2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan Natural and Cultural Resource Values Chapter 5 Natural and Cultural Resources Maine supports a wide variety of natural and cultural resources. There are vast forestlands, lakes, mountains, islands, tidal and inland wetlands, and special cultural resources. Many of the most spectacular of these features are located in the Commission’s jurisdiction. Some features date back to earlier geologic times, while others reflect human intervention. All are part of the ever-changing ecosystems which collectively comprise the state’s resource base. Each natural resource has economic, recreational and ecological values and is, therefore, subject to conflicts over decisions about land use and resource allocation. This chapter contains detailed descriptions of many of the jurisdiction’s natural and cultural resources, and discussion of the issues pertaining to them. 144 2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan Natural and Cultural Resource Values 5.1 Agricultural Resources Despite its limited presence, agriculture is important to the jurisdiction. Agriculture makes a significant contribution to local and regional economies, and is an important part of the culture and heritage of many rural areas. Working farms keep significant lands in open space and help to maintain the tradition of the jurisdiction as a place where resource-based uses predominate. A relatively small portion of the area within the jurisdiction is used for agricultural production. A number of factors contribute to agriculture's limited presence here: The availability of seasonal and trained year-round workers is limited; productivity is constrained by weather, soils which are poorly suited to agriculture, and the lack of large contiguous tracts of suitable land; and processing services and distribution centers are difficult to access without high-volume production. While agriculture is not presently widespread in the jurisdiction, there remains potential for future expansion. The predominance of undeveloped land, general absence of incompatible uses and presence of pockets of good soil make some areas suitable for agriculture. To survive and expand, new types of agricultural enterprises may be needed. Farmers’ efforts to diversify into new markets, such as agritourism, direct marketing and specialty products, has been dubbed the “Agricultural Creative Economy” and is a promising new trend in Maine, with approximately 15% of Maine’s farmers participating and an estimated $75 million in sales. 5.1.A PREDOMINANT AGRICULTURAL CROPS Potatoes and blueberries are the major cultivated crops in the jurisdiction. In 2008, Maine cultivated 57,100 acres of potatoes (this includes acreage in towns not within the jurisdiction). Maine potato acreage has remained stable in the past five years, with 68% of the acreage shifting to processing potatoes, 19% to seed stock and 13% to tablestock production. Innovation in production and marketing is occurring: Growers are using GPS technology for planting, advanced storage technology and digital imaging for potato grading. Markets are now global, due in large part to the internet and the availability of high-quality seed. Some of the acreage that had been taken out of potato production in the late 1990s and early 2000s continues to be used for other agricultural crops, such as Christmas trees. Most blueberry production in the state takes place in Washington County, with a substantial amount occurring in the jurisdiction. Maine’s dominance in blueberry production has been challenged in recent years by an increase in production in Canada. To remain competitive, Maine producers have improved large tracts of blueberry acreage — much within the jurisdiction — by using irrigation and other technologies to increase production. Maine blueberry production hit a landmark level of 110 145 2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan Agricultural Resources million pounds in the year 2000, but has generally varied between 60 million and 80 million pounds per year, depending on weather-related factors. Market demand has skyrocketed in the last decade, as illustrated by blueberry prices: In 2000, the price per pound was $0.40, but had more than doubled to $0.94 by 2007. The acreage dedicated to blueberry production in Maine is expected to remain relatively stable and the market is expected to remain strong. While cranberry production has increased in recent years, and the market is continuing to grow, it is not yet considered a significant agricultural sector in the state. Historically, cranberry plantations were created in wetlands, mostly along streambeds that could be dammed to provide flooding. More recent cranberry plantations were developed using the upland plantation development model, whereby upland sites are constructed with contained water sources such as ponds or bogs. These upland plantations have fewer environmental impacts and are generally easier to permit. When market factors make the expansion of cranberry production profitable, this upland model may make it easier for Maine growers to develop new production sites. Smaller amounts of land in the jurisdiction are devoted to other forms of agricultural production, including poultry, apples, broccoli and other vegetables, and dairy and beef cattle. Canola production is also increasingly seen in the jurisdiction as a crop in rotation with potatoes. The production of maple syrup has expanded significantly in recent years. An approximately $2 million industry in the early 1990s, Maine’s maple syrup production reached nearly $8.8 million in 2008. This increase in value is largely due to improved marketing methods: While Maine historically sold much of its maple syrup in 50 gallon drums, it now markets increasing amounts in small value-added containers. Other forest-based agricultural products in the jurisdiction include “tipping” of evergreen boughs for wreath production and harvesting of fiddleheads. 5.1.B LURC REGULATORY APPROACH Most agricultural operations are located in the General Management (M-GN) Subdistrict. The M-GN Subdistrict is intended to enable forestry and agriculture to occur with minimal interference from unrelated development in areas where the resource protection afforded by protection districts is not necessary. Agricultural management activities are statutorily exempt from regulation by the Commission in management subdistricts. The Highly Productive Management (M-HP) Subdistrict is designed to ensure the continued availability of products from high-yield or high-value forest and/or agricultural lands by reserving areas for these uses. To date, this subdistrict has not been applied due to the difficulty of defining qualifying lands. Until this issue is resolved, the Commission reaffirms its commitment to maintaining prime agricultural lands where they have been identified. The Commission has a limited role in regulating agricultural practices, but does, in some cases, regulate nutrient management and water withdrawal. Many other practices, such as integrated pest management or the use of genetically modified organisms, are addressed by the Maine Department of Agriculture. 146 2010 Comprehensive Land Use Plan Agricultural Resources Potato Harvest 5.1.C AGRICULTURAL RESOURCE ISSUES The major factors affecting the future of agricultural resources are economic. The removal of land from food production is an issue of global and national importance, yet is extremely difficult to address due to the dynamic and interconnected nature of the marketplace. Diversification and innovation may prove to be key to the future viability of agriculture within the jurisdiction. In light of prior acreage reductions in potato production, the stabilization of that industry is encouraging, as are the increases in blueberry prices and maple syrup production. The development of the agricultural creative economy is also very encouraging, and the Commission will align its policies with the needs of diversifying farms whenever possible. The issue of greatest concern is development and fragmentation of the jurisdiction's remaining working farms and cleared farmlands, especially those that have prime agricultural soils and are close to markets and community services. Prime agricultural soils are a limited and irreplaceable resource. These soils are considered a valuable resource worthy of protection wherever they are found, particularly when they are located near areas that have the infrastructure to support farming. While the location of these soils are not presently known, extensive soils mapping is currently being conducted in the jurisdiction by the Natural Resource Conservation Service and information about the occurrence of prime agricultural soils is expected to be available in 2011. Working farms and cleared agricultural soils are especially important to maintain because, once a farm is forested, it can be difficult to find a farmer with sufficient capital to return it to production. When agricultural land is abandoned, the opportunity still remains to return it to agricultural use in the future in response to changing circumstances and markets, if sufficient capital is available. Once land is developed or topsoil removed and sold, however, the option of restoring the land to agricultural use is essentially eliminated. For these reasons, the Commission will discourage fragmentation of working farms and prime agricultural land, and will guide development away from these areas.