Assessing the Trump Administration’s First 100 Days

It’s not right to pull funding out from under the feet of hard-working farmers and foresters.

It’s not right to endanger public safety and undermine the success of our fishing families by cutting staff and research at NOAA.

It’s not right to fire hundreds of scientists who are using the best research available to assess the impacts of climate change on our economy and communities.

It’s not right to give fossil fuel power plants in the southern and western U.S. a free pass to pollute our air here in Maine just so they can make more for their investors.

It’s not right to attack people’s basic right to live their life how they see fit and undermine programs put in place to promote equity, justice, and inclusion.

None of it is right.

And that’s why the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) is standing up with so many of you to push back.

Here are some of the ways we’ve been partnering with people across all 16 counties to take on these attacks on our fundamental rights, including our right to clean air and water.

Highlighting Harm to Maine People and Businesses

In collaboration with nonprofit partners, we organized a powerful roundtable discussion in Brewer. Federal workers who were fired without advance notice or justification. Local business groups concerned about how decisions in D.C. impact local economies. These people and others shared their stories of how the Trump Administration’s unlawful actions and funding cuts are disrupting the lives of far too many Mainers.

The Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce highlighted the economic impact of inadequate national park staffing, and the Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association spoke about how sweeping cuts could be devastating to fishing and seafood businesses. A wildlife biologist, mental health specialist, and veteran who had all been unfairly fired spoke about the losses that will happen without the important roles their positions offered.

Hearing their stories inspired our determination to stop the attacks coming from our nation’s capital by listening to and amplifying the voices of those affected here in Maine.

We also organized a letter signed by 39 local organizations and businesses including Luke’s Lobster, local nonprofit organizations, alewife harvesters, organized labor, and the Maine Medical Association that was sent to Maine’s Congressional delegation urging them to protect Maine from indiscriminate funding cuts and firings.

Protecting Cost-Saving Clean Energy Investments

We are fighting to protect the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which Congress passed to support cost-saving projects for local farmers, towns, businesses, and homeowners. By investing in rooftop solar, heat pumps, and other clean energy projects, the IRA is helping reduce our reliance on expensive oil and gas and helping Maine become more energy independent. Freezing and rescinding grant funding that saves hard-working business owners and working families money does nothing to reduce the nearly $5 billion that Mainer’s spend annually on dirty, out-of-state fossil fuels.

We’re opposing attempts to slow down research and investments in homegrown clean energy, especially offshore wind, that will diversify our energy supply. Terminating University of Maine research projects on offshore wind jeopardizes a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Maine to become an international leader in offshore wind – an industry that holds the promise of providing thousands of high-value jobs for decades to come.

Opposing Drastic EPA Rollbacks

We are taking a strong stand against a drastic list of rollbacks to critical clean air and water protections announced recently by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zelden. It is deeply alarming that the EPA is now advocating to weaken rules that were put in place to stop toxic air pollution from power plants in the West and South from being carried by the jet stream to upwind states, including Maine, where it harms fish and people, especially those with respiratory diseases.

Speaking Out Against Attempts to Remove Endangered Species Protections

The Trump Administration also is working to weaken the Endangered Species Act, which is one of our nation’s bedrock environmental laws that has led to the successful recovery of many endangered species, including the Bald Eagle. We’re working with our national partners to speak out against a proposal to change the longstanding definition of “harm” to a species. This change in a critical ESA legal definition would severely weaken the ability of this law to protect endangered and threatened species by allowing “incidental take” to include preventable deaths of birds, wildlife, and other creatures of conservation concern.

Unifying the Nonprofit Community

To help ensure coordination and information sharing among organizations with similar concerns, NRCM has convened more than 30 local nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to helping Maine people. Doing so will allow us to better understand the impact of the Trump Administration’s decisions and how we can work together to press our Congressional delegation to oppose them.

As part of our response, we’ll also be reaffirming our commitment to diversity and inclusion because the environmental movement must play a role in advancing equity and justice throughout our society.

We know it’s hard to read the news these days. It’s hard to see our neighbors hurting. To watch local businesses and farmers struggle to stay afloat.  That’s why NRCM is here. We’re here to help you navigate this challenging time with the tools and actions to make a difference. Our hard-working experts aren’t giving up, and we know that as someone who cares about Maine, you won’t give up either. Coming together as a community who loves Maine’s environment can give us power and hope.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Sign up to receive updates and action alerts via email
• Support our work by becoming a member
• Attend an online or in-person event
• Get inspired by stories of Mainers taking action on our YouTube channel or podcast
• Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook

—Anya Fetcher, NRCM Federal Policy Advocate