Senator Saviello, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Ryan Parker and I am the Environmental Policy Outreach Coordinator for the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I appreciate this opportunity to testify in support of LD 56. Maine’s Bottle Redemption Program, often described as “the Read More
Maine Regulators Approve Rolling Back Solar Credits
by Michael Shepherd Bangor Daily News news article AUGUSTA, Maine — It didn’t go far enough for Gov. Paul LePage, but Maine utility regulators rankled advocates on Tuesday when they rolled back a policy allowing homeowners with solar panels to be credited for excess power sold to the grid. The move was opposed by pro-solar Read More
Narraguagus River—Little Falls
Straddling a half-mile along the Narraguagus River, the 221 acres surrounding Little Falls supports some of the highest densities of juvenile Atlantic salmon found in the river’s lower reaches. The Narraguagus still supports a run of native Atlantic salmon, and is one of eight rivers where the species is federally listed as endangered. With support Read More
It’s Possible to Reduce Carbon Emissions Without Sacrificing Economic Growth
By Tom Tietenberg, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed In 2005, Maine and eight other northeastern and mid-Atlantic states banded together to create the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to reduce carbon emissions. The initiative is a form of carbon pricing. It sets an annual cap on the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions Read More
Philanthropist Seeks to Build $5 Million Outdoor Recreation Facility Near Baxter and National Monument
By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story SOLDIERTOWN TOWNSHIP, Maine — An organization funded by a millionaire philanthropist seeks a permit to build a $5 million outdoor education facility near Baxter State Park and the national monument, with hopes of opening it next fall. If permitted by the state Department of Read More
No Region Should be Denied the Opportunities that Come with a National Monument
By Richard Schmidt III, chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Patten Bangor Daily News op-ed From a front-row seat in Patten, I’ve witnessed the type of economic interest and activity that begins to percolate when a national monument gets designated. My town is one of the gateway communities to one of America’s newest monuments, Read More
My Maine This Week: Ogunquit Winter by Jamie Dorr
This week’s photo, “Winter in Ogunquit,” was sent to us by NRCM Supporter Jamie Dorr of Bath, Maine, using our NRCM Environment app. Upload your beautiful Maine photos today by downloading the app and uploading your pics. To see past My Maine This Week photos, or to submit a photo of your own to be Read More
Newport/Dover-Foxcroft Rail Trail
When rails and ties were pulled up along the old Maine Central Railroad line between Newport and Dover-Foxcroft in 1993, area residents began to claim this rail trail (Four Seasons Adventure Trail) for their own. There are no other public lands in the area and people were eager to have a convenient site for outdoor Read More
Nicatous and West Lakes
By combining conservation easements on working timberland with public land acquisition, the State protected 22,370 acres of contiguous forest with 30 miles of undeveloped shoreline on two lakes and five ponds. The centerpiece of this property is 5,100-acre Nicatous Lake, widely considered to be one of Maine’s most beautiful water bodies with its pristine sand Read More
