In Maine, the legislature’s contentious debate over the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) has finally ended. Last year, an effort to eliminate LURC failed, resulting in the formation of a study committee, which made recommendations for “reforming” LURC this past December. A new bill was introduced based on the study committee’s report, and included two highly contentious provisions: one allowing entire counties to leave, or “opt-out” of LURC, and another allowing County Commissioners to appoint themselves as LURC Commissioners.
Thanks to AMC staff, members, and partners, and the leadership of ten moderate Republicans, the opt-out provision was removed, keeping LURC and Maine’s North Woods intact. The commissioner provision remains, but we are extremely pleased with the progress we made, given where we started!Labels: CAN, Conservation Action Network, LURC, Maine