By Kevin Miller Bangor Daily News news story Staff at the Land Use Regulation Commission are recommending that Plum Creek change the scope of several proposed subdivisions near Moosehead Lake and be required to complete several large conservation deals before any houses go up. But critics of Plum Creek’s plan say they are disappointed that 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.
Maine’s Leading Environmental Organizations Respond to LURC Plum Creek Recommendations
Statement of Kevin Carley, executive director, Maine Audubon and Brownie Carson, executive director, Natural Resources Council of Maine Natural Resources Council of Maine and Maine Audubon “Our organizations respect and appreciate the enormous service of the staff and commissioners of Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) in regard to the unprecedented Plum Creek proposal to Read More
Allagash River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers
Wild and Scenic Protections Threatened The people of Maine realized they needed a State policy to save their own wilderness areas. They petitioned their elected representatives to protect the last great wild river in the eastern United States, and the Maine legislature responded by creating the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, so that the people could own Read More
Groups: Developer Ignored Concerns
by Kevin Miller Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine – Two environmental groups attempted to keep the heat on Plum Creek officials Tuesday by accusing them of ignoring concerns raised about the company’s historic development proposal for the Moosehead Lake region. A Plum Creek spokesman countered that now is not the time, given the Read More
Plum Creek Offers Up No Changes In Post-Hearing Brief
No Changes Despite Overwhelming Public Criticism of Moosehead Plan AUGUSTA, March 18, 2008 —Maine’s two leading environmental organizations said today that Plum Creek, the nation’s largest commercial landowner, has submitted a post-hearing brief that dismissed long lists of concerns raised during hundreds of hours of public testimony by Maine residents and technical experts about Plum Read More
Despite Overwhelming Public Criticism of Plum Creek Plan, Plum Creek Offers Up No Changes
Statement at March 18, 2008, press conference by Brownie Carson, NRCM executive director Good morning. We are here today to talk about the serious, continuing problems with Plum Creek’s proposal for a massive development in the Moosehead Lake Region – the largest development in Maine history. In late January, under this very roof, Maine’s Land Read More
10,000 Square Miles of Maine Included in USFWS Lynx Protection Proposal
Includes Moosehead Lake Forests Where Plum Creek Proposes Massive Development Today, the Federal Register published a proposed rule by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that would protect Canada lynx and their habitat including more than 10,000 square miles of the Maine woods in a “critical habitat” zone, which would require separate review and stricter Read More
Moosehead Belongs to Maine — We Must Protect It
by Tony Owens Sun Journal op-ed My late friend introduced me to the lake; my heart has never left Over 30 years ago, having moved from New Hampshire, I started my first job in Maine working overnights at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. The graveyard shift creates a tight fraternity and it wasn’t long Read More
LURC Takes One Step Forward for Clean Energy, Not Two
NRCM news release Today, Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission made two important decisions on the future of wind power in Maine. “The Commission could have taken two steps forward on clean energy for Maine; instead they took one,” said NRCM Clean Energy Director Dylan Voorhees. The Land Use Regulation Commission voted 4-2 to recommend rejecting Read More