Build Maine and GrowSmart Maine: Policy Action 2023
We are in a critical time in Maine. After decades of disinvestment in our communities and a lack of resources for planning and implementation, land use issues are now front and center as we strive to address the current housing and climate crisis while also protecting farmland, forestland, working waterfronts, and open space that are equally critical to Maine’s economy, qualify of life, and future. Policy Action 2023 is working to craft proactive strategies to address Maine’s land use and planning issues.
Policy Action 2023 is unlike anything we’ve seen before in Maine: an open, crowd-sourcing process to define a shared goal and then focus on policy areas within which we can improve laws and regulations to achieve that goal. Some proposals are pragmatic, incremental steps, while others will foster deep and long-needed conversation about where and how we encourage the development and natural resource sectors.
One key component of Policy Action 2023 is that participants can focus on the policies of most interest to them, without an expectation that they are endorsing the entire package. As lead conveners, Build Maine and GrowSmart Maine will present each proposal to the legislative committee, with the message to see a proposal as an important starting point for conversations and decisions that need to happen.
Learn more about 2023 Policy Action Proposals here: https://bit.ly/PA23LegislativeProposals.
In the next few weeks, Policy Action 2023 will be released to the public with a recorded overview and graphics, as well as an updated version of the document shared here. Stay tuned and consider where you would like to engage.
If you’d like to get involved, CONTACT- Nancy Smith nsmith@growsmartmaine.org or Kara Wilbur karawilbur@gmail.com
Nancy Smith
Nancy E. Smith has lived and worked in Maine since 1981 and joined GrowSmart Maine as executive director in April 2010. She served four terms in the Maine State House of Representatives, representing Monmouth, Litchfield and Wales, while working on her family’s diversified livestock farm in Monmouth. Nancy worked as a forester for over twenty years for a large industrial landowner in northern Maine and for a consulting firm serving small woodlot owners in central Maine.
Kara Wilbur
Kara Wilbur is a planner and community-based developer. Kara was an original founder of Build Maine and has dedicated significant time to building relationships with people from across the state to find better ways to invest in our local communities and people. Prior to development, Kara worked as a national and regional planning consultant, collaborating with communities to develop strategic comprehensive plans, form-based codes, street improvement plans, and strategies to solve local problems with limited resources.