Atlantic Salmon Federation | Conservation Law Foundation | Maine Rivers | Natural Resources Council of Maine Today, four groups that were suing Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE: BEP; TSX: BEP.UN) for violating federal law by harming endangered Atlantic salmon on Maine’s Kennebec River announced that they had withdrawn their lawsuit. The groups said they are focusing their 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!
News & Noteworthy — January – March 2023
Each month, we highlight news stories and opinion pieces related to Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife. We update News & Noteworthy with the latest news related to the nature of Maine, including the work of staff at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. March 2023 We told you some months ago about a proposal Read More
NOAA Ignores Science Showing Extinction Threat for Atlantic Salmon
An analysis released today by NOAA Fisheries ignores the threat to sea-run fish posed by four dams on Maine’s Kennebec River, according to a leading fisheries biologist and local Maine conservationists. The decision specifically understates the potential for extinction of endangered Atlantic salmon if the four dams are allowed to continue operating. “We have Read More
Willow Oil Project Approval Ignores Urgency of Climate Change
On Monday March 13, 2023, the Biden Administration approved the Conoco-Phillips Willow project, a massive oil drilling proposal that would become the largest on federal lands in the United States. In response, the Natural Resources Council of Maine released the following statement from Federal Project Advocate Anya Fetcher: “The Biden Administration’s approval of the Conoco-Phillips Read More
Penobscot River Dam Owner Violating Federal Endangered Species Act
The owner of the Milford Dam on Maine’s Penobscot River, Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE: BEP; TSX: BEP.UN), is actively breaking federal environmental law by harming endangered Atlantic salmon, according to documents obtained through the state’s Freedom of Access Act. In the documents, a federal biologist confirms that most Atlantic salmon are not able to Read More
Maine PUC Selects Northern Maine Wind and Transmission Projects
UPDATE: On January 31, 2023, the Maine PUC approved the Northern Maine transmission and wind projects. A recent study estimated that new wind projects of this scale will save Maine electricity customers $35 million per year. NRCM’s Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro issued the following statement (you can read our original release when Read More
Bill Would Jumpstart Development of Offshore Wind in Gulf of Maine
Maine labor and conservation groups today unveiled a bill that would boost the development of responsibly sited floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine by requiring a competitive procurement of 2.8 GW of floating offshore wind over the next 12 years, enough to power 980,000 homes with renewable energy. “I’m here because Maine is Read More
Wolfden Revives Failed Plan to Mine in Shadow of Katahdin
After being forced to withdraw its initial request because it was riddled with errors, Wolfden Resources today submitted a second rezoning petition to develop a zinc mine at Pickett Mountain The area Wolfden wants to mine is located in the shadow of Baxter State Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. It contains the Read More
Nation’s First Floating Offshore Wind Research Array Moves Forward
NRCM news release January 19, 2023 (Augusta, ME) – The federal government today announced it would move forward reviewing plans for the nation’s first floating offshore wind research array in federal waters, located 29 miles off the coast of Maine. The decision by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management finding that there was no viable Read More
