Testimony in Opposition to LD 1685, An Act to Increase Acreage Eligibility and Change Requirements for Filing Plans Under the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law Senator Grohoski, Representative Perry, and members of the Committee on Taxation, I am Melanie Sturm, the Forests and Wildlife Director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I appreciate the Read More
Protecting Wildlife
Maine is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and, for some species, Maine makes up a vast majority of their range or provides essential habitat that can’t be found elsewhere. NRCM works to protect Maine’s wildlife by advocating for policies that ensure they have healthy habitat and abundant resources to thrive.
LD 958, Expand Protections to Maine’s Loons by Prohibiting Sale and Use of Certain Painted Lead Jigs
Testimony in Support of LD 958, An Act to Expand Protections to Maine’s Loons from Lead Poisoning by Prohibiting the Sale and Use of Certain Painted Lead Jigs Senator LaFountain, Representative Landry, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, I am Melanie Sturm, the Forests and Wildlife Director at the Natural Read More
That’s One Determined Osprey
Ospreys, clever birds that they are, sometimes make mistakes. They misjudge or mistime a plunge for a fish. They may show up in a place they aren’t typically found. And sometimes they make bad choices as to where to build a nest. This happened recently with an Osprey that tried to set up housekeeping on Read More
Critter Chatter — Words of Wisdom
Even though most of us still have some patches of snow in our yards, it won’t be long before it melts and we have more constant warmer temperatures of spring. For wildlife rehabbers, spring brings an increase in phone calls from well-intentioned folks who are worried about young animals that appear to have been abandoned Read More
LD 1246, Include Threatened Species Habitat in NRPA
Testimony in Support of LD 1246, An Act to Include Endangered and Threatened Species Habitat in the Definition of “Significant Wildlife Habitat” Under Natural Resources Protection Act Senator Brenner, Representative Gramlich, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, I am Melanie Sturm, the Forests and Wildlife Director at the Natural Resources Read More
Clarry Hill: Exemplary Birding, Extraordinary Opportunity
Some places are special for all sorts of reasons. Take Clarry Hill in Union. Its high elevation provides spectacular views of the Camden Hills, glimpses of Muscongus Bay, and acres upon acres of lowbush blueberries that are highly valuable to local jobs and Maine’s economy. These lands are also important for countless species of birds. Read More
News & Noteworthy — January – March 2023
Each month, we highlight news stories and opinion pieces related to Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife. We update News & Noteworthy with the latest news related to the nature of Maine, including the work of staff at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. March 2023 We told you some months ago about a proposal Read More
Critter Chatter – Spring Forward!
By the time you read this month’s column, we will have turned the clocks ahead an hour, and despite any late season snowstorms, we know that spring is right around the corner. In looking through some of Carleen Cote’s old articles (dating from the 1990s), I thought I’d share one that is still applicable all Read More
Willow Oil Project Approval Ignores Urgency of Climate Change
On Monday March 13, 2023, the Biden Administration approved the Conoco-Phillips Willow project, a massive oil drilling proposal that would become the largest on federal lands in the United States. In response, the Natural Resources Council of Maine released the following statement from Federal Project Advocate Anya Fetcher: “The Biden Administration’s approval of the Conoco-Phillips Read More
