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<br />001123 <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Tax Base <br />Land acquisition by the managing agencies removed large parcels of land <br />from the local tax rolls. In one St. Croix community, local farmers were <br />assessed a higher rate to compensate for this loss. There were no other <br />reports of large scale negative impacts on tax base however. The <br />Allagash has a special situation because of the landownership pattern <br />of large timber and paper companies there. Designation resulted in <br />added burdens being placed on these companies when cutting timber within <br />one mile of the river. This was not a cut in tax base but rather a <br />burden on operating expenses. The companies are however able to timber <br />the area in question under the restrictions, profitably. On the Chat- <br />tooga much of adjacent land had been in public ownership for over 40 <br />years, and so the impact on local tax base was not negative. Whether <br />, it was actually positive or not is not known. It would be reasonable <br />to assume that if land values have risen as a result of designation, <br />that tax ratables will rise in the long term as well. <br /> <br />Research into the questions of impact on tax base would be required <br />over a long period for definitive answers. <br /> <br />Local Government Expenditures <br /> <br /> <br />In many cases local officials expressed concern over the increased <br /> <br /> <br />burden on municipal services resulting from designation. Examples that <br /> <br /> <br />were used were trash collection, traffic regulation and in one case <br /> <br /> <br />putting o~t '8 fire. Some officials believe that these problems would <br /> <br /> <br />have occured even without designation, but local viewpoints on this issue <br /> <br />-20- <br />