MAINE WIRE • January 22, 2024
Maine’s Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (ACF) failed to confirm the nomination of another member of the state’s Land Use Planning Committee[sic] (LUPC). The ACF met on Monday for a hearing intended to re-confirm Oxford County’s representative on the LUPC, Lee Smith. This followed a controversial meeting of the ACF on Jan. 8th, meant to be a confirmation hearing for Tom Dubois, Franklin County’s nominee for the LUPC, but which turned into an environmental debate about the proposed Pickett Mountain Mine in Maine’s unincorporated territories. All Republicans, except one who was absent, voted against the confirmation of Smith. All the Democrats supported the confirmation, except one who was also absent. The independent member voted with Republicans against Smith’s confirmation. The final vote was five “yes” votes, six “no” votes, and two absent with the ACF failing to re-confirm Smith. Franklin and Oxford counties are left without LUPC representatives before the vote on the Pickett Mountain mine on February 24.