SWOAM Advocacy

Testimony of the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM) in Opposition to Section YY-2 of the Supplemental Budget for the Second Regular Session of the 123rd Maine Legislature
(Natural Resource Agencies Consolidation)

Senator Rotundo, Representative Fischer and members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, I am Tom Doak, Executive Director of the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM) testifying in opposition to Section YY-2 of the Supplemental Budget.

First, this section should not be in the budget bill. It doesn’t have any budget impact for the period of the document. The implications of this proposal would be profound and deserve to stand on their own rather than being inserted as a section in a very lengthy budget bill.

Let me be clear. We are supportive of making sure the natural resource agencies, and all agencies of state government, run efficiently, eliminate duplication and improve the services they provide. If there are obvious duplications we say, deal with them. If there are bureaucratic barriers to departments working together, direct managers to deal with the problems. But those issues don’t justify consolidation.

We have all watched as the natural resource agencies have been decimated by budget cuts over the years. In fact, I have a unique prospective; I worked for two of the departments, and I can attest that the cuts have been difficult, and searching for efficiencies has always been a priority. But the approach outlined in this section, namely forcing consolidation, goes about it all wrong.

It is ironic that at a time with all the talk initiated by the Brookings Report (I serve on the GrowSmart Board of Directors which commissioned the report) regarding “Quality of Place”, “the Maine Brand” etc., this proposal consolidates and downgrades the Departments that deal with much of what the Brookings Report mentions as being special about Maine.

As examples, the Report recommends a Maine Quality Places Fund “to promote the revitalization of Maine’s towns and cities; augment land and farm conservation, protect traditional uses of and access to Maine’s forests, farms, and lakes; promote high quality tourism and outdoor recreation given their importance to Maine’s economic well-being”. Much of these are supported by the natural resource agencies.

Under Innovation, the Brookings Report recommends nine possible areas of focus. Six of these: “Forest products; agriculture, organic farming and specialty foods; coldwater aquaculture; marine research; advanced composite materials; and outdoor recreation and tourism” fall under the natural resource departments.

We don’t think that consolidation is the answer to the challenges the natural resource agencies face. In fact, we think the whole direction of the section misses the point. It focuses on consolidation as the answer. It seems to say consolidation is the fix – the Goal.

We believe the focus on consolidation as the Goal is misplaced. In short, the focus should be on strengthening the natural resource agencies, which we all agree are so important to our future, while ensuring the functions and services they provide are delivered in the most efficient way.

Consolidation is a blunt instrument. Any serious look at the question of how to strengthen the natural resource agencies should start without pre-determined outcomes and not force consolidation for consolidation’s sake.

SWOAM is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization established more than thirty years ago dedicated to educating and supporting Maine’s small (generally those who own between a few acres and a few thousand acres ) woodland owners.

There are more than 200,000 individuals who own forestland in Maine- nearly 40% of the forestland. These small woodland owners provide a substantial amount of the raw materials for Maine’s natural resource industries as well as a significant amount of the land where hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ATV riding, bird watching, hiking and all other outdoor recreational activities occur.