Senator Cyrway, Representative Duchesne, and members of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) Committee: My name is Nick Bennett, and I am the Staff Scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). NRCM is Maine’s largest environmental advocacy group with more than 20,000 members and supporters. I am testifying in opposition to LD 1667, Read More
Protecting Maine's Wildlife
Maine is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and, for some species, Maine makes up a vast majority of their range or provides essential habitat that can’t be found elsewhere. NRCM works to protect Maine’s wildlife by advocating for policies that ensure they have healthy habitat and abundant resources to thrive.
We Can’t Bring Extinct Species Back. It’s Our Duty to Protect Them Now.
By Jeff Wells, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Since the age of 5, my son has been able to identify a bald eagle when one perches or flies near our house in Maine. Forty years ago, this would not have been the case, as Maine’s population had declined to only 30 nesting Read More
Maine’s Puffin Colonies Produce Record Number of Chicks — and They’re Chubby Too
The bonanza of chicks is good news for the vulnerable seabirds. by Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press Portland Press Herald news story Puffins face existential challenges, but the little birds found a new role in Maine this summer: baby boomers. The 2017 nesting season was the most productive on record for a group of vulnerable Read More
New Law Bans Lead Fishing Tackle to Protect Loons
By The Associated Press Bangor Daily News news story A new Maine law bans lead fishing tackle in hopes of protecting loons. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says keeping lead fishing weights out of Maine waters will better the birds’ survival and spur population growth across the Northeast. Ingesting lead fishing tackle is Read More
Researchers Find Summer Heat’s Lasting Longer in the Gulf of Maine
The warmer conditions endure two months longer than in the early 1980s, posing threats to the food chain and raising risks from more powerful hurricanes. by Colin Woodard, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story New scientific research has revealed that summer temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, the second fastest warming part of the Read More
Don’t Muddy Clean Water Act Protections
Guest Column by Lee Margolin Keep Maine Current op-ed Beer, fish and lamprey. These are a few of my favorite things and they all depend on clean water. Luckily I am able to enjoy all three living in Harrison on the Crooked River, a class AA stream and the main tributary for Sebago Lake. As Read More
Maine’s River Herring Making Dramatic Comeback, a Godsend for the Food Chain
With the path to inland spawning grounds clear, the species rebounds with unexpected speed, benefiting everything from bald eagles to Atlantic cod. By Colin Woodard, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story BATH — Motorists crossing the bridge over the Kennebec this spring and early summer were afforded dramatic views of one of Maine’s mightiest Read More
With Lobsters and Climate, There’s Not a Debate
Fishery experts don’t waste time with politics when their livelihood is threatened by rising temperatures. Portland Press Herald editorial During a week in which much of the world was wondering whether the president of the United States considers climate change a threat, in a Portland hotel conference room full of people who spend their lives Read More
State Considers Taking Over Dam on Popular Fishing Lake
by Fred Bever Maine Public news story Gov. Paul LePage wants the state to take over a small dam in northern Maine that straddles the border with Canada on the St. Croix River. It’s one option to prevent its total abandonment by the paper company that now owns it. But the proposal is meeting skepticism Read More
