NRCM News Release (Washington, DC) – Maine Senator Susan Collins joined 45 other Senators, including Senator Angus King, in co-sponsoring the International Climate Accountability Act, which would prevent the federal government from using any taxpayer resources to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. The Senate bill follows the passage of the House Read More
Federal Issues
Our advocates, members, supporters, and partners work to defend our hard-earned environmental safeguards and to ensure Maine’s elected officials in Washington, DC, stand up for Maine’s environment. Decisions made there have lasting effects on Maine’s clean water, fresh air, healthy forests, thriving wildlife, and on the health of Maine people, our economy, and our way of life.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine identifies and addresses the issues at play in our nation’s capital that have the largest impacts here at home.
Find out the latest on federal issues affecting our state's land, air, water, and wildlife.
U.S. EPA Chooses Dirty Air Over Human Health
NRCM news release June 19, 2019 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today took the final step of replacing the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) with an alternative that will increase levels of harmful air pollution nationwide, endangering human health and increasing premature deaths. Most at risk from this rollback will be children, Read More
Bill Would Guarantee Funding for Land and Water Conservation Fund
NRCM news release June 13, 2019 – Land and water conservation projects nationwide would receive a big boost from a bipartisan bill introduced this week to guarantee full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), one of the nation’s most important conservation programs. The bill, HR 3195, introduced in the U.S. House of Read More
Maine House Passes Ban on Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
NRCM news release June 3, 2019 (Augusta, ME) — The Maine House of Representatives today passed a bill (LD 955) to ban offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration in Maine’s ocean waters. In January 2018, the U.S. Department of Interior proposed to vastly expand offshore drilling and exploration, including off the coast of Maine, Read More
U.S. House Passes “Climate Action Now” Act
NRCM thanks Reps. Pingree and Golden for sponsoring H.R. 9 NRCM news release May 2, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – The U.S. House of Representatives today voted 230-190 to pass, H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which would ensure that America honors its commitments made under the 2015 international Paris Climate Agreement. Both of Maine’s Read More
Orono and Foundation Brewing Release “Earth Day” IPAs to Benefit Clean Water in Maine
Release party at Thirsty Pig on Saturday, April 20 from 11AM-7PM News release April 17, 2019 (Portland, ME) — Two of Maine’s top craft brewers, Foundation Brewing and Orono Brewing, are collaborating on a special release of Earth Day-centered IPAs to benefit clean water efforts in Maine. The beers will be released during an event Read More
Maine Lawmakers Urge EPA to Drop Rollback of Mercury Pollution Protections
NRCM news release April 16, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – With final action today, the Maine Legislature has unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the President to direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to drop its planned rollbacks of mercury pollution protections. EPA has proposed scaling back the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), Read More
NRCM Testimony in Support of LD 955, An Act to Prohibit Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Drilling and Exploration
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. My name is Kristin Jackson. I am an outreach coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 955, which would prohibit offshore oil and natural gas drilling and Read More
More Than a Dozen Craft Breweries Vow to Help Protect Maine’s Water Supply
by Hannah LaClaire, Times Record Staff Times Record news story FREEPORT — Maine Beer Company has a sign in its new tasting room promising to “Do what’s right,” by its employees, customers and the environment. Wednesday, the brewery took this promise one step further by joining 12 other Maine breweries and the Natural Resources Council Read More
