Senator Breen, Representative Pierce, and members of the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. My name is Pete Didisheim, I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and I appreciate the opportunity to testify in support of LD 1733, An Act To Provide Allocations for the Distribution of State Fiscal Recovery Read More
COVID-19
Opposition to LD 39, LD 108, and LD 244, Legislation to Repeal Maine’s Ban on Single-use Plastic Bags
Senator Brenner, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Nichols, and I am the Sustainable Maine Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I appreciate this opportunity to speak to you in strong opposition to LD 39, LD 108, and LD 244. Read More
Bird-feeding Tips for a Purpose
February has beenall about birds, at least for us bird enthusiasts. For one thing, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) took February 12 through February 15. We have fond memories of our years at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, one of our best being the brainstorming we did with National Audubon as we all tried Read More
Development Pressures Driven by Pandemic Underscore Importance of Smart Planning for Maine’s Future
One sure thing about 2020 is this: Maine real estate was red hot. Driven at least in part by the pandemic and its side effects, the Maine Association of Realtors reported that home sales and prices set records in 2020, including in rural and northern Maine. Real estate transactions were up 39.14% in Washington County, Read More
NRCM Joins “Build by the Fourth of July” Campaign Urging Congress to Rebuild America’s Crumbling Infrastructure
The Natural Resources Council of Maine has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), and more than 140 national and local organizations today launched the “Build by the Fourth of July” campaign, urging newly elected and reelected members of Congress to enact a fiscally and environmentally responsible infrastructure package by the Read More
2020 Showed Us that There is No Time to Waste
For much of the past year, if someone asked how I was, I would give the same reflexive response: “Well enough…for 2020.” I heard this addendum frequently: from friends, coworkers, and family; an acknowledgment that the year forced us all to confront hardship, fear, loss, and the unsettling suspicion that the ground had shifted irreversibly Read More
Timeless Lessons from a Native Garden in Uncertain Times
When we purchased our home, the first thing we did was designate a portion of our yard that we would allow to grow wild with native plants. Like most offices, the Natural Resources Council of Maine started working remotely as a result of the pandemic. Because of that, I’ve had the opportunity to pay closer attention to the changes in my native wildflower garden. There are a Read More
News & Noteworthy — September 2020
Read the latest news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this month’s News & Noteworthy. September 30, 2020 This week starts off with more solar news. A new solar array in Southport, on the Maine coast near Boothbay Harbor, went online. The Penobscot Nation and Read More
Revisiting Trails and Revealing New Insights
One reason I love living in Maine is access to public land. I am reminded of the importance of the Natural Resource Council of Maine’s goal of protecting Maine’s environment whenever I spend time outdoors. When my husband and I find ourselves in a different area of the state, we often seek out a new Read More
