The property, which will remain open to the public for recreation, includes 8.6 miles of frontage along the East Branch of the Penobscot River. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Conservation groups have purchased a roughly 4,300-acre tract in the Katahdin region that includes 8.6 miles of frontage along the East 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!
Local Voices Have Been Heard — and They Support a Katahdin-area National Monument
By Rick Levasseur, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Prior to traveling to East Millinocket with congressmen from Utah and Arkansas for a congressional field hearing and public forum on the proposed Maine Woods National Monument, Rep. Bruce Poliquin said, “The local people need to be heard.” His colleagues then invited to their Read More
Why Do LePage and the NRCM Keep Fighting?
By Christopher Cousins, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story AUGUSTA, Maine — The war of words — and recently letters — between Gov. Paul LePage and the Natural Resources Council of Maine has been simmering for years but reached a boil lately with LePage trying to interfere in the organization’s donor pool and the Read More
Why the Penobscot River’s Revitalization is Just Beginning
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Last week, the last piece of a years-long project to return much of the Penobscot River to a free-flowing waterway was completed with the opening of a bypass around the Howland Dam. The Penobscot River is Maine’s largest watershed. For more than a century, however, the Read More
They Say a Monument Will Drive a Stake Through the Heart of Our Industry. I Disagree.
By Roger Milliken, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed For the last 35 years, I have worked for the Baskahegan Company, which grows and harvests trees on lands acquired by my grandfather in 1920. As a longtime member of the forest products industry, I am writing in support of the proposed national monument. Read More
Hundreds Celebrate Completion of Penobscot Restoration Project
By John Holyoke, BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story HOWLAND, Maine — Pat Keliher still remembers an early morning phone call during which a professional colleague outlined a bold idea that could help transform the Penobscot River. “[Andy Goode of the Atlantic Salmon Federation] said, ‘Hey. We want to take two dams off the Read More
Freeport Approves Ban on Single-use Plastic Bags
The ordinance prohibits disposable plastic shopping bags and includes a 5-cent fee on paper bags. By Peter McGuire, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story FREEPORT — Voters approved a townwide ban on disposable plastic shopping bags Tuesday, joining a number of Maine communities putting restrictions on the items. Residents approved the ban 804-501, about Read More
Penobscot River Restoration Project Celebrates Final Milestone, Reconnects River to the Sea
Howland fish bypass completes collaborative effort to rebalance fisheries and hydropower on Maine’s largest river News release Howland, ME – Today, federal, state, local, and tribal representatives, and project partners gathered in Howland, Maine, to mark and celebrate the completion of the last major milestone in the Penobscot River Restoration Project: the newly constructed fish Read More
LePage Offers to Meet with Leader of Natural Resources Council of Maine
But the way the invitation is announced – and the response from the group’s executive director – highlights the chilly relations between the governor and Maine’s largest environmental group. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story Gov. Paul LePage has invited the head of the Natural Resources Council of Maine to meet Read More
