By Christopher Cousins, staff writer Bangor Daily News story AUGUSTA, Maine — The Legislature on Tuesday overturned a veto by Gov. Paul LePage of a bill that aims to protect delicate fish spawning habitats from motorized mining operations. After a unanimous vote in the Senate on Tuesday morning, the House voted 119-23 Tuesday evening to Read More
Forests and Wildlife
NRCM works to protect Maine’s natural areas and wild, undeveloped character, particularly in the North Woods. We support responsible land development and sustainable forest practices that protect sensitive ecosystems and wildlife. We work for increased public ownership of Maine lands, so future generations will know the Maine we love today.
Protection of Maine’s natural, remote areas was one of the issues for which NRCM was founded in 1959. More than 60 years later, much progress has been made but major threats to Maine’s land and water resources continue.
Read news & blogs about our work to protect Maine's forests and wildlife.
Environmentalists, Energy Firms Spar Over LePage’s Bill to Increase Timber Harvest
By Mario Moretto, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — Environmentalists and energy companies are lining up on opposite sides of a bill by Gov. Paul LePage to increase the state’s timber harvest and use the new revenue to pay for residential energy efficiency programs. The plan would slowly increase the public Read More
LePage Energy Czar: Timber Funds Needed Now
Foes say increasing the harvest to help Mainers heat their homes is the wrong solution to a real problem. By Kevin Miller, Washington Bureau Chief Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — LePage administration proposals to log more timber on state-owned woodlots to help homeowners pay for energy efficiency upgrades received mixed reviews Tuesday from lawmakers, Read More
NRCM Testimony in Opposition to LD 1838, An Act To Expand Affordable Heating Investments with Maine’s Public Resources
Good afternoon Senator Vitelli, Representative Dill, and members of the Committee. My name is Cathy Johnson. I am a resident of Alna. I am testifying today on behalf of NRCM’s 16,000 members and supporters in opposition to L.D. 1838. We oppose this legislation because it undermines the integrity of the public lands trust fund by Read More
LePage Plan to Hike Timber Harvest on Public Lands Meets Resistance
Susan Sharon MPBN news story Spring may have arrived on the calendar but the state’s energy director told a legislative committee that people around Maine are cold and in need of some relief. Patrick Woodcock made the case today for the LePage administration’s plan to boost timber harvesting on public lands and use the revenue Read More
Last Year, State Officials Cut a Deal to Grab $2 Mil a Year from Public Forests Without Asking the Owners
by Christine Parrish Staff Writer Free Press news story OVER THE COURSE OF THREE DAYS last April, the Maine Forest Service, the governor’s office, and the custodians of Maine’s public lands cut a private deal behind closed doors to log 26 percent more timber from public lands – an amount that would roughly generate an Read More
LePage Blasts Maine Lawmakers on Solar Efforts
by Scott Thistle, State Politics Editor Sun Journal news story AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Tuesday launched a fusillade of criticism against the Legislature’s Democratic majority for supporting bills that promote solar energy during one of the coldest winters in recent history. Rolling out a new proposal on energy, LePage said the focus Read More
LePage: Cut Down More Public Trees to Pay for Heating Efficiency Programs.
The governor said that heat pumps, not solar rebates, are key to the state’s energy future. By Matt Byrne, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Gov. Paul LePage and officials at the state energy office announced plans Tuesday to increase logging on public lands and use the new revenue to help Mainers convert inefficient Read More
LePage: Harvest More Timber to Lower Heating Bills
by A.J. Higgins MPBN news story Gov. Paul LePage will submit a bill to the Legislature this week that, if approved, would pump more money into a home heating conversion fund. He would pay for it by increasing the timber harvest limits on state-owned land. But critics of the plan say that’s an improper use Read More
