At the March 4, 2006 Town meeting, Lovell voters approved a warrant article for land conservation, setting a statewide precedent. Warrant article #42 directs all future funds received through penalties assessed from the removal of property from Tree Growth or Open Space, to a dedicated land conservation account. Directing “change of use” penalties to such purposes are becoming increasingly popular in communities throughout the nation, but Lovell is the first Maine community to adopt such an article. Lovell voters expressed a strong commitment to maintaining Lovell’s rural character and the natural areas that support traditional uses and native ecosystems. Everyone that lives, visits, works and recreates in the region’s forests and waters owes a debt of gratitude to the citizens of Lovell for this commitment and visionary action.

The Article read as follows: “To see if the town will vote to allocate one hundred percent of funds received from penalties assessed on properties removed from Tree Growth or Open Space status to a town conservation account for use only in the purchase of conservation easements or conservation lands by the town independently or in partnership with conservation organizations.”

The citizens of Lovell have close ties to the land. The rural character of the community remains due to a heritage of natural resource based employment and recreation. For generations, visitors and residents have enjoyed expansive forests and high quality waters in an impressive landscape framed to the north by the White Mountain National Forest. These protected lands are the source of the waters of Kezar Lake and the Cold River. As they flow to the Saco River they nurture the natural and human communities of the 119,000 acres of the Upper Saco River watershed including the Lovell community. The GLLT embraces the conservation commitment of Lovell citizens and applauds the creation of this innovative conservation tool.

Historically, Lovell has not experienced significant removal of property from these current use property tax assessment programs. However, penalties have been increasing in recent years as land use changes occur. A significant portion of the undeveloped property in the community is currently enrolled in one or more of these current use programs. It is likely that some of Lovell’s future development will occur on these properties, resulting in the growth of the dedicated land conservation fund. The fund will provide the community with a tool for balancing losses of forestland and natural spaces with permanently set aside lands for human and natural community benefit.

One might argue that such funds are not significant enough to make a difference. In many cases penalties paid from one acre are not enough to purchase an interest in an equal acre. However, these funds can serve as leverage to obtain matching foundation support and access to other public and private funds. Local community initiative is valuable in the highly competitive conservation funding arena. Additionally, the availability of dedicated cash reserves permits towns to promptly enter into options and purchase and sale agreements, when needed.

In speaking in support of this article one resident stated that Lovell residents and visitors value our rural and small town character. If development threatens to change the nature of our surroundings, this measure would provide a tool to balance that growth by protecting some natural areas. The citizens of Lovell, through visionary local action, may have set a statewide standard for others to follow in preserving community values.