Two years ago, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW) started a visiting artist program, and every year the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s Forest & Wildlife Director Melanie Sturm has interviewed the artist to explore the intersection of art and Maine’s environment. Below is Melanie’s interview with Jordan Parks, the 2022 AWW Artist in Residence and Read More
North Woods
My Maine This Week: Callie Wronker
Earlier this fall, NRCM member Callie Wronker of Jefferson and Portland, Maine, spent four nights at Spencer Pond Camps east of Moosehead Lake. This is the view she had for those four days – of Spencer Mountain across Spencer Pond. She said this was taken near the cabins at Spencer Pond Camps. Do you want Read More
Wolfden Withdraws Mining Application after Strong Rebuke from LUPC
In January 2020, Wolfden Resources, a Canadian company in massive debt and with no metal mining experience, submitted a rezoning petition to the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) for a metal mine at Pickett Mountain. Wolfden hopes to mine for zinc, lead, and copper on 528 acres near Mount Chase, not far from Baxter State Read More
A Conversation with 2021 Allagash Visiting Artist Martha Kotter
Every year, visiting artists are hosted at the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and Baxter State Park. The program presents exciting opportunities to learn more about these special places through the eyes of creative artists. The Natural Resources Council of Maine’s Forests & Wildlife Director Melanie Sturm has been exploring the intersection of art and environmental protection Read More
50 Years of Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission
Many who care about Maine’s environment may not be familiar with the relatively unknown state agency that holds the key to the future of much of Maine’s undeveloped areas, including the North Woods and Unorganized Territories (UT). That agency, which was created 50 years ago this month, was originally known as the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) but is today named the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC). For almost as long as the LUPC has existed, the Read More
My Maine This Week: William Aubrey
NRCM member William Aubrey of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, shares this stunning photo of Cowan Point on Moosehead Lake as this My Maine This Week feature. William owns an island in Moosehead Lake and has for the past 70 years. “I spend what time I can at the island, a magical spot,” he writes. This photo shows Read More
Five Years, Five Wildlife Reasons to Visit Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
If you love Maine’s wildlife and haven’t yet been to the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (KWW), we really encourage you to go. The reasons are countless. It’s located in the heart of Maine’s beautiful North Woods, for one, with the majestic peak of Katahdin in view just about everywhere, it seems. For another, Read More
Celebrating 5 Years of Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
Today, Tuesday, August 24, we’re celebrating the fifth anniversary of Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (KWW). And what a half decade it’s been! The success of KWW is an example of the enormous value that our public lands provide to the American people and our communities. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), alongside other advocacy organizations like the National Parks Conservation Association, the Wilderness Society, and more, Read More
My Maine This Week: Gulf Hagas by Wendy Weiger
NRCM member Wendy Weiger of Greenville Junction, Maine, shares some of her beautiful photos and descriptions of Gulf Hagas for this week’s My Maine This Week feature. Thank you, Wendy! Gulf Hagas is a deep slate gorge where the West Branch of the Pleasant River dances down a series of rocky cascades. The hiking path Read More