An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for the Land for Maine's Future Program
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0800
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: ANDREWS

Legislative Document 
No. 800 
S.P.267 
In Senate, February 15, 2005 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for the Land for 
Maine's Future Program 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator ANDREWS of York. 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Under suspension of the rules, cosponsored by Representative WHEELER of Kittery and 
Senators: BARTLETT of Cumberland, BRYANT of Oxford, COWGER of Kennebec, DAMON of Hancock, 
DIAMOND of Cumberland, DOW of Lincoln, President EDMONDS of Cumberland, GAGNON of Kennebec, 
HOBBINS of York, MARTIN of Aroostook, MAYO of Sagadahoc, MILLS of Somerset, MITCHELL of 
Kennebec, NUTTING of Androscoggin, PERRY of Penobscot, RA YE of Washington, ROSEN of Hancock, 
ROTUNDO of Androscoggin, SAVAGE of Knox, SCHNEIDER of Penobscot, STRIMLING of Cumberland, 
SULLIVAN of York, TURNER of Cumberland, Representatives: ADAMS of Portland, ASH of Belfast, 
BABBIDGE of Kennebunk, BARSTOW of Gorham, BLISS of South Portland, BRANNIGAN of Portland, 
BRAUTIGAM of Falmouth, BRYANT of Windham, BURNS of Berwick, CAIN of Orono, CANAVAN of 
Waterville, CEBRA of Naples, CRAVEN of Lewiston, DAIGLE of Arundel, DAVIS of Falmouth, DUCHESNE 
of Hudson, DUGAY of Cherryfield, EBERLE of South Portland, EDER of Portland, FAIRCLOTH of Bangor, 
FINCH of Fairfield, FISCHER of Presque Isle, FITTS of Pittsfield, FLETCHER of Winslow, GERZOFSKY of 
Brunswick, GROSE of Woolwich, HARLOW of Portland, HUTTON of Bowdoinham, JENNINGS of Leeds, 
KOFFMAN of Bar Harbor, LERMAN of Augusta, LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, MAKAS of Lewiston, MARLEY of 
Portland, MAZUREK of Rockland, MILLER of Somerville, MILLS of Farmington, MOODY of Manchester, 
NASS of Acton, O'BRIEN of Lewiston, PATRICK of Rumford, PELLETIER-SIMPSON of Auburn, PINEAU of 
Jay, PINGREE of North Haven, PIOTTI of Unity, RECTOR of Thomaston, RINES of Wiscasset, SAMPSON of 
Auburn, SAVIELLO of Wilton, SEAVEY of Kennebunkport, SMITH of Monmouth, THOMPSON of China, 
TRAHAN of Waldoboro, TWOMEY of Biddeford, WALCOTT of Lewiston, WATSON of Bath. 
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 
$75,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Act 
and to access $37,500,000 in matching contributions from public 
and private sources. 
No more than $25,000,000 may be issued in 
the first year. 
The remaining $50,000,000 must be issued over a 
3-year period, except that any unused balance may be added to the 
specified amount in subsequent years. 
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 discretion of the Treasurer of State, 
wi th 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. 
Treasurer 
3. 
of 
Sale; 
how 
State may 
negotiated; 
negotiate 
proceeds 
the sale 
appropriated. 
of 
the 
bonds 
The 
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 allocated to Land for Maine's 
Future Board. 
The proceeds of the bonds allocated to the Land 
for Maine's Future Board must be expended for acquisition of land 
and interest in land for conservation, water access, 
outdoor 
recreation, wildlife and fish habitat and farmland preservation 
Page l-LR1269(1) 
.. 
f!O 
in accordance with the provisions for such acquisitions under the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 353, including all costs 
associated 
with 
such 
acquisitions, 
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 
land and interest in land 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 $37,500,000 
in public and private contributions. 
Seventy percent of that 
amount must be in the form of cash or other tangible assets, 
including the value of land and real property interest acquired 
by or contributed to cooperating entities when property interests 
have 
a 
direct 
relationship 
to 
the 
property 
proposed 
for 
protection, as determined by the Land for Maine's Future Board. 
The remaining 30°'0 may be matching contributions and may include 
the value of project-related, in-kind contributions of goods and 
services to and by cooperating entities. 
4. 
Ten percent of the bond proceeds allocated to the Land 
for Maine's Future Board must be made available to acquire public 
access to water in accordance with the provisions of Title 5, 
section 6203-A. 
5. 
Ten percent of the bond proceeds allocated to the Land 
for 
Maine's 
Future 
Board must 
be 
made 
available 
to protect 
farmland in accordance with Title 5, section 6207. 
6. 
To 
the extent the purposes are consistent with the 
disbursement provisions in this Act, 
100'l-0 of the bond proceeds 
may be considered as state match for any federal funding to be 
made available to the State. 
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 DEPAR'l'MENT 
State Planning Office 
The proceeds 
Act must be 
Land for Maine's Future Board 
Provides for the use of bond proceeds to 
be used for the acquisition of land and 
interest in land for public land and water 
access, conservation, wildlife and fish 
habitat, outdoor recreation including 
hunting and fishing and farmland preservation 
$75,000,000 
Sec. 7. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. 
Sections 1 to 
do not become effective 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 not be issued, except that the Legislature 
may, wi thin 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, 
extend the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds or 
bond anticipation notes for an additional amount of time not to 
exceed 5 years. 
Sec. 10. Referendum for ratification; form of question; effective 
date. 
This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the 
State at a statewide election following passage of this Act. 
The 
municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of 
their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the 
manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, to 
vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the 
following question: 
"Do you favor a $75,000,000 bond issue to purchase land and 
conservation easements statewide from willing sellers for 
public land and water access, 
conservation, wildlife and 
fish 
habitat, 
outdoor 
recreation 
including 
hunting 
and 
fishing and farmland preservation, to be matched by at least 
$37,500,000 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 are to recapitalize 
the Land for Maine's Future program with $75,000,000 over 4 years 
to continue the State's land conservation efforts, leveraging a 
minimum of $37,500,000 in required matching funds .