# Maine LD 1072: An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Land for Maine's Future Program and to Authorize the Use of Options to Purchase at Agricultural Value Maine LD 1072, An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Land for Maine's Future Program and to Authorize the Use of Options to Purchase at Agricultural Value, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Stacy F. Brenner (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-07-01 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 471); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1072-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 1072 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Land for Maine's Future Program and to Authorize the Use of Options to Purchase at Agricultural Value - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-14 - Last action: 2025-07-01, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 471 - Sponsor: Stacy F. Brenner (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: PUBLIC LANDS, PUBLIC LANDS - LAND FOR MAINES FUTURE BOARD - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - LMF can protect more land types: benefit, medium. The program now covers more kinds of property interests, including conservation, access, and scenic easements and 99‑year or longer leases. The program may buy full ownership of land whose main use has been and will stay commercial forestry. All interests bought with program money must be checked f… - New option keeps farmland affordable: benefit, medium. The law creates a new recorded option to purchase at agricultural value to keep working farmland available and affordable. Government bodies and Maine nonprofits that protect farmland can hold these options. The option’s main purpose is to keep farms in working use at prices farmers can afford. - Annual conservation report and $80 fee: cost, low. Each holder of a conservation easement and each fee owner of land held for conservation, if organized or doing business in Maine, must file a yearly report with the department and the town. Reports list acres protected and acres exempt from property tax without payments in lieu of taxes and include… - LMF grants: broader access, 1:1 match: mixed, medium. The Land for Maine’s Future board can award grants to more cooperating entities, not just specially designated ones. Grant recipients must provide at least a dollar-for-dollar match to the grant. When deciding funding, the board considers listed statewide-significance criteria like recreation, habi… - Rules to record and enforce farm options: mixed, medium. A qualified holder must accept the option in writing. The option must be recorded at the county registry, and a copy with a map must be filed with the agriculture department. Options can set a resale price or formula, cap equity growth, limit uses or improvements, give a first‑purchase right, and a… - Tighter rules on selling conserved land: mixed, low. The State cannot sell or repurpose fee‑owned land bought under the program unless two‑thirds of the Legislature approves. The Bureau of Parks and Lands Director, with the Governor and Commissioner’s approval, may grant or sell access easements across certain rail trails under set criteria. When the… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Stacy F. Brenner (Democratic), Senate ## Actions (8) - 2025-07-01: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 471 - 2025-06-25: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table PASSED TO BE ENACTED in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-03: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending ENACTMENT in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-02: CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYUnder suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-189).In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-02: Report READ and ACCEPTED.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-189) READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-189).Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-03-21: CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519. (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Received by the Secretary of the Senate on March 14, 2025 and REFERRED to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-189), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0458&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0458&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0458&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (S-189), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0458&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0458&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0458&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1072-132 (as of 2026-10-17).