Rep. Arata's News from the Legislature: Local MDOT Projects, Free Fishing Weekends, Petitions for Energy Transmission Project Citizens' Initiative, Maine Senior FarmShare Program, & More

Representative Arata Announces Local Projects in Maine DOT Work Plan

February 10, 2020

House Republican Office (207) 287-1440

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUSTA – State Representative Amy B. Arata (R-New Gloucester) is pleased to announce that the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) Work Plan for Calendar Years 2020, 2021, and 2022 is available.  The estimated value of work in the plan totals more than $2.59 billion and encompasses 2,051 projects across the State.

The MDOT Work Plan for the towns in District 65 includes $873,000 in projects for the towns of New Gloucester and Poland.  It includes highway rehabilitation (Route 202) and light capital paving (Route 231) in New Gloucester and slope stabilization/protection (Route 11) in Poland.

“MDOT Work Plan projects will benefit our local communities in many ways,” said Rep. Arata.  “I am pleased to see several MDOT projects scheduled for the next three years in our area.  They will work to make our roads safer, and will benefit our local economies.”

The full work plan, searchable by municipality, is available on the Maine Department of Transportation’s Web site at https://www.maine.gov/mdot/projects/workplan/search/.

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Free Fishing Weekends

Free fishing weekends in Maine are February 15-16, 2020 and May 30-31, 2020.  On these days, any person, except those whose license has been suspended or revoked, may fish without a license.  All other laws and regulations apply.

For more information, click here.

Recognition Ceremony at the Augusta Armory

On Friday, March 27, the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services will host a recognition ceremony at the Augusta Armory from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The ceremony is in correlation with National Vietnam War Veterans Day, which is observed annually on March 29 in acknowledgement of those veterans who served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.

All Vietnam veterans who register to attend will receive a certificate of appreciation, a Vietnam War challenge coin, and 50^th anniversary lapel pin.  The event is free.

In order to be recognized at the event, all veterans must pre-register online here before March 26.

Petitions for Energy Transmission Project Citizens' Initiative

Maine’s Secretary of State has received petitions for the citizens' initiative "To Reject the New England Clean Energy Connect Transmission Project."

Proponents of the initiative submitted an estimated 17,000 petition forms to the Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions.

The Department of the Secretary of State has 30 days to certify the petitions and determine if the threshold of registered voters’ signatures has been met.  Proponents must submit at least 63,067 valid signatures of registered Maine voters.  The petitioners report an estimated 75,253 signatures certified by municipalities.

If this effort is certified to have the required number of valid signatures, it will go before the Legislature for consideration.  If the Legislature declines to enact it without change, the Secretary of State will draft the ballot question and accept public input on the wording.  The finalized question will then go before voters at the Tuesday, November 3, 2020 general election.

Visit the Maine Department of the Secretary of State’s Web page for more information about the citizens’ initiative process.

Maine Senior FarmShare Program

Program aims to connect food-insecure seniors

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry's (DACF) Agricultural Resource Development Division (ARD) announced that the application period for new farms is now open for the 2020 Maine Senior FarmShare Program.  Applications, including the full details for new farms and eligibility criteria, are available on the ARD Web site.

New for 2020, the Maine Senior FarmShare Program is welcoming more farms from throughout the State.  Also, the USDA provided additional funding for 2020 that will help increase the number of participating farms from across Maine.

The Maine Senior FarmShare Program is administered by the ARD and funded by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Program.  Following the Community Supported Agriculture model, a Senior FarmShare is an agreement between a participating farmer and a qualified senior for $50 of fresh produce.

Eligible farms must have one or more acres of mixed produce and the ability to offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables over eight weeks.  The application deadline is the end of business, Tuesday, March 31, 2020, and farms are encouraged to apply early as openings are limited.

For program information or to apply, farmers should contact Donna Murray, Program Manager with Maine’s Senior FarmShare Program, 287-7526 or donna.murray@maine.gov.  Farms are invited to apply now on the Maine Senior FarmShare Web site.

Upcoming Public Hearings

Legislative committees are busy holding public hearings and work sessions.  Visit here for a complete list of scheduled committee work.