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For Immediate Release
September 19, 2019
Contact: Jim Britt (207) 287-3156
Cutko Announces $1.6 Million in Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds For Maine
Augusta, ME – Andy Cutko, Director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL), today announced $1.6 million in Land and Water Conservation Funding (LWCF) for Maine. This funding is provided by the US Department of Interior.
“It’s more important than ever that we give Maine people the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy our spectacular parks and public lands,” Cutko shared in a statement. “LWCF funding is a vital piece of federal support that allows us to protect and maintain these open spaces. For decades Mainers have strongly supported the conservation of our forests, rivers, and lakes, and we thank our federal delegation for helping to make this funding possible.”
“While big-name parks get the recognition, parks in local communities receive the most impact from this program. Local parks enhance the quality of life in any community and improve public health; they also increase property values and support economic development,” said Douglas Beck, Supervisor of Outdoor Recreation at BPL. “Of the more than 850 LWCF sites in Maine, 650 are community-based projects spanning the state from Frenchville to Kittery. LWCF has preserved open space and created parks for nearly every resident in Maine, whether they know it or not.” Beck is tasked with administering Maine’s LWCF funding.
About LUCF Funds
The LWCF was established by Congress in 1964 to ensure public access to outdoor recreation resources for present and future generations, and to provide money to federal, state and local governments to purchase land, water and wetlands for the benefit of all Americans. Funds are also used to permanently conserve outdoor recreation areas for public use and enjoyment. The funds enable state and local governments to improve parks and other recreation areas in their communities by rehabilitating and upgrading existing parks, creating brand new parks in places that have none, and developing and expanding trail systems to link communities together and create recreation opportunities. Since the inception of the LWCF, more than $4.4 billion has been made available to state and local governments to fund more than 43,000 projects throughout the nation.
About Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
BPL’s mission is to protect and manage the natural and cultural resources under its care in order to offer a wide range of recreational and educational opportunities and provide environmental and economic benefits for present and future generations. BPL has oversight of over two million acres of land, including State Parks, conservation easements and leases. BPL lands are managed for a variety of resource values including recreation, cultural and historic preservation, ecological protection wildlife; and timber.
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