Wild and Scenic Protections Threatened The people of Maine realized they needed a State policy to save their own wilderness areas. They petitioned their elected representatives to protect the last great wild river in the eastern United States, and the Maine legislature responded by creating the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, so that the people could own Read More
Maine Legislature Passes Law that Sets Energy Efficient Building Standards for New Homes
News release Today, by a vote of 20-15, the Maine Senate approved legislation (already passed by the House 78-58) to establish building standards to reduce fuel consumption in new homes. Maine joins 40 other states with statewide energy efficiency standards for new homes. Maine’s new law has several elements that make it better than just Read More
Support of LD 2283, An Act to Implement Recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Wind Power Development
by Pete Didisheim, NRCM Senior Director of Advocacy Senator Bartlett, Representative Bliss, and members of the Utilities Committee, my name is Pete Didisheim. I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, I served as a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Wind Power Development, and I am here to testify Read More
Plum Creek Offers Up No Changes In Post-Hearing Brief
No Changes Despite Overwhelming Public Criticism of Moosehead Plan AUGUSTA, March 18, 2008 —Maine’s two leading environmental organizations said today that Plum Creek, the nation’s largest commercial landowner, has submitted a post-hearing brief that dismissed long lists of concerns raised during hundreds of hours of public testimony by Maine residents and technical experts about Plum Read More
10,000 Square Miles of Maine Included in USFWS Lynx Protection Proposal
Includes Moosehead Lake Forests Where Plum Creek Proposes Massive Development Today, the Federal Register published a proposed rule by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that would protect Canada lynx and their habitat including more than 10,000 square miles of the Maine woods in a “critical habitat” zone, which would require separate review and stricter Read More
LURC Takes One Step Forward for Clean Energy, Not Two
NRCM news release Today, Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission made two important decisions on the future of wind power in Maine. “The Commission could have taken two steps forward on clean energy for Maine; instead they took one,” said NRCM Clean Energy Director Dylan Voorhees. The Land Use Regulation Commission voted 4-2 to recommend rejecting Read More
Revitalized River Flows to Healthy Future
by Larry Grard, staff writer Kennebec Journal news story There was a time within many people’s lifetimes when almost no one would have fished the confluence of the Kennebec and Sebasticook rivers in Winslow. Tanneries, factories and mills dumped municipal sewage into the Kennebec and its tributaries, fouling the waters as they flowed through Augusta Read More
Experts Predict Widespread Impacts from Plum Creek Plan
Wildlife, Water Quality, and Character of Moosehead Lake at Risk AUGUSTA, November 8, 2007—Today, Maine’s two leading environmental organizations described the potential harm to the Moosehead Lake region that could occur as a result of Plum Creek’s proposed development plans for the area. The adverse impacts were identified by a 12-member team of environmental, wildlife, Read More
New Voices Come Out in Opposition to Proposed Coal Plant
14 million pounds of coal a day would make Wiscasset the “grittiest village” in Maine Natural Resources Council of Maine * Back River Alliance Today, on the shores of the Sheepscot River in Wiscasset, the Back River Alliance hosted a news conference to highlight the growing opposition to a proposed coal-fired power plant and diesel Read More
