Maine to consider historic $30 million bond to repair and restore trails

September 19 — Last in a series of articles explaining the referendum questions that will appear on the November ballot.

Maine voters will have the opportunity to vote in November on a $30 million bond to maintain, expand and improve the state’s recreational trails.

Question 4 is one of five statewide referendums this year. If approved, it would provide the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Bureau of Parks and Lands with funds to be distributed through a grant process over a four-year period.

Supporters of the bond — the first of its kind in Maine — have called it a historic opportunity, and it is backed by a broad coalition of supporters who say it is especially needed to boost the rural economy and repair damage from last winter’s storms that wreaked havoc on Maine’s trails.

Here are some things to know about question 4:

What is question 4?

Do you support a $30,000,000 bond issue to invest in the design, development and maintenance of non-motorized, motorized and multi-use trails throughout the state, matched by at least $3,000,000 in private and public contributions?

Question 4 asks voters whether they want to authorize a $30 million bond to provide grants to organizations and communities for non-motorized, motorized and multi-use trail projects.

How did question 4 come about?

Democratic Rep. Jessica Fay of Raymond sponsored House Bill 1156, which created the requirement. She said the idea was brought to her by a coalition of organizations and individuals, including the Maine Natural Resources Council, interested in maintaining, expanding and improving the state’s trails.

Currently, much of the trail maintenance and construction is done by volunteer groups and nonprofits, which can have difficulty recruiting people to do the work or finding funding, though snowmobile and ATV clubs can access small amounts of state money and there is also a small amount of federal funding for trail work, Fay said.

“I’ve heard a lot of discussion about how the volunteer base is depleted and how many of the people who do this work are getting older,” Fay said. “The cost of maintaining, upgrading and building new trails is becoming, I think, increasingly difficult for smaller organizations to afford, especially considering the storm damage this past winter. … That’s the kind of problem this bond is hoping to address.”

The bill passed the House without a roll call vote, was approved unanimously by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and passed the Senate by a vote of 29-3 before being signed by Gov. Janet Mills.

How will the money be distributed?

The money would be spent by the Office of Parks and Lands through a competitive grant process. Municipalities, qualified divisions of state government and nonprofit organizations would be eligible to apply.

Funding would be distributed over a four-year period and applicants would be required to provide at least 10% matching contributions. Approximately 25% of the funds would support non-motorized trails, 25% would support motorized trails and 50% would support multi-use trails.

Any trail funded in whole or in part by the loan money will have to be made available for public use. Priority will be given to projects that meet sustainable design standards and incorporate accessibility and inclusive design standards.

What are some examples of work that could be done?

Homeless advocates say the money is badly needed to meet demand, make repairs to address extreme rain and other weather impacts, expand trail networks to make them more accessible to people of all ages and abilities, and provide an economic boost to rural areas.

“There are some really good ideas all over the state,” said Pete Didisheim, director of advocacy for the Maine Natural Resources Council. “The hope is that if the trail loan is passed, it will create opportunities that would otherwise remain in the planning stages if we didn’t put money into it.”

Some ideas include building a trail network in a community forest in Rumford, mountain bike trails in the Moosehead area and new trails in the Katahdin and Island Falls areas.

There is also strong interest in improving trail accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities.

“Yes, we have maybe 60 or 70 accessible trails, but it’s a small percentage and they’re not evenly distributed across all parts of the state, so they’re not necessarily accessible to a lot of people who want to get outdoors but don’t have a lot of options to do so,” Didisheim said.

Has Maine ever done this before?

No. Supporters of the proposal have highlighted its historic nature in calling for its support. It would be the first time Mainers could support a trail bond, a sharp contrast to the 12 highway bonds totaling $1.1 billion since 2007, according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

What is the total cost?

The bond is expected to cost taxpayers $38.2 million, including interest, over its 10-year repayment schedule, the state treasurer said.

Does anyone object to question 4?

The Maine Trails Partnership, a coalition of groups supporting Question 4, has raised about $60,000 so far, Didisheim said. No political action committees have been formed to oppose the question.

According to the Maine Natural Resources Council, more than 520 Maine towns, organizations, businesses and ATV and snowmobile clubs have endorsed the requirement. They include the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, L.L.Bean, the Maine Municipal Association, the Maine Tourism Association and others.

Fay said she had not heard any opposition to Question 4.

“A lot of the reason I live here (in Maine), and I think a lot of other people do, is because we like to be outside and have a place to walk or bike or snowmobile or ATV or whatever it is that we like to do to get outside,” she said. “That’s important, and it’s important to Maine’s economy.”

“Other states that are outdoor destinations are investing more in all types of trails, so I think it’s important for us to think about that and remember that this is one of the reasons we live here.”

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