Date of Award

Fall 12-15-2023

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Ecology and Environmental Sciences

Advisor

Adam Daigneault

Second Committee Member

Jonathan Malacarne

Third Committee Member

Tora Johnson

Additional Committee Members

This study is an interdisciplinary project done in collaboration with the Municipal Budget and Conservation Working group, a group of stakeholders that formed in 2018 to study conservation and town budgets. We use mixed methods to explore the impacts of conservation and municipal budgets in Maine. We use regression analysis on 21 years of panel data to identify causal relationships between conservation and mill rates, controlling for economic and town budget factors. We found statistically significant but small effects on average, with a 1% increase in conserved acres in a town associated with average tax bill increases of $1 or less. More meaningful findings were revealed when we looked at the relationship across different regions, conservation types, and towns with certain economic characteristics. To address the human dimensions of the issue, we designed, distributed, and analyzed responses from a survey to understand Maine people’s attitudes towards conservation and property taxes. Responses revealed widespread support for conservation and concerns about high property tax rates but an absence of strong opinions about conservation as it relates to municipal budgets and property taxes. Finally, we conducted qualitative interviews with 20 conservation iv and municipal practitioners. Participants shared their perspectives on the challenges faced by towns and conservation groups and provided useful examples of collaboration. With this study, we add to a small body of research on the local economic impacts of conservation and provide insights to leaders dealing with these challenges in communities across Maine.

Abstract

This study is an interdisciplinary project done in collaboration with the Municipal Budget and Conservation Working group, a group of stakeholders that formed in 2018 to study conservation and town budgets. We use mixed methods to explore the impacts of conservation and municipal budgets in Maine. We use regression analysis on 21 years of panel data to identify causal relationships between conservation and mill rates, controlling for economic and town budget factors. We found statistically significant but small effects on average, with a 1% increase in conserved acres in a town associated with average tax bill increases of $1 or less. More meaningful findings were revealed when we looked at the relationship across different regions, conservation types, and towns with certain economic characteristics.

To address the human dimensions of the issue, we designed, distributed, and analyzed responses from a survey to understand Maine people’s attitudes towards conservation and property taxes. Responses revealed widespread support for conservation and concerns about high property tax rates but an absence of strong opinions about conservation as it relates to municipal budgets and property taxes. Finally, we conducted qualitative interviews with 20 conservation and municipal practitioners. Participants shared their perspectives on the challenges faced by towns and conservation groups and provided useful examples of collaboration.

With this study, we add to a small body of research on the local economic impacts of conservation and provide insights to leaders dealing with these challenges in communities across Maine.

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