Maine’s environment is one of our greatest assets and a primary driver of our economy, but it’s being affected by our changing climate. Prioritization of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and tidal, within Maine will aid in our progress towards lowering carbon emissions and create good paying jobs for Mainers.
Public reserved land is special. It has a history. There is not a lot of it. Maine has the lowest percentage of publicly owned land of any east coast state, at 6.5 percent. To contextualize that data, in the neighboring state of New Hampshire 17 percent of land is publicly owned, and over a quarter of the state of Florida is public land. This land is special, it belongs to the people of Maine.
For 200 years, Maine’s Public Reserved Lands have been held in public trust and managed for public use: they protect wildlife habitat, provide timber for forestry activities, and offer diverse recreation opportunities.
If we increase our use of renewable energy, we can reduce our impact on the environment while lowering energy costs and creating jobs. And while we are still reliant on energy from privately owned utilities, we must hold them accountable and ensure Mainers are paying fair rates.
We can get ahead of this climate crisis, create jobs and protect our iconic industries if we make changes now.
Public reserved land is special. It has a history. There is not a lot of it.
Rep. Tiffany Roberts