By George Smith Bangor Daily News column It is time for the Governor to realize he isn’t going to get his wish of diverting funding away from Maine’s public lands, and do the right thing: release those Land for Maine’s Future Bonds. Maine people strongly agree on this, and an opinion issued yesterday by Janet Read More
Maine Environmental News
Maine environmental news often comes quickly and with little warning. Stay up to date on Maine environment news.
From issues such as climate change, healthy waters, Maine forests and wildlife, and sustainability—and environmental policy that could impact them—you’ll find NRCM’s up-to-the-minute news releases to see our perspective on the most pressing issues facing Maine’s land, air, waters, and wildlife. This includes findings relating to our role as Maine’s watchdog of activities of state environmental agencies—we stand ready to blow the whistle when regulations are not enforced.
You can also find our news “round up,” News & Noteworthy, which puts the spotlight on media stories that do a particularly good job capturing current news about Maine's environment. We hope you find this part of our website helpful and informative!
As Gulf of Maine Warms, Puffins Recast as Canaries in a Coal Mine
by Colin Woodard, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story The puffins are having a better year. On a late June day, the adults are landing on the rocky shore of this 7-acre bird sanctuary in flights of three or four, their bright red and yellow beaks stuffed with sand lance, tiny haddock and white Read More
Maine’s Public Forests Need More Data and Lighter Hand
Increasing the amount of lumber removed and directing revenues to new purposes would set a destructive precedent. By Roger Merchant Maine Sunday Telegram op-ed ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roger Merchant of Glenburn is a licensed Maine forester. GLENBURN — Gov. LePage and Maine Forest Service Director Doug Denico insist that more timber needs to be extracted Read More
Winslow Passes Rules to Pave the Way for Massive Solar Project
Ranger Solar of Yarmouth has proposed building a $25 million commercial solar station on about 100 acres. By Peter McGuire, Central Maine Central Maine newspapers news story WINSLOW — Town councilors unanimously approved regulations on utility-scale solar-electric projects, paving the way for possible construction of a huge commercial solar array in town. In short order Read More
Allagash Wilderness Waterway Declared ‘Complete’ After Land Acquisition
By Irwin Gratz MPBN news story The Allagash Wilderness Waterway is now being called “complete.” The Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation says most of the land along the Allagash was acquired by Maine in 1966. Now, nearly 50 years later, the foundation says a 40-acre site, also called the Lock Dam Lot, was privately purchased last Read More
State Now Owns All of Allagash Wilderness Waterway
By Julia Bayly, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story BATH, Maine — Close to a half-century after its creation, the entire 92 miles of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway is now in the hands of the state. On Monday, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation, based in Bath, announced the 40-acre Lock Dam section connecting Chamberlain Read More
Plastic Bag Bans and Fees Catching on in Maine
Portland’s ordinance went into effect on April 15, and other communities are poised to follow. By Mary Pols, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story In the six months since Portland passed an ordinance calling for most food retailers to charge a nickel for each single-use plastic or paper bag, reusable bags have gotten extremely Read More
NRCM to Present Awards to Portland, Phippsburg, Liberty, Bethel Conservation Leaders
NRCM News Release Augusta, ME – Maine’s leading nonprofit membership organization working to protect Maine’s land, air, water, and wildlife, has named its 2015 Conservation Leadership Award winners. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) presents the awards each year to individuals or groups that have made an extraordinary contribution to the protection of Maine’s Read More
Maine’s North Woods Have Precisely What Most of the World is Missing
By Alexandra Conover Bennett, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Several decades ago, as a young Registered Maine Guide, one of the first canoe trips I led was along the rolling waters of the East Branch of the Penobscot River just east of Baxter State Park. Nowadays, the river and surrounding land is Read More