by Melissa Gates, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed New England’s beaches flavor our way of life, bring visitors to our communities, and fuel our coastal economy. From Maine to Connecticut, these treasures attract an endless stream of visitors who contribute over $11 billion to our region’s annual GDP. However, our thriving coast Read More
Federal Issues
Our advocates, members, supporters, and partners work to defend our hard-earned environmental safeguards and to ensure Maine’s elected officials in Washington, DC, stand up for Maine’s environment. Decisions made there have lasting effects on Maine’s clean water, fresh air, healthy forests, thriving wildlife, and on the health of Maine people, our economy, and our way of life.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine identifies and addresses the issues at play in our nation’s capital that have the largest impacts here at home.
Find out the latest on federal issues affecting our state's land, air, water, and wildlife.
Chaplain Grateful for Endangered Species Act
Pray that our congressional delegation recognizes and values the importance of this landmark law. By Macauley Lord, resident of Brunswick, an Episcopal chaplain and a fly-fishing guide Portland Press Herald op-ed BRUNSWICK — When a Republican president signed the Endangered Species Act into law in 1973, he probably could not have dreamed how effective it Read More
EPA Takes a Major Step to Roll Back Clean Car Rules
By Coral Davenport New York Times news story WASHINGTON — The Trump administration took a major step toward dramatically weakening an Obama-era rule designed to cut pollution from vehicle tailpipes, setting the stage for a legal clash with California that could potentially split the nation’s auto market in two. The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday Read More
It’s Not Jobs or Clear Air. We Can Have Both.
Bangor Daily News editorial The Trump administration is working on many fronts to roll back air pollution standards and other environmental regulations. As usual, the administration argues that rigorous regulations are harmful to business and that easing such standards will lead to job creation and a more prosperous economy. What the president and other officials Read More
Activists Call for Removal of U.S. EPA Chief
By Emily Tadlock WABI-TV news story Watch full news video. BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Health experts, elected officials, and conservation leaders were among people at the federal building in Bangor Thursday calling for the removal of the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Maine and 16 other states are suing the Trump administration over an Read More
Natural Resources Council of Maine Asking For Removal of EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt
By Jennifer Mitchell Maine Public news story As parts of Maine woke up to a second day of air quality warnings Thursday, the Natural Resources Council of Maine plan to send a letter to President Trump asking that he remove Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Scott Pruitt. “It’s one of those days where pollution is bombarding Read More
Mainers Call for Removal of Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator
NRCM news release Bangor, Maine – Today, health experts, elected officials, businesspeople, affected citizens, conservation leaders, and others called for the removal of Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The group released a letter signed by more than 1,000 people to President Trump saying that Administrator Pruitt is “unfit to Read More
High Stakes for Maine and Its Residents in Lawsuit over Vehicle Pollution
The health of tens of thousands with respiratory illnesses is at risk as the EPA tries to roll back nationwide fuel-efficiency improvements in the years ahead. Portland Press Herald editorial For some Mainers, Wednesday’s balmy weather offered a sneak peek of the joys of summer. But for tens of thousands of others here – senior Read More
Climate Change Policy: Pretend It Doesn’t Exist
As a deep current that normally cools the Gulf of Maine reaches a record-high temperature, the White House escalates its war on science. Portland Press Herald editorial The Trump administration has removed mentions of climate change from federal government websites, yet the air and water continue to warm and sea levels keep rising. Data on Read More