Editor:

The Conservation Commission has noted the pending sale of city-owned land in the Maine Mall area and requests that a significant portion of that sale be placed in the Land Bank. The Land Bank, created sixteen years ago, is a vital component in protecting and enhancing the open spaces and wetlands in the city. Many of the recommendations of the Open Space Plan presented in 2001 also depended on a healthy, well-funded Land Bank in order to save existing open space. However, the promise of earmarking only five percent of funds from the sale of city-owned property has not created a healthy balance of available funds in the Land Bank and, as a result, too many vital open spaces have already been lost to development. The recent changes in the wetland ordinances offer a new opportunity to add funding to conservation efforts. But it is simply not enough to satisfy a community intent on preserving what is left for open space in the city and enhancing the quality of life for our citizens through those spaces.

The Conservation Commission has noted that it has become increasingly recognized that preserving open space can have positive economic implications on communities like South Portland. The Maine Audubon Society provides the following examples of the positive impact conserving land has on the economy:

• Conservation land does generate tax revenue even though property tax increases that result from land conservation are usually minimal. There is no simple way to measure how much a piece of conservation land pays in taxes, but the community still receives some level of tax or tax-equivalent payment for conservation land.

• Conservation land usually pays more in taxes than it requires in city services.

• Property values have been shown to increase when open space is conserved. Greenbelts and trails have the potential to increase adjacent property values by thousands of dollars per acre.

•Tourist dollars tied to outdoor recreation opportunities and open space contribute to the city’s economy.

• Conservation land can draw needed business activity to South Portland.

• Conservation land provides very cost-effective water filtration, flood control and clean air.

In addition, the 2006 Brookings Report makes frequent mention of Maine’s dependence on the beauty of the state as a major factor in economic growth and in quality of life for residents.

Notwithstanding these findings, it is the view of the Conservation Commission that South Portland remains focused more on development aspects as a mean of economic growth and less on capturing the essence of Maine in developing scenic sites to encourage tourism and a great quality of life.

The Conservation Commission believes that the city has an opportunity to reverse this trend by designating a large portion of the proceeds from the sale of city owned land in the Maine Mall area to the Land Bank. In sum, this sale presents a major opportunity to both resuscitate the Land Bank and to finally use the 2001 Open Space Plan as a blueprint to protect the city’s remaining environmental potential in undeveloped land.

City of South Portland Conservation Commission (Barbara Dee, Chair; Tim Roberts, Vice Chair; Shay Bellas, Secretary; Lee Attix, John Hatch, Heidi Bean, Artis Bernard)