Committee unanimously recommends Steve Young for Maine Land Use Planning Commission

Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, chair of the joint standing committee on agriculture, conservation and forestry, opened a Sept. 11 public hearing and said the panel would consider the nomination of Steve Young of Frenchville to the Maine Land Use Planning Commission. After testimony and brief questioning, the committee voted unanimously to recommend confirmation.

Annina Breen, a policy advisor for the Speaker's office, introduced Young and summarized his technical and field experience in forestry and wildlife work. "Mr. Young will bring an important and expertly informed perspective to the commission as it seeks to encourage economic development and conservation and to balance Maine's abundant natural resources," Breen told the committee.

Young described decades of hands-on work in forestry, habitat management and environmental monitoring, and said those experiences inform his view that sustainability must be central to land-use decisions. Committee members asked how his expertise would apply to permitting and habitat protections; Young emphasized protecting northern white cedar and maintaining long-term yield through management that prioritizes sustainability.

Francesca Gundrum of Maine Audubon read written testimony supporting Young on behalf of a colleague, citing his background as a certified wildlife biologist and his experience working with state and federal agencies and northern Maine communities. No one spoke against the nomination.

The committee clerk called a roll and recorded 13 votes in the affirmative and 0 opposed. The committee will transmit its written recommendation to the president of the Senate under 3 MRSA §157 and the joint rules of the 132nd Legislature. The committee chair noted the committee may not take the vote sooner than 15 minutes after the hearing closed unless all members present agree; no members objected to the immediate vote.