Bremen Conservation Commission: February 2009

Thursday, February 19, 2009

BCC to take part in Open Space Conservation Planning and Financing Workshop

On Monday, April 27th, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust Conservation Innovation Program will be hosting a workshop at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick for people involved in open space conservation and planning.

The Bremen Conservation Commission has been invited to take part in a panel presentation that will discuss open space planning and the path taken in developing the conservation plan for the Town of Bremen.

The 9:00 am - 3:30 pm workshop will also cover Town Bonding for Open Space Plan Implementation, Town Installment Purchase Agreements, and Installment Purchase Agreements for Land Trusts. The finance portion with Daniel O'Connell will acquaint town officials, conservation commissions and land trusts with a very innovative financing method that can save the buyer and seller money.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Community Forests

MEACC will co-sponsor a conference with the Maine Forest Service and the Community Forest Collaborative on Community Forests in October. Two sessions will be offered: Bangor, October 16th and Bath, October 23rd. If you have a community forest, or see the establishment of a community forest as a way of getting your town involved in open space acquisition, be sure to save the date. This is a particularly good strategy for policy makers who see open space just taking property off the tax rolls for the enjoyment of "elites." Community forests can pay real dividends to towns, often in excess of whatever property taxes these lands might otherwise generate.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Discussing Maine's Working Waterfront Tax Law Program

The Bremen Conservation Commission will hold a public informational meeting regarding Maine’s Working Waterfront Tax Law Program on Wednesday, February 25th at 7pm at the Bremen Town Center. Jeff Kendall of the Maine Revenue Service and Town Assessor Juanita Hennessey will provide insight into this program and discuss its benefits to those living and working along Bremen’s Working Waterfront. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.

Working Waterfront Land Application
www.maine.gov/revenue/forms/property/apps/workingwaterfrontapp.pdf

BCC Background | 2007- Present

Since 2007 the BCC has dedicated itself to understanding the natural resources of Bremen and the conservation values and priorities of Bremen residents. Through numerous public forums and events the BCC determined a general public sentiment toward conservation which led to a lengthy process of developing a conservation plan consistent with the Comprehensive plan and public input. This plan established a baseline for where Bremen was in terms of protecting our natural resources and set forth strategies within the plan according to the four main points indicated within its mission statement.

In the latter half of 2010 the BCC began to realize that while many strategies in the Bremen Conservation Plan had been achieved, the most important work had yet to begin. In order to proceed the BCC needed to confirm conservation priorities and in January 2011 the BCC held an interactive public workshop to consider what types of projects might be considered if funded by the Bremen Land Conservation Reserve Fund (LCRF). Interestingly, this workshop affirmed what the BCC had already learned in earlier work. The results gave the commission a clear path in developing and undertaking conservation projects consistent with the conservation plan.

Quote of the Day

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." Matama Gandhi
"True conservation provides for wise use by the general public. The American people do not want our resources preserved for the exclusive use of the wealthy. These land and water resources belong to the people, and people of all income levels should have easy access to them." George D. Aiken
"The purpose of conservation: The greatest good for the greatest number in the long run." Gifford Pinchot, first Director of the U.S. Forest Service

Bremen Conservation Commission