January 29, 2026
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Abby Farnham
The Second Regular Session of Maine’s 132nd Legislature kicked off in early January and there are several opportunities to join us in advocating for policy change that protects farmland as a finite natural resource, increases land access opportunities, and supports a thriving agricultural sector. A big focus of MFT’s advocacy efforts this session will be on collaborative and creative strategies for securing public funding for Maine’s agricultural economy and farmland conservation. Other important issues we are supporting include removing land access barriers within Maine’s subdivision law, restoring Wabanaki tribal sovereignty, and prioritizing mental health and wellness resources for Maine’s heritage industries.
Many of MFT’s priority bills were carried over from the last legislative session. You can join us in getting these priorities and newly-introduced proposals across the finish line by signing up to receive policy updates and action alerts.
Farmland in Maine is a precious and finite resource. As development pressures and land prices rise across the state, protecting farmland with an agricultural conservation easement is key to ensuring farmers have access to the land base they need to sustain and grow their operations. Yet, less than 5 percent of Maine’s farmland is currently protected – this is the lowest amount of any state in New England. The state’s updated climate action plan Maine Won’t Wait establishes new targets specific to farmland protection – calling for Maine to secure and commit ongoing, dedicated funding for farmland conservation to double the amount of permanently protected farmland in the state by 2030. In order to realize this goal, we need to rapidly expand our farmland protection efforts, especially publicly funded farmland protection.
MFT is supporting a handful of different strategies this session that share the common aim of increased public funding and capacity for farmland conservation.
LD 2141, An Act to Direct a Portion of Unclaimed Beverage Container Deposits to the Lake Water Quality Restoration and Protection Fund and the Maine Working Farmland Access and Protection Program creates a stream of ongoing, dedicated funding specifically for farmland conservation by directing $2 million annually from Maine’s unclaimed beverage container deposits toward the state’s established Working Farmland Access and Protection Program within the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s (DACF’s) Bureau of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Resources. Every year in Maine, an estimated $16 million in bottle deposits go unclaimed. Unlike in other states who use unclaimed bottle deposit funds to serve a public purpose, those funds are currently retained by the beverage industry and are not being used to address the needs of our state. The Maine Working Farmland Access and Protection Program was established in 2021 to provide protection to strategically significant working farmland properties whose continued availability to commercial agricultural businesses is essential to the long-term future of this sector of Maine’s economy. A public hearing for LD 2141 is scheduled for February 4th, 2026 at 1pm before the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
LD 1528, An Act to Support Farmland Conservation, was carried over from last legislative session, and includes dedicated funding for farmland conservation and adequate staffing within Maine’s Working Farmland Access and Protection Program to strengthen the program’s ability to conserve Maine’s farmland.
LD 362, An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Replenish the Land for Maine's Future Program, was also carried over from last legislative session. The Land for Maine’s Future program (LMF) is Maine’s primary public funding vehicle for land conservation. This bill seeks to secure ongoing funding for LMF through a $50 million bond measure. Establishing durable funding for existing and new land conservation programs, including LMF, is another strategy included within Maine Won’t Wait for meeting the plan’s goal of increasing the total acreage of conserved natural and working lands in the state to 30 percent by 2030.
A thriving agricultural economy in Maine is critical to rural economic development, to farmers’ ability to keep their land in agricultural production, and to ensuring a vibrant and resilient food system for our state and communities. There are several established state programs that exist to support agricultural business viability by providing capital and technical assistance for farmers, but these programs must be funded adequately to be able to serve as an effective source of support for the hardworking Mainers who produce the food and forest products we consume and care for the land we all depend on. An Agriculture bond measure gained support and momentum last session but was ultimately carried over–thank you to all who took action and contributed to building this support. We are continuing this work in coalition with partners and agricultural and forestry stakeholders across the state this session through support for LD 2094.
LD 2094, An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Support Maine's Agricultural and Forestry Sectors, proposes a $40 million bond issue that would fund multiple agricultural priorities by making strategic investments in established capital and technical assistance programs for farmers, including the Maine Agriculture, Food and Forest Products Investment Fund; the Working Farmland Access and Protection Program; the Farmers Drought Relief Grant Program; the Maine Healthy Soils Program; and the Dairy Improvement Fund. You can read more about this proposed bond measure and the programs it would support here. A public hearing for LD 2094 took place on Jan 20th, 2026 before the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee. Stay tuned for future opportunities to support this bill as it moves through the legislative process.
Farmland leasing is one of the more affordable and accessible strategies for both new and established farmers looking for land and is especially important for historically underserved farmers who are less likely to have generational land tenure and who often face barriers to land and capital access. However, the current definition of “subdivision” in state statute can inadvertently capture agricultural leases–for example, when a landowner leases portions of farmland to multiple farmers–within the definition of what constitutes a subdivision. Treating agricultural leases as divisions of land creates unnecessary regulatory burden for farmland owners who are looking to lease their land for farming and creates confusion for municipal authorities that are interpreting subdivision law at the local level.
LD 1999, An Act to Exclude Agricultural Leases from the Definition of "Subdivision" Under the Planning and Land Use Regulation Laws makes necessary statutory changes to help clarify for municipal authorities and farmland owners that leasing land for agricultural use does not result in a division of land for the purposes of subdivision law. A public hearing for LD 1999 was held on January 8th, 2026 before the Legislature’s Housing and Economic Development Committee. The committee went straight into a work session following the hearing and voted the bill Ought to Pass out of committee. The next step for this bill will be going before the House and Senate for a vote.
Recognizing the inherent rights of the Wabanaki Nations to self-govern is a matter of fairness and equity for Wabanaki communities and is essential for restoring the Tribes’ rights and abilities to access and steward land, regulate natural resources and land use on Tribal lands, and provide for the needs of their communities. Moreover, as documented in the 2022 report from the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, restoring Wabanaki sovereignty will also strengthen the capacity of the Wabanaki Nations to create greater economic opportunities for the Tribes as well as Maine’s surrounding rural communities.
LD 785, An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act would implement several of the changes recommended by a bipartisan task force to the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act, and in doing so, ensure that the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Mi’kmaq Nation, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians enjoy the same rights and authority as other federally-recognized Indian Tribes across the country. These recommendations include removing some of the barriers that the Tribes have faced in acquiring land and restoring the Tribes’ rights to regulate hunting, fishing, natural resources, and land use on Tribal lands and waters, as allowed by federal law. For more information on Wabanaki sovereignty and related advocacy opportunities check out the Wabanaki Alliance.
Farmers face significant stressors and pressures to sustain their businesses, and the CDC underscores mental health challenges as being significantly higher within the agricultural community as compared to the general population. Farmers being able to access adequate mental health and wellness support resources is critically important.
LD 2144, Resolve, to Establish the Working Group to Prioritize Wellness and Mental Health Resources for Heritage Industries, proposes the creation of a working group to improve access to mental health and wellness care for those involved in the agriculture, fisheries, forestry and logging industries. This group would be charged with reviewing available resources, identifying gaps and barriers in the provision of services, recommending potential funding mechanisms, and exploring educational opportunities to reduce stigma around mental health issues and increase awareness of available services. A public hearing for LD 2144 is scheduled for January 28th, 2026 at 1pm before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.
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