An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue in the Amount of $150,000,000 To Finance the Acquisition of Land and Interest in Land for Conservation, Water Access, Outdoor Recreation, Wildlife and Fish Habitat and Farmland Preservation and To Access $50,000,000 in Matching Contributions from Public and Private Sources
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1776
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: RICHARDSON, PINGREE, SAWYER, TREAT, COLWELL, DUPLESSIE, SMITH, WATSON, MARTIN, TURNER

Legislative Document 
No. 1776 
H.P.1298 
House of Representatives, December 22,2003 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue in the Amount of 
$150,000,000 To Finance the Acquisition of Land and Interest in 
Land for Conservation, Water Access, Outdoor Recreation, Wildlife 
and Fish Habitat and Farmland Preservation and To Access 
$50,000,000 in Matching Contributions from Public and Private 
Sources 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 17,2003. Referred to the Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant 
to Joint Rule 401. 
Presented by Representative RICHARDSON of Brunswick. 
/Yl~ 
frl.11/Q£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representative PINGREE of North Haven, Senator SAWYER of Penobscot, 
Senator TREAT of Kennebec and 
Representatives: Speaker COLWELL of Gardiner, DUPLESSIE of Westbrook, McKEE of 
Wayne, McNEIL of Rockland, SMITH of Monmouth, WATSON of Bath, Senators: MARTIN 
of Aroostook, TURNER of Cumberland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Preamble. 
Two 
thirds of both Houses of the Legislature 
deeming it necessary in accordance with the Constitution of 
Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the issuance of bonds 
on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in 
this Act, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. Authorization of bonds. 
The Treasurer of State is 
authorized, under the direction of the Governor, to issue bonds 
in the name and on behalf of the State in an amount not exceeding 
$150,000,000 for the purposes described in section 6 of this Act 
and to access $50,000, 000 in matching contributions from public 
and private sources. 
The bonds are a pledge of the full faith 
and credit of the State. 
The bonds may not run for a period 
longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the 
bonds. 
At the 
discn~tion of the Treasurer of State, with the 
approval of the Governor, 
any issuance of bonds may contain a 
call feature. 
Sec. 2. Records of bonds issued kept by Treasurer of State. 
The 
Treasurer of State shall keep an account of each bond showing the 
number of the bond, the name of the successful bidder to whom 
sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of sale and the 
date when payable. 
Sec. 3. 
Sale; 
how negotiated; 
proceeds appropriated. 
The 
Treasurer of State may 
negotiate the 
sale of 
the 
bonds 
by 
direction of the Governor, but no bond may be loaned, pledged or 
hypothecated on behalf of the State. 
The proceeds of the sale of 
the bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid 
by the Treasurer of State upon warrants 
drawn 
by the State 
Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set forth in 
this Act. 
Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion 
of the project in this Act lapse to the debt service account 
established for the retirement of these bonds. 
Sec. 4. Interest and debt retirement. 
The Treasurer of State 
shall pay interest due or accruing on any bonds issued under this 
Act and all sums coming due for payment of bonds at maturity. 
Sec. 5. Disbursement of bond proceeds. 
The proceeds of the 
bonds must be expended for acquisition of lands and interests in 
lands 
for 
conserva1:ion, 
water 
access, 
outdoor 
recreation, 
wildlife and fish habitat and farmland preservation in accordance 
with the provisions for such acquisitions under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 5, chapter 353, except that use of the proceeds 
of 
these 
bonds 
is 
subject 
to 
the 
following 
conditions 
and 
requirements. 
\, 
1. 
Hunting, fishing, trapping and public access may not be 
prohibited on land acquired with bond proceeds, except to the 
extent of applicable state, local or federal laws and regulations. 
2. 
Payment from bond proceeds for acquisitions of local or 
regional significance, 
as determined by the Land for Maine's 
Future Board, may be made directly to cooperating entities as 
defined in Title 5, section 6201, subsection 2 for acquisition of 
lands and interests in lands by cooperating entities, subject to 
terms and conditions enforceable by the State to ensure their use 
for the purposes of this Act. 
3. 
The bond funds must be matched with at least $50,000,000 
in public and private contributions. 
Seventy percent of that 
amount must be in the form of land, 
cash or other tangible 
assets. 
The 
remaining 
30% 
may be matching contributions and 
include the value of project-related, in-kind contributions of 
goods and services to and by cooperating entities and the value 
of 
real 
property 
interests 
acquired 
by 
or 
contributed 
to 
cooperating entities when property interests have a relationship 
to the property proposed for protection, as determined by the 
Land for Maine's Future Board. 
4. 
Ten percent of the bond proceeds must be made available 
to 
acquire 
public 
access 
to 
water, 
in 
accordance 
with 
the 
provisions of Title 5, section 6203-A. 
5. 
Up to 10% of the bond proceeds must be made available to 
protect farmland in accordance with Title 5, section 6207. 
Sec. 6. Allocations from General Fund bond issue. 
of the sale of the bonds authorized under this 
expended as designated in the following schedule. 
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 
State Planning Office 
Land for Maine's Future Board 
All Other 
Provides for the use of bond proceeds for 
the acquisition of lands and interests in 
lands 
for 
conservation, 
water 
access, 
outdoor 
recreation, 
wildlife 
and 
fish 
habitat and farmland preservation. 
The proceeds 
Act must be 
$150,000,000 
Sec. 7. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. 
Sections 1 to 
do not become effect.ive unless the people of the State ratify 
the issuance of the bonds as set forth in this Act. 
Sec. 8. Appropriation balances at year-end. 
At the end of each 
fiscal year, all unencumbered appropriation balances representing 
state money carry forward. 
Bond proceeds that have not been 
expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the bonds 
lapse to General Fund debt service. 
Sec. 9. Bonds authorized but not issued. 
Any bonds authorized 
but not issued, or for which bond anticipation notes are not 
issued 
within 
years 
of 
ratification 
of 
this 
Act, 
are 
deauthorized and may Dot be issued, except that the Legislature 
may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, 
extend the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds or 
bond anticipation note!s for an additional amount of time not to 
exceed 5 years. 
Sec. 10. Referendum for ratification; submission at general election; 
form of question; effective date. 
This Act must be submitted to the 
legal voters of the State at the next general election in the 
month of November following passage of this Act. 
The municipal 
officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their 
respective cities, tmms and plantations to meet, in the manner 
prescribed by law for holding a general election, to vote on the 
acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following 
question: 
"Do you favor a $150,000, 000 bond issue to purchase publ ic 
lands 
and 
easements 
statewide 
from 
willing sellers 
for 
conservation, 
water 
access, 
outdoor 
recreation 
including 
hunting and fishing, wildlife and fish habitat and farmland 
preservation, to be matched by $50,000,000 in private and 
public contributions?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall 
vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a 
cross or check mark placed wi thin a corresponding square below 
the word "Yes" or "No." 
The ballots must be received, sorted, 
counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings 
and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as 
votes for members of the Legislature. 
The Governor shall review 
the returns and, if a majority of the legal votes are cast in 
favor of this Act, the Governor shall proclaim the result without 
delay, and this Act becomes effective 30 days after the date of 
the proclamation. 
• 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each 
city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this 
Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum. 
SUMMARY 
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of 
$150,000,000, will be used by the Land for Maine's Future Board 
to acquire lands and interests in lands for conservation, water 
access, 
outdoor 
recreation, 
wildlife 
and 
fish 
habitat 
and 
farmland preservation. Up to 10°'0 of the principal is to be used 
to preserve 
farmland. 
To 
maximize 
the effectiveness of this 
investment in Maine's future, 
the board shall secure matching 
contributions greater than or equal to $50,000,000 .