New England Policy Chronicle
Updates from Around New England
Editor’s Note: A key goal of this publication, along with sharing information and stories about the relationships between society and nature, is to inspire readers to engage with local advocates and policymakers in support of a future that reflects the values of equity and diversity in our society, in our landscape, and in the ecosystems where we live. We hope the Policy Desk section of From the Ground Up becomes a useful repository of inspiring actions and opportunities for readers across New England. This effort extends beyond our quarterly publication in the form of a new Integrated Policy Program (IPP) hosted jointly by Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities and Food Solutions New England. The IPP seeks to increase impact and effectiveness in developing and amplifying solutions that advance land and water conservation, and that transition food, forestry, and fisheries systems justly toward sustainability and resilience for the benefit of Nature and all in society. For more information, contact Alex Redfield (alex.redfield@unh.edu), Policy Program Co-Director, and stay tuned for future opportunities shared in upcoming issues of From the Ground Up.
Maine
The 2024 Legislative Session provides conservation advocates with a unique opportunity to make lasting and significant improvements to the state’s signature conservation program—Land for Maine’s Future (LMF). Funding for LMF has historically come from one-off bonds or legislative appropriations, providing important but inconsistent opportunities to protect special properties. But a coalition of conservation organizations (spearheaded by the Maine Land Trust Network, The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, Maine Audubon, and The Nature Conservancy) has organized an effort to create sustainable funding mechanisms in new, innovative ways without requiring the allocation of existing revenue or new taxes. The coalition is exploring strategies that would dedicate mitigation fees from new solar developments and mining operations (especially relevant considering the newly-discovered lithium deposits at Plumbago North in the woods of Western Maine) directly to the newly formed LMF Trust Fund. These revenue streams, combined with the continued appropriation of state funds and approval of conservation bonds, stand to provide LMF and the Maine land trust community with predictable and significant pools of funding to expand conservation work statewide. For more information, contact Jeff Romano (jromano@mcht.org) and of the Public Policy Team at the Maine Land Trust Network.
The Spruce Head Fisherman's Coop in South Thomaston, Maine is one of the most significant lobster landing sites in New England. A Working Waterfront Covenant was purchased using funds from a voter-approved LMF Bond authorized in 2011. Photo courtesy of Spruce Head Fisherman's Coop.
Vermont
We’re happy to highlight some of the recent successes for biodiversity and conservation in our interview with Rep. Amy Sheldon.
New Hampshire
On August 8, Governor Sununu signed into law HB221, a long overdue update to New Hampshire’s Agricultural Land Protection (ALP) program. ALP has been on the books since 1985. Leading local land trusts often have opted to look elsewhere for funding in support of farmland protection due to ALP’s outdated language and an explicit requirement that an under-resourced Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food grant, hold, and monitor conservation easements on protected farms. The adoption of HB221 now enables municipalities and land trusts to play the role of easement holder. This allows a wider range of New Hampshire conservation groups to play an active part in protecting working lands, and it eliminates a key barrier to leveraging federal dollars through the Agricultural Lands Easement program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). These updates breathe life into the state’s keystone farmland protection mechanism and could result in a significant influx of capital for farmland protection as soon as next year. For more information, see An Explanation of HB221 or contact Nicole Cardwell (nicole.cardwell@unh.edu) at the New Hampshire Food Alliance.
Cole Farm in New Hampshire, protected by the Southeast Land Trust (SELT) of New Hampshire in 2006. Photo courtesy of SELT.
Massachusetts
Conservation and land use are in the air in Massachusetts! Fresh off the heels of Governor Healey’s executive order setting new targets for biodiversity across the state, the Massachusetts conservation community and lawmakers are moving to address other significant challenges that could shape environmental and land use policy for years to come. A new report from Harvard Forest and Mass Audubon, Growing Solar, Protecting Nature, outlines how Massachusetts could meet its clean energy production targets while protecting irreplaceable natural and working lands from conversion to ground mount solar. The report outlines clear, actionable policy solutions for lawmakers on how and where to deploy public capital to ensure the needs for a cleaner grid and a vibrant ecosystem can be met in tandem. The recommendations presented in Growing Solar ring true across the six New England states and, if adopted, have the potential to transform our regional energy grid while retaining essential elements of our landscape. Simultaneously, Gov. Healey extended a pause on new logging contracts for State lands while a new Climate Forestry Committee, launched as part of a broader “Forests as Climate Solutions” initiative, conducts a six-month review of guidelines for forest management across Massachusetts. The analysis and recommendations from this committee will inform how public forests will (and won’t) be managed moving forward, while also contributing to a set of management practices that can guide private landowners in climate-oriented stewardship of their woodlots. For more information, see the Forests as Climate Solutions website. A parallel project within the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is exploring new modeling from the Thompson Lab at Harvard Forest to identify the carbon and climate mitigation consequences of land development and forest management to inform State progress towards its decarbonization goals.
The Growing Solar report from Harvard Forest and Mass Audubon lays out how clean energy development and natural resource protection can both be achieved. Photo courtesy of Mass Audubon.
Connecticut
In 1997, the Connecticut General Assembly adopted a goal of protecting 21 percent (670,000 acres) of Connecticut land from development by the year 2023, simultaneously launching several key funding programs for land trusts and state agencies in their efforts to meet this goal. With 2023 drawing to a close, Connecticut looks to be around 150,000 acres short of its original target with less than 525,000 acres protected through the purchase of open space by the state and its conservation partners. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is currently redeveloping the state’s now-expired Open Space Acquisition Strategy (known as the Green Plan). DEEP hopes the new strategies will get Connecticut to the finish line as development pressure continues to jeopardize the integrity of natural and working lands across the state. DEEP is engaging with partner organizations in the analysis of protected lands and the identification of new mechanisms to advance the work. For more information, explore the Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s E-News page.
The acquisition of the Three Sisters Preserve in south-central Connecticut is the latest in a series of acquisitions by the Bethany Land Trust, protecting over 150 acres of diverse forest and field since 2016. Photo courtesy of Bethany Land Trust.
Rhode Island
Though all five counties in Rhode Island experienced nearly 10 inches more precipitation in 2023 than average, the Agricultural Land Preservation Commission (ALPC) had been watching its funding dry up since 2021. Typically funded through voter-approved land protection bonds, Rhode Island’s primary vehicle for farmland protection was not included in the most recent bond and had no additional dollars allocated via Governor Dan McKee’s annual budget. This meant that Rhode Island, home to some of the most expensive farmland in the country, would be unable to close easement transactions on the more than 40 farms that had been previously approved for permanent protection, and would be required to return nearly $5 million in federal farmland protection funding to the USDA. At the 11th hour, Rhode Island lawmakers—building off strong leadership from Sen. Louis DiPalma and Rep. Michelle McGaw, along with an outpouring of support from the state’s conservation and agricultural communities—managed to secure $2.5 million in the 2024 Budget to replenish the ALPC’s coffers to continue their work in protecting the state’s agricultural landscape. For more information, see Rhode Island Land Trust Council's Press Release.
The Zurlo Farmland property in Portsmouth, RI was recently protected by the Aquidneck Land Trust. ALPC Funding contributed to the acquisition of the development rights on this working farm. Photo courtesy of Aquidneck Land Trust.
Alex Redfield is the Co-Director of the Integrated Policy Program for Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities and Food Solutions New England. He joins FSNE after most recently managing the farm viability and farmland protection programs for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Prior to his time in government, he was Director of Farmer Training for the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project at Cultivating Community. He lives in South Portland, Maine.