For more than a century, trains passed through meadows, wetlands, and dense woods en route between Jay and West Farmington. After train service was discontinued, the rail company that owned this 15-mile corridor generously agreed to sell it for less than its appraised value — enabling the State and local communities to protect this valuable Read More
Opposition to 2018-19 Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Biennial Budget
Good afternoon Senator Hamper, Representative Gattine, and Members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, and Senator Davis, Representative Dunphy, and Members of the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee. My name is Eliza Donoghue. I am here today on behalf of the 19,000 members and supporters of the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) to Read More
Jordan Farm
The William Jordan family has been operating their farm in Cape Elizabeth for more than half a century, with much of their extended family still involved in agricultural operations. The Jordans sell vegetables wholesale and through a farm stand, and run a popular pick-your-own strawberry operation. The farm’s success is due to the family’s hard Read More
If America’s Public Lands Were a Business, the GOP Would be Bungling the Balance Sheet
by Yvon Chouinard Bangor Daily News reprint of LA Times op-ed American politicians have always been obsessed with running government “like a business.” They promise to make bureaucracies leaner and let the free market fix all our problems. Well, if America’s public lands were a business, shareholders would be shocked by the gross negligence of Read More
Maine Deserves a Chance to Capitalize on the North Woods Monument
By Zack Klyver, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Gov. Paul LePage’s latest political attack on the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is a colossal blunder. On Feb. 14, he sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to rescind the executive order that created the national monument. For a governor Read More
Trump’s Proposed NOAA Cuts Imperil Wells Reserve in Maine
The president wants to end the funding that covers 70% of the operating costs for the wildlife sites used by the public, researchers and educators. By Colin Woodard, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Wells Reserve at Laudholm could become a casualty of a Trump administration plan to slash the budget of the Read More
Jugtown Plains
With the rapid spread of development in southern Maine, it is increasingly hard for woodland owners to keep their lands in production. The Jugtown Plains property, located on prime, sandy soils within 25 miles of Maine’s two largest urban centers, was particularly vulnerable. It straddles three of the fastest-growing towns in Maine, which experienced population Read More
Your Takeout Order Could be Harming the Environment. Bangor is Considering a Way to Fix It
By Danielle McLean, Staff Writer Bangor Daily News news story In an effort to reduce the volume of plastic littering, Bangor city councilors are mulling a proposed law banning local merchants from selling food and drinks in Styrofoam cups or containers. If passed, Bangor would join Portland, South Portland and Brunswick in banning polystyrene, the Read More
Support of LD 469, An Act to Establish a Generally Applicable Regulatory Standard to Address Impacts of Sea Level Change and Increased Storm Surges
My name is Dylan Voorhees and I am the Climate & Clean Energy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Thank you for allowing us to present this testimony. We appreciate the effort of the sponsor to bring forward this important bill, and thank the members of this committee, including the co-chairs, who co-sponsored Read More
