Tar sands rally on Maine State Pier, January 26, 2013 Tar sands oil is the dirtiest and most climate-destructive form of oil in the world. Extracted from huge open-pit mines in Alberta, Canada, tar sands oil is 20% more carbon intensive than conventional crude oil. When it spills, it is almost impossible to clean up. Read More
Clean Water
Clean, healthy waterways are vital to our day-to-day lives. They help ensure safe drinking water, suitable habitat for fish and other wildlife, and recreational opportunities that make Maine a special place to live, work, and visit. NRCM is working hard to protect and restore Maine’s lakes, rivers, and streams, now and for generations to come.
A Kennebec for the Generations
Fifteen years ago, the efforts of the passionate souls at the Natural Resources Council of Maine resulted in the removal of the Edwards Dam in Augusta. I didn’t work here then but I’m quite certain that, just as it is today, the culture here was one of steadfast resolve to protect the nature of Maine. Read More
Kennebec River Rebounds After Edwards Dam Removal
by Danielle Waugh WCSH-6 TV news story AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — It’s been 15 years since the removal of the Edwards Dam, and the water and wildlife of the Kennebec River has changed dramatically. On July 1, 1999, the 900-foot dam breached, restoring a free-flowing Kennebec River for the first time in 160 years. Read More
Clean Water Act Protections Vital to Maine Environment, Economy, People
Mainers who care about water quality should contact the EPA during a public comment period. By Nick Bennett Portland Press Herald op-ed AUGUSTA — Do you hunt or fish in Maine? Do you swim in Maine’s lakes or rivers? Do you drink Maine’s water? Do you own or work for a company that uses water? If Read More
Testimony to the South Portland City Council Regarding the South Portland Clear Skies Ordinance
I am here today representing the members and supporters of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, especially those who reside in South Portland. NRCM was founded by Maine people exactly 55 years ago today, and is the state’s leading environmental advocacy group, representing more than 16,000 members and supporters. I would like to commend the Read More
How Unlikely Partners Came Together on a Maine River
Decades of dam building had decimated migratory fish populations that had long sustained local wildlife and people on the Penobscot River. After years of contentious battles, local stakeholders struck a deal. Today, for the first time in 200 years, river life is rebounding. And the power company has not lost any hydropower generation. By Laura Read More
Concern for Maine’s Lakes: An Afternoon on Belgrade’s Great Pond
As Susan MacKenzie wrote about in her recent post, on June 10, a group of NRCM Board members and staff joined Professor Whitney King of Colby College to learn about the waters of Great Pond in Belgrade. Whitney gave quite an eye-opening presentation as he shared some of the startling research data currently being collected Read More
Maine’s LakeSmart Program: Good for You, Good for Maine’s Lakes
On June 10 several NRCM Board and staff members spent a delightful couple of hours with Dr. Whitney King, the Dr. Frank and Theodora Miselis Professor of Chemistry at Colby College and a member of the Maine Lake Resource Center Board of Directors. Following a brief introduction to the ecological and social history of the Read More
Creature Feature: Brook Trout
Mainers are lucky. Very lucky. Almost all of us live within a bike ride of streams or ponds where brook trout live.
