By Christopher Cousins, BDN staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — A plan within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to markedly increase timber harvesting limits on publicly owned lands has caused concern among environmentalists who say the increase is unsustainable. Department spokesman John Bott confirmed Monday that the department has internally Read More
North Woods Protection & LUPC
The 10.4-million-acre Maine North Woods, which makes up nearly half of the entire state, is the largest remaining undeveloped forest in the eastern United States. The region is at risk of being lost forever, as rapid changes in ownership have brought unprecedented pressures – from development to heavy logging.
Maine’s Public Forests at Risk from Increased Logging
Administration Plan Developed in Private NRCM news release Read full report. Reference documents for report. According to a new investigative report issued today by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the LePage Administration over the past two years privately developed a plan to dramatically increase logging on Maine’s public lands without disclosing the plan to Read More
Baxter State Park Authority Accepts 43-acre Katahdin Lake Easement
by John Holyoke, BDN staff Bangor Daily News news story The Baxter State Park Authority on Monday voted to accept a conservation easement on an historic 43-acre lot that includes 500 feet of shore frontage on Katahdin Lake. The easement was granted by the James Sewall family, which offered an unconditional gift of various conservation Read More
Lack of Deer Yards are Cause of Low Deer Numbers
by Ron Joseph Bangor Daily News op-ed If bones from dead deer could talk, they would reveal compelling stories. In late March 1989, snowmobilers reported several dead and frozen deer in a Canada Falls deer yard near historic Pittston Farm, 50 miles northwest of Greenville. As the state’s regional wildlife biologist at the time, I Read More
Huge Northern Maine Dam Proposal Fell 30 Years Ago
by Glenn Adams, The Associated Press Maine Sunday Telegram news story AUGUSTA — Three decades ago this year, construction on New England’s largest public works project was to have begun, but instead a shovel was never put in the Earth, and the massive project was eventually abandoned. The massive hydroelectric project along northern Maine’s St. Read More
Reject Flawed LURC Reform Bill
by Laura Sewall Times Record op-ed As was the case during last year’s legislative session, there are a number of bills before state lawmakers that, if passed, would surely compromise the quality of Maine’s environment. They are often cast as critical to support Maine’s economy, but that falsely pits jobs against the environment. In a Read More
Maine LURC Reform Proposal Wins Key Committee Endorsement
MPBN news story A controversial proposal to revamp the Land Use Regulation Commission has been unanimously approved by a legislative committee, virtually guaranteeing its passage by the full Legislature. Debate over the future of the agency responsible for zoning and planning in Maine’s vast unorganized territories has raged for more than a year. But one Read More
LURC Reform: It’s All About the Money
by Sandra Neily Bangor Daily News op-ed Decentralize and localize LURC with more county representation? Allow a county to opt out of LURC oversight? Remove centralized management of a forest asset that drops billions of dollars a year into the Maine economy? Imagine North Woods resources as an affiliated, sprawling string of factories. (Maine people Read More
Winter Camping in Maine’s Wilderness: A Reminder to Take Action
“Crunch, crunch, crunch.” The sound of my snowshoes mark our progress slowly down the flowage in northern Maine. Our group of five NRCM members, including our treasurer, Chris Bond (pictured, on the right), is embarking on our annual winter camping trip along this quiet waterway. Traditional camping with toboggans, snowshoes, canvas tents, and portable wood stoves Read More
