Augusta - A state run program that aims to preserve land for future use gave out the last of its funds today.

The Land For Maine's Future program has been around since 1987 and helped to protect more than 500,000 acres of land in Maine. The program is funded through voter approved bonds but there was no bond package in this legislative session. The 11 member board that disperses the funds consists of 6 private citizens appointed by the governor, and 4 commissioners representing their state departments, as well as the director of the state planning office. Bill Beardsley, Commissioner of the Department of Conservation, is one of those board members. "This is the last of the money and it's very sensitive and we want to make sure we use it wisely," he said at Tuesday's meeting.

One of the biggest challenges facing the board is money. They've received nearly 40 applications for funding and only have enough money to fund about half of those which could lead to some unpopular decisions. "Well it's really tough because you've got wonderful projects and there isn't enough money to go around," said Beardsley. "Do you give full funding to the best projects or do you try to spread it a little bit to everybody?"

Bangor Land Trust President Lucy Quimby submitted an application for funds to help with the Caribou Bog project in Bangor. They were hoping to turn an 11 acre stretch of land known as the Essex Woods Wetlands into the start of a trail that people could take to Orono. "So it's an important piece of this larger plan even though it's a tiny little 11 acre plot of land," Quimby explains.

But the project most likely won't make the cut. "One of the big issues is do you look at it as a local project, it's just a little bog all by itself, or do you look at it as part of a much bigger project," beardsley questions. "And it was submitted as a big project and it didn't get as many points as it might have gotten if it was treated as a local project."

That answer frustrated Quimby but she understands and says the project is far from dead. "This is an enormously complex process to try to put everything into a numerical score is really daunting. "So I understand that these things can happen but it is very disappointing."

Folks here are hoping that with voter support they can get more funding for a program they say is critical to Maine's future. "Once land disappears there isn't any more made and it doesn't come back," says Quimby. "And these funds are an investment in our future."

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