If today’s drivers contributed as much as their grandparents, there would be no problem. Portland Press Herald editorial Maine has a free-rider problem when it comes to infrastructure, but it’s not the one they are talking about in Augusta. Gov. LePage and his allies in the Legislature want to charge an annual fee to the Read More
Fact Checking LePage’s Statements on Land Trusts
by Susan Sharon Maine Public news story Governor LePage used a portion of his 90-minute State of the State address Tuesday to attack one of his favorite targets: land trusts. The governor blames them for taking too much land from the tax rolls in Maine and shifting the burden to property owners. But there’s a Read More
Plan to Allow Alewives, Eels in Sheepscot Pond Might be Delayed Again
State lawmakers said they want to see management information before the fishway at the Palermo lake is opened. by Jessica Lowell, staff writer Central Maine newspapers news story AUGUSTA — People who live around Sheepscot Pond lined up last week to tell state lawmakers that the lake should not be opened up to migrating alewives Read More
Maine Environmental Groups, Poliquin Express Concerns over Trump Budget
By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story Maine environmental groups and the state’s Congressional representatives said Monday they have serious concerns about a proposal from President Trump to cut the Environmental Protection Agency budget for next year by 34 percent. Lisa Pohlmann, executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said Read More
Opposition to LD 1806, An Act to Ensure Equity in the Funding of Maine’s Transportation Infrastructure by Imposing an Annual Fee on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
Senator Collins, Representative McLean, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation, My name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM.) Thank you for allowing us to present this testimony. NRCM strongly opposes this legislation. The bill would impose an arbitrary and punitive Read More
My Maine This Week: Jamie Dorr
“Taken recently at Back Cove in Portland. It was too slippery to walk or run but not to take this beautiful photo!” Photo by NRCM member Jamie Dorr of Bath, Maine Do you have beautiful Maine winter photos of your own to share? Please consider sending them to us for our My Maine This Week Read More
Climate Change Could Mean Less Maple Syrup For Your Pancakes
By Jodi Helmer National Public Radio news story Maple syrup might be ubiquitous in pantries and pancake houses now, but new research suggests that might not always be the case. Climate change could eventually render the sticky stuff extinct. A study published last month in the journal Ecology examined assessed how environmental conditions impacted the Read More
Should Hybrid Owners Pay More for Highways?
The proposed tax would be $150 a year on hybrids and $250 on electrics. by Don Carrigan NewscenterMaine news story AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Legislators may be hearing some tough talk from their energy-conscious constituents. The LePage administration is proposing a special tax on hybrid and electric vehicles, to raise more money for repairing Read More
State Plans to Sell or Swap Maine Public Lands Near Allagash
Updated: Next Meeting at 1 PM on Thursday, Februrary 20 at the Cross Building, Room 214, in Augusta by Christine Parrish The Free Press news story As part of a long-term effort to consolidate state land holdings, the state proposes to buy, sell, or swap several parcels of Maine Public Land, including approximately 6,000 acres Read More