June 26, 2020
Maine Magazine recently wrote about “The Conservation Legacy of Angus King,” from the mid-1970s to today. Did you know that he once lobbied on behalf of the Natural Resources Council of Maine on Maine’s Bottle Bill?
Earlier this week, NRCM and others filed suit over the CMP corridor’s crossing of public lands without the two-thirds vote from the Legislature that is required for public land use such as this.
The Penobscot Nation’s mission to preserve the Penobscot River is facing threats from climate change. Learn more in this piece in the Maine Beacon.
Some good news for the Penobscot River is that fish, including shad, are returning in large numbers. The number of shad that have returned are breaking records.
The Bangor Daily News wrote an editorial about the need for clean energy and environmental justice as the US moves ahead to rebuild our economy post-pandemic.
National Public Radio wrote about the amazing transformation of the ecosystem of the Sebasticook River in Central Maine after dam removal on that river and 20 years after the removal of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River.
June 18, 2020
Last week, NRCM filed an appeal of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s approval of the proposed CMP transmission line.
Along with the irreparable harm to Maine’s North Woods, wildlife habitat, and our outdoor recreation economy in the area, Maine Senator Scott Cyrway shares additional concerns about the potential wildfire dangers of the proposed CMP corridor in this Bangor Daily News op-ed.
All across Maine, there is momentum for the creation of “smart” electricity microgrids to support the transition to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. Our own climate attorney, Sue Ely, is quoted in this article by Mainebiz.
Shout out to Governor Mills and Public Utilities Chairman Phil Bartlett for opposing a petition by a shady dark money group to harm Maine’s burgeoning solar industry.
It was unfortunate – but not surprising since we opposed their permit – to see Fiberight closing shop, forcing towns across Maine to send all their waste to the landfill instead of being recycling.
Several environmental groups are suing President Trump over an order he signed during a recent visit to Maine. They argue that he can’t make changes to a marine national monument to allow fishing there.
We want to share this Huffington Post essay by Mary Annaise Heglar, a climate activist who wrote powerful piece entitled, “We Don’t Have to Halt Climate Action to Fight Racism.” NRCM’s CEO Lisa Pohlmann was quoted in this Portland Press Herald story about organizations across Maine taking a stand against racism.
Here is some up-“Lyft”ing news to end this edition of NRCM’s News & Noteworthy: the public ride share company Lyft has announced that they will transition to 100% electric vehicles for its fleet by 2030.
June 2, 2020
Here are some of the important news stories related to Maine’s environment of the past week:
We are going to start this week’s News & Noteworthy with some great news. More than one million alewives have climbed the Damariscotta Fish Ladder. Watch this WMTW news video about this restoration project.
Bangor Daily News writer John Holyoke recently shared “How you can catch 20 American shad in just a few hours,” thanks in part to fisheries restoration brought about by dam removals, such as the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec more than 20 years ago.
Marina Schauffler writes about the federal clean air protections that are so important, but that we are losing, in her op-ed in Pine Tree Watch.
Auburn is expanding its solar ordinance to include large-scale solar arrays in the city’s agricultural zone.
While Audurn is expanding its solar ordinance, the New England Ratepayers Association has introduced a petition that could harm solar incentives in New England. Read the full story from the Maine Monitor.
Maine, along with 23 other states, recently sued the Trump Administration to stop the clean car standards rollback.
