Decisions made in Washington, D.C., have lasting effects on Maine’s clean air and water, our thriving forests and wildlife, and on the health of Maine people, our economy, and our way of life.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine works closely with Maine’s Congressional delegation to advance legislation and policies that will accelerate a clean energy future, expand access to the outdoors, and protect our nation’s wildlife.
In the last few years, NRCM mobilized our supporters to help pass the most significant climate action in U.S. history, secure bipartisan funding for infrastructure, and conserve new public lands. These investments in our future are already benefiting communities and people across the state.
NRCM Statement Regarding Secretary Zinke’s Recommendations for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
Statement by Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine “We have reviewed the leaked memorandum to the President from Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke, but the implications of the report for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument remain unclear. Without more details, we cannot yet judge whether these recommendations are acceptable and consistent Read More
Leaked Monument Report Feeds Sense of Uncertainty
Talk of allowing timber harvesting won’t help a fledgling recreational attraction get on the radar of potential visitors. Central Maine newspapers editorial Imagine that you are planning a vacation to Maine next summer. You think you might like to drive up the coast and visit Acadia National Park, “where the mountains meet the sea.” And Read More
Pope Blasts Climate Skeptics, Cites “Moral” Duty to Act
Francis says scientists have clearly charted what needed to be done to reverse course on global warming. by the Associated Press Central Maine newspapers news story ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis has sharply criticized climate change skeptics, saying history will judge those who failed to take the necessary decisions to curb heat-trapping emissions Read More
Zinke’s Decision to Keep Maine Monument Worth Celebrating
By John Holyoke Bangor Daily News column After months of nervous hand-wringing, news began to trickle out of Washington, D.C., on Thursday that ought to make many supporters of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument happy. The review of the monument by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is complete, and first indications, according to Read More
Interior Secretary Wants to Keep Maine’s Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
Ryan Zinke is not recommending the removal of any of the 27 monuments under review but said some could be changed. by Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA – Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will not recommend elimination of Katahdin Woods and Waters or other national monuments in a report expected to Read More
With Decision Looming, NRCM Report Spotlights Katahdin Woods and Waters Economic Benefits
A new report released today on the eve of the first anniversary of the creation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument — as well as an expected decision by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about its fate — shows the national monument already is spurring economic benefits to a region hit hard by paper mill Read More
New Report: At First Anniversary — Local Voices Praise Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
News release Bangor — The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) today released a new report featuring business and civic leaders from the Katahdin region describing how Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is providing positive benefits to their communities. The report was issued to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the National Monument, which Read More
Aggressive Caps on Carbon Emissions Would Benefit Regional Greenhouse Gas Efforts
The program has missed opportunities to do more for the environment, energy efficiency and the economy. by Tom Tietenberg of Waterville is the Mitchell Family Professor of Economics Emeritus at Colby College Portland Press Herald op-ed WATERVILLE — One of the unsung heroes in Maine’s drive to prepare our homes and businesses for a secure Read More
It’s Only Been a Year, but the Monument is Already Benefiting the Katahdin Region
By Richard Schmidt III, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed As the anniversary of the designation of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument approaches, this is a good time to celebrate all the benefits the monument is already bringing to Maine and its people, even those few but vocal people who opposed the Read More
Senator Susan Collins
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2523
Email Senator Collins
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
Biddeford: (207) 283-1101
Caribou: (207) 493-7873
Lewiston: (207) 784-6969
Portland: (207) 618-5560
Senator Angus King
133 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5344
Email Senator King
Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Bangor: (207) 945-8000
Biddeford: (207) 352-5216
Portland: (207) 245-1565
Presque Isle: (207) 764-5124
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
2162 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6116
Email Congresswoman Pingree
Portland: (207) 774-5019
Waterville: (207) 873-5713
Congressman Jared Golden
1223 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6306
Email Congressman Golden
Bangor office: (207) 249-7400
Caribou office: (207) 492-6009
Lewiston office: (207) 241-6767
Federal Climate & Clean Energy Issues
Bold Climate Action
From our lakeshores to the ocean coastline, the impacts of climate change are already being felt in Maine’s communities and the high costs of oil and gas hitting Mainers’ pocketbooks.
We all value our connection to community and Maine’s natural environment. To stay strong and well prepared for the future, we need to act quickly and boldly on climate.
NRCM partners with Mainers, businesses, and other local organizations to push Congress and the federal government to take ambitious climate action that will create millions of new jobs, deliver home-grown clean energy to power our future, and protect our health.
Working together with our supporters, NRCM has successfully advocated for the largest investment in climate in U.S. history and billions in infrastructure funding to make our communities more resilient. Moving forward, we will continue to hold Congress accountable to their responsibility to accelerate the transition to clean energy to avert the worst impacts of climate change.
The release of Maine’s Climate Action Plan in December 2020 (with an updated Plan released in November 2024) laid out a positive path forward for tackling climate change and growing our economy. Continued federal action on climate will give Maine’s communities the tools and resources they need to advance cost-effective clean energy solutions.
Climate Change and Its Effects on Maine
Maine’s communities are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change because of our close relationship with the natural environment.
Our coastal communities—vital to our tourism economy—are threatened by increasingly severe storms and sea-level rise while our lakes are seeing increasingly warmer waters.
Extreme weather is straining our public emergency responses and infrastructure.
Learn How Climate Change Impacts:
Federal Water, Land, & Wildlife Issues
Protecting Wildlife
Each species has an important ecological role to play in the web of life. Globally, one million species are at risk of extinction due to climate change, pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and exploitation.
One tool that has and can continue to help address this biodiversity crisis is the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). The ESA, signed into law in 1972, has been incredibly successful at protecting species in Maine and across the nation from the brink of extinction.
NRCM is working with national environmental groups to support adequate funding for the ESA and additional funding for wildlife protection through proposals like the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.
Clean Water
Federal Clean Water Act
NRCM created a badge for organizations to use free of charge to celebrate the Clean Water Act 50th anniversary in 2022.
Clean, healthy waterways are vital to our day-to-day lives, central to our identity, and integral to our future. More than 50 years ago, the magnitude of pollution in the Androscoggin and other Maine rivers reached a tipping point, helping to galvanize passage of the Clean Water Act on October 18, 1972.
Maine's U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie played the critical role in writing and securing passage of this landmark legislation for the nation. In the years since, thanks to the incredible work of countless individuals, organizations, and businesses, Maine’s rivers, lakes, streams, and coastal waters have achieved remarkable progress, which deserves celebration. But we still have additional work to do to ensure clean water for future generations.
In 2022, NRCM joined with partners across Maine to create a statewide celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act that focused on the importance of clean water, strong environmental laws, investment in clean water infrastructure, and committing to continued progress. At a celebration in Lewiston on September 29, 2022, we celebrated 100 Clean Water Champions. Read full remarks by NRCM Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim.
Conserving Land
NRCM and our partners helped pass the Great American Outdoors Act, providing permanent funding for the popular and effective Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The bill, which was championed by every member of Maine’s Congressional delegation, also provided sorely needed funding to invest in maintenance and upkeep of popular national parks and public lands.
Fully funding LCWF will result in much-needed land conservation, public access improvements, local industry support, and the creation of more outdoor spaces that benefit us all and contribute to a vibrant economy.
