economy? Absolutely. These examples of land conservation, along with many others, make lasting and tangible contributions to Maine's economic well-being. In fact, Maine's economy is built around its natural resources in countless ways. Lose these resources and we lose the economic activity that they support.
Increasingly, business people realize that, in a state with so much undeveloped land as Maine, public investment in land for its intrinsic value is a great investment in economic infrastructure ˆ much like the investments we make in roads, power lines and schools. In fact, the state's Land for Maine's Future Program was established precisely for this purpose.
The Legislature captured this concept in the program's legal mission, noting that "the future social and economic well-being of the citizens of this state depends upon maintaining the quality and availability of natural areas."
Since 1987, Land for Maine's Future has backed land conservation efforts in all corners of the state. Supported by the proceeds of two bond issues, LMF has helped to conserve almost 200,000 acres of land in all 16 counties of the state. (Details of these 100+ projects can be found at www.maine.gov/spo/lmf.) Almost everyone understands the benefit of these projects when it comes to protecting wildlife habitat or scenic vistas or public access to Maine woods and waters. But what does that have to do with Maine's economy? As it turns out, everything.
From its inception a decade ago, the Economic Growth Council in its comprehensive report on the state's well-being, Measures of Growth, established a specific set of benchmarks for social and economic health ˆ including the level of publicly conserved land. The report's authors state, "One of Maine's greatest competitive advantages is its natural environmentˆ Land conserved from development where public use is encouraged is important to a vibrant and sustainable economy because the natural resources provide quality of life, jobs and industry for residents, and a draw for tourists."
Of the more than 260 organizations that have joined the coalition to pass a new land conservation bond this year, almost half are small and large businesses and organizations dedicated to economic development. They include inns, restaurants, large forest landowners, retailers, chemical companies, chambers of commerce and many others right across the spectrum of Maine's business community. These organizations understand that their future ˆ and the livelihood of their employees ˆ depends on a solid infrastructure of undeveloped lands throughout the state to which their businesses and the public have access. They also understand that to attract new talent to the state and retain our best people, Maine needs to protect its special qualities and unique character. Maine's landscape, both working and natural, is an essential ingredient of that character, as well as a direct economic asset.
However, with LMF's existing funds fully committed and the Legislature's failure to send a new bond issue to the voters this fall, the forward momentum of the program is in doubt. While work on existing projects will continue, any new initiatives will go on hold; there is a real risk that important opportunities will be lost as landowners succumb to the temptations of a hot real estate market.
Here are two examples of how LMF investments have already affected Maine's economy.
Rails to trails
One of LMF's earliest projects was the acquisition of old railbeds in Aroostook County with the vision of creating a year-round, multiple-use trail system. To that end, in 1992 and 1994, LMF contributed funds toward the acquisition of 71.5 miles of line through Washburn, Woodland, Caribou, Stockholm, Van Buren and New Sweden.
Today these trails are widely recognized as an economic as well as recreational resource ˆ an irreplaceable infrastructure asset. They attract thousands of snowmobilers to Aroostook County each winter. These trails have become an integral component of the regional economy and are aiding the county through a difficult economic transition.
Jim Gardner, town manager of Washburn, is very clear about the impact that Aroostook County's rails-to-trails initiative has had on his community. "The trails opened up an economic lifeline to the town of Washburn," he said. "We'd been in the economic doldrums for twenty years."
Griffin's One Stop in Washburn is a fine example of the trails' economic impact. A combination gas station, convenience store and restaurant, Griffin's has become Washburn's second largest employer. Owner Art Griffin claims that the trails make the difference between him being there or not. When Griffin was considering locating his business in Washburn six years ago, gas company representatives doubted that such a small town could support the necessary sales volume. Today, Griffin's is doing well ˆ and its owner credits his success to the trails.
The county trail system has been mentioned in national publications such as Outdoors Magazine, National Geographic, Down East and Maine Sportsman. These trails contribute to the economic health of the region as a whole. A 1999 study from the University of Maine found that the snowmobile industry generates approximately $261 million annually in Maine. Much of that spending takes place in Aroostook County, with help from the trail system.
Protecting the timber basket
Over the last five years or so, more than 25% of Maine's land, including vast stretches of the north woods, has changed hands. The financial realities of global markets for fiber are forcing timber land owners to take a very sharp pencil to their balance sheets. Many new owners do not necessarily plan to hold the land for decades. Investor groups, real estate trusts and pension plans build their objectives around shorter time frames; some seek to maximize their return by selling off lands that may have extra value for waterfront or vacation home development.
This turnover in ownership threatens public access to Maine's great outdoors. Maine citizens and visitors have depended on a centuries-old tradition of open, public access to the vast reaches of the woods. A large and growing economic sector now exists to serve these recreationists. Guides, sporting camps, outfitters, innkeepers, retailers and a myriad of other service providers all depend on this activity. Their success depends on the ability of fishers, hikers, hunters, moose-watchers and sportspeople of all kinds to get to the land. If access is closed off, they go elsewhere.
These same millions of acres of land comprise Maine's "timber basket." If these lands are broken up or interspersed with incompatible development, the production of fiber in the long term will be compromised.
Working with funds from LMF and other sources, the state and its partners have responded to this challenge by purchasing conservation easements on substantial amounts of forest land to protect public access and sustainable forestry.
Take the innovative project in Parsonsfield on the Leavitt Plantation. The fate of this 8,600-acre forest, which has supported generations of local families, came into question in 2000 when the land was slated for auction into more than a dozen parcels. Leavitt Plantation Forest represents York County's largest contiguous block of sustainably managed forest in single ownership, and provides high-value forest products that support the regional economy.
Recognizing that one-third of town residents derive income from the Leavitt Plantation, the people of Parsonsfield sought help in protecting it. In partnership with the town, the Nature Conservancy, a timber management company and many others, the state purchased a conservation easement that guarantees public access, wildlife protection and sustainable forest management. Leavitt Plantation Forest is a destination for hunters, snowmobilers, hikers, cross-country skiers and cyclists. Thanks to the efforts of a local company, Back Country Excursions, the property now has 80 miles of mountain biking trails. Under the easement's terms, the forest land will remain intact and be managed sustainably ˆ producing forest products and jobs for local residents.
There are literally dozens of other examples, including projects that conserve vital farmlands and water access points. The conclusion, however, is clear. Conserved, natural lands are an essential element of Maine's economic infrastructure. Careful and strategic land conservation is one of the best public investments we can make to prepare for Maine's future.
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