I would like to comment on Jerome A. Collins’ Maine Voices commentary on land trusts in the Dec. 21 paper.

Mr. Collins speaks only of the tax revenue lost to his community when land is placed into trust. He neglected to highlight that once the land is in trust, it becomes a public asset.

I lived in the Atlanta area for four years, and one of the most striking differences between Georgia and Maine was the lack of publicly held assets. I can tell you, there is nothing more soul sucking than living in a community that is packed with nothing but single-family homes. Maybe a ballfield every once in a while, but other than that – a desert.

I cherish the open land we hold in trust here in Maine, and I am very willing to have my taxes go up a little in order for the community to own that land.

John Schaberg
Portland

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