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
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!
NRCM Commends Wind Power Task Force
Recommendations Would Make Maine a Leader in Wind Power The Natural Resources Council of Maine today heralded the final report of Governor Baldacci’s Task Force on Wind Power Development. The report calls for at least 2,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power in Maine by 2015 and at least 3,000 MW by 2020, as part of Read More
Maine Parents Demand Action on Toxins in Baby Bottles
New Study Shows Bottles Leach Dangerous Chemical When Heated Press Release from the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine On Thursday, Maine health and environmental organizations released a national study of baby bottles tested for the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). Bottles from across the United States and Canada, including one bottle purchased in Topsham, 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
New Plan Could Improve Health of Androscoggin
Paper mills and a power company could appeal the cleanup proposal for part of the river near Lewiston. by John Richardson, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story A state environmental panel is expected to rule next month that the Androscoggin River, Maine’s dirtiest major waterway and an inspiration for the U.S. Clean Water Act, 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
Revitalized River Flows to Healthy Future
by Larry Grard, staff writer Kennebec Journal news story There was a time within many people’s lifetimes when almost no one would have fished the confluence of the Kennebec and Sebasticook rivers in Winslow. Tanneries, factories and mills dumped municipal sewage into the Kennebec and its tributaries, fouling the waters as they flowed through Augusta Read More
Experts Predict Widespread Impacts from Plum Creek Plan
Wildlife, Water Quality, and Character of Moosehead Lake at Risk AUGUSTA, November 8, 2007—Today, Maine’s two leading environmental organizations described the potential harm to the Moosehead Lake region that could occur as a result of Plum Creek’s proposed development plans for the area. The adverse impacts were identified by a 12-member team of environmental, wildlife, Read More
NRCM Statement about Experts’ Predictions of Widespread Impacts from Plum Creek Proposal
by Brownie Carson, NRCM executive director In less than one month, the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission will begin hearings on the largest development proposal the state of Maine has ever seen. Plum Creek’s massive development plan for the Moosehead Lake region has been the focus of attention for the past three years, and now Read More