Protecting Maine's Environment

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Conservation Groups Applaud Historic Kennebec Agreement

Urge Legislators to Fund the Land for Maine's Future Program

News from NRCM

Conservation Groups Applaud Historic Agreement on the Kennebec

Augusta, ME – A coalition of conservation and fishing groups is hailing an agreement between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Canadian power company Brookfield Renewable that sets the stage for the decommissioning and removal of four dams that are barriers to fish passage on the lower Kennebec River in Maine.   Removing the Lockwood, Hydro-Kennebec, Shawmut, Read More

New Report: Offshore Wind Would Have Lowered Electricity Prices 11% Last Winter

September 4, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – New England electricity prices would have been 11% lower last winter if contracted offshore wind projects had been operational, according to a new study by Daymark Energy Advisors. Tens of millions of dollars in lower costs would have been reflected on the electricity bills of Maine households and businesses.  Read More

Senator Collins Must Vote No on Reconciliation Bill

June 30, 2025 (Augusta, ME) — Maine’s leading nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to protecting the environment, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), today called on Senator Susan Collins to vote against a massive bill that seeks to kill the growing domestic clean energy industry and underfund America’s public lands—programs that are of great Read More

Watching Hurricane Waves and Forster’s Terns

How Federal Transportation Funding Can Deliver More Choices for Mainers

Bringing Down the House

Protecting Maine's North Woods: Explore What's at Stake

The North Woods isn’t just a place. It’s a way of life. Maine’s economy, outdoor traditions, and natural heritage wouldn’t be the same without the North Woods as we know it. It provides globally significant habitat for wildlife like Canada lynx, Bicknell’s Thrush, and native brook trout, and serves as one of the largest carbon sinks east of the Mississippi. But that future is not guaranteed.

Old growth forest bathed in afternoon light on the shore of Big Reed Pond
Wood turtle, photo by Pam Wells

Creature Feature

Wood Turtle

According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, the wood turtle is one of Maine’s rarest turtles and is listed as a species of “Special Concern.” It is found statewide, but wild populations are decreasing. On a positive note, it’s a long-lived species: up to 40 years in the wild. Learn more in our newest Creature Feature.

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Protecting the nature of Maine since 1959, by harnessing the power of science, the law, and the voices of people who value Maine's environment.

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My Maine This Week

sunrise over clouds as seen from Katahdin

Katahdin Dawn by Wendy Weiger

person paddling in yellow kayak with Katahdin in the background

My Maine This Week: Paddling Near Katahdin by Charlotte Agell

a doe standing in a marsh looking at the camera. two small river otters are in the water in the foreground

My Maine This Week: Wildlife in the Marsh by David Silva

Banner photo: The Bubbles, Acadia National Park, by Gerard Monteux