By Julia Bayly, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story BATH, Maine — Close to a half-century after its creation, the entire 92 miles of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway is now in the hands of the state. On Monday, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation, based in Bath, announced the 40-acre Lock Dam section connecting Chamberlain Read More
Maine Environmental News
Maine environmental news often comes quickly and with little warning. Stay up to date on Maine environment news.
From issues such as climate change, healthy waters, Maine forests and wildlife, and sustainability—and environmental policy that could impact them—you’ll find NRCM’s up-to-the-minute news releases to see our perspective on the most pressing issues facing Maine’s land, air, waters, and wildlife. This includes findings relating to our role as Maine’s watchdog of activities of state environmental agencies—we stand ready to blow the whistle when regulations are not enforced.
You can also find our news “round up,” News & Noteworthy, which puts the spotlight on media stories that do a particularly good job capturing current news about Maine's environment. We hope you find this part of our website helpful and informative!
Historic $24 Million Penobscot River Project Nearly Finished
By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story HOWLAND, Maine — Atlantic Ocean-based salmon, sturgeon, American shad and alewives will be able to find spawning grounds in northern Maine for the first time in more than a century with the culmination of a 16-year project next spring, officials said this week. Engineers Read More
Plastic Bag Bans and Fees Catching on in Maine
Portland’s ordinance went into effect on April 15, and other communities are poised to follow. By Mary Pols, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story In the six months since Portland passed an ordinance calling for most food retailers to charge a nickel for each single-use plastic or paper bag, reusable bags have gotten extremely Read More
Conservation Projects, Big and Small, Would Benefit from Predictable Funding
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial The Land for Maine’s Future program has been in the spotlight in Maine because Gov. Paul LePage refuses to let the popular land conservation program work. In Washington, another important land preservation tool, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, is in jeopardy. Authorization for the program Read More
Portland Citizens’ Group Proposes Broad Pesticide Ban
The Portland Protectors join a growing movement with a plan for limiting the use of outdoor bug and weed killers. By Kelley Bouchard, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story A group of Portland residents has proposed what would be the strongest municipal restriction on the sale and use of controversial outdoor bug and weed Read More
NRCM to Present Awards to Portland, Phippsburg, Liberty, Bethel Conservation Leaders
NRCM News Release Augusta, ME – Maine’s leading nonprofit membership organization working to protect Maine’s land, air, water, and wildlife, has named its 2015 Conservation Leadership Award winners. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) presents the awards each year to individuals or groups that have made an extraordinary contribution to the protection of Maine’s Read More
Maine’s North Woods Have Precisely What Most of the World is Missing
By Alexandra Conover Bennett, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Several decades ago, as a young Registered Maine Guide, one of the first canoe trips I led was along the rolling waters of the East Branch of the Penobscot River just east of Baxter State Park. Nowadays, the river and surrounding land is Read More
Public Lands About Much More Than Cutting Trees
By Jenn Burns Gray, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Over the past few months, the revenue generated from the timber harvest on Maine’s public lands has been in the spotlight. The Bangor Daily News published an editorial Sept. 25 that highlights the numerous problems with Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to increase timber Read More
Paint Recycling More Convenient Under New Program
By Ed Morin MPBN news story AUGUSTA, Maine — A new program is underway that aims to make paint recycling in Maine more convenient. Under legislation passed in 2013, a program is in place that allows Mainers to drop off unwanted paint at a number of retail paint businesses in the state for recycling at Read More