By John Richardson, Blethen Maine Newspapers Kennebec Journal news story Last summer, with the deal to add Katahdin Lake to Baxter State Park on the verge of unraveling in the Maine Legislature, Sam Hodder headed north and hiked to the lake for a quiet weekend. For months, as project manager for the Trust for Public 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.
Plum Creek’s Plan No Benefit to Moosehead Region’s Economy
By Christian McNeil, economist Maine Sunday Telegram op-ed While Plum Creek touts the presumed economic benefits of its development proposal in the Moosehead Lake region, which will soon be subject to public comment, it’s worth noting that some of the most controversial elements of the plan contribute little, and in some cases detract from, its Read More
Deal Completed, Katahdin Lake Now Part of Baxter State Park
By the Associated Press Bangor Daily News news story MILLINOCKET – A 4,000-acre parcel that includes Katahdin Lake has been added to Baxter State Park, fulfilling its benefactor’s vision and providing the ultimate holiday gift to the people of Maine, Gov. John Baldacci announced Friday. The announcement followed completion of the purchase Thursday by the Read More
Reading Between the Lines of Plum Creek
By Sally H. Reed Bangor Daily News op-ed Regarding the Plum Creek proposal, a lot of publicity has focused on the land protection part of the plan and not enough on the resort and residential development aspect. We have been summer residents of Greenville for over 40 years and love the area. We want to Read More
Getting Down to Specifics with Plum Creek
Kennebec Journal editorial The Plum Creek Timber Co. bought more than 900,000 acres of Maine land in 1998. Since then, it has done two major things: logged much of the land, and filed an application for the largest real estate development ever proposed for Maine. That proposal asks to rezone 421,000 acres of Maine’s North Read More
Plum Creek Words, Actions Disconnected by Forestry Record
Sun Journal editorial Last week, the Natural Resources Council of Maine publicized stunning documents detailing forestry mismanagement and violations by Plum Creek. The Seattle-based company was assailed for aggressive logging that imperiled wildlife habitats, specifically deer wintering areas, across its sprawling land holdings in Maine. Individually, the violations seem minor. But as NRCM correctly notes, Read More
Plum Creek’s Violations Suggest More Oversight Needed
Portland Press Herald editorial There’s a lot to be said for Maine’s cooperative approach to managing natural resources in the North Woods. Most of the state’s 10.4 million acres of unorganized territories are privately owned. Given that fact and the realities of politics, laws and regulations are always going to yield lowest-common- denominator-type protections at Read More
Group Turns Up Heat on Plum Creek
By Kevin Miller Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA – An environmental group is ratcheting up the heat on Plum Creek Timber Co. in a report released Wednesday that details fines against the company, permit problems and logging in areas important to deer survival during winter. The Natural Resources Council of Maine said the report Read More
Investigation Exposes Plum Creek Violations
Largest Fine for Logging Law Violations in Maine History and Widespread Damage to Deer Wintering Habitat NRCM news release Documents gathered using Maine’s Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) disclose that this year Plum Creek was charged a $57,000 fine — the largest fine ever assessed in history for breaking Maine’s timber harvesting laws. Other documents Read More
