In January 2020, Wolfden Resources, a Canadian company in massive debt and with no metal mining experience, submitted a rezoning petition to the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) for a metal mine at Pickett Mountain. Wolfden hopes to mine for zinc, lead, and copper on 528 acres near Mount Chase, not far from Baxter State Read More
Forests and Wildlife
NRCM works to protect Maine’s natural areas and wild, undeveloped character, particularly in the North Woods. We support responsible land development and sustainable forest practices that protect sensitive ecosystems and wildlife. We work for increased public ownership of Maine lands, so future generations will know the Maine we love today.
Protection of Maine’s natural, remote areas was one of the issues for which NRCM was founded in 1959. More than 60 years later, much progress has been made but major threats to Maine’s land and water resources continue.
Read news & blogs about our work to protect Maine's forests and wildlife.
A Conversation with 2021 Allagash Visiting Artist Martha Kotter
Every year, visiting artists are hosted at the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and Baxter State Park. The program presents exciting opportunities to learn more about these special places through the eyes of creative artists. The Natural Resources Council of Maine’s Forests & Wildlife Director Melanie Sturm has been exploring the intersection of art and environmental protection Read More
Senator Collins Supports Bipartisan Effort to Fund Wildlife Conservation, Prevent Extinctions
AUGUSTA, Maine (October 12, 2021) — Senator Susan Collins has joined Senator Angus King in cosponsoring the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, a bipartisan bill that will dedicate nearly $1.4 billion annually to locally-led wildlife conservation. “With both of our senators among the first to champion the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, Mainers can take pride in Read More
Senator King Supports Bipartisan Bill To Protect Maine Wildlife, Help Prevent Extinctions Nationwide
National Wildlife Federation and Natural Resources Council of Maine news release Augusta, ME — Maine conservationists are thanking Senator Angus King for co-sponsoring the most significant wildlife conservation bill in nearly half a century, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife the bipartisan bill would deliver $11.4 million to Maine to help Read More
50 Years of Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission
Many who care about Maine’s environment may not be familiar with the relatively unknown state agency that holds the key to the future of much of Maine’s undeveloped areas, including the North Woods and Unorganized Territories (UT). That agency, which was created 50 years ago this month, was originally known as the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) but is today named the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC). For almost as long as the LUPC has existed, the Read More
Five Years, Five Wildlife Reasons to Visit Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
If you love Maine’s wildlife and haven’t yet been to the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (KWW), we really encourage you to go. The reasons are countless. It’s located in the heart of Maine’s beautiful North Woods, for one, with the majestic peak of Katahdin in view just about everywhere, it seems. For another, Read More
Celebrating 5 Years of Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
Today, Tuesday, August 24, we’re celebrating the fifth anniversary of Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (KWW). And what a half decade it’s been! The success of KWW is an example of the enormous value that our public lands provide to the American people and our communities. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), alongside other advocacy organizations like the National Parks Conservation Association, the Wilderness Society, and more, Read More
Top 10 Climate and Clean Energy Accomplishments from Maine’s 2021 Legislative Session
Maine’s Climate Action Plan is appropriately titled Maine Won’t Wait. With record-breaking temperatures and wildfires in the western U.S., deadly floods in Germany, and a heatwave sweeping across Siberia, it is abundantly clear that the planet can’t wait any longer for the necessary widespread, global, and transformative actions required to address the mounting impacts of Read More
Becoming a Recreational Maine Guide
Being active in the outdoors, and having a prior career in the outdoor industry, I’ve toyed with the idea of going for my Recreational Maine Guide license off and on over the years. With more spare time than usual over this past winter, I figured it was a good excuse to go for it. First Read More