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 TV Ads Urge Sen. Collins to Protect Maine By Rejecting Trump EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt
News release Today, the Natural Resources Council of Maine launched a television ad campaign, urging Senator Susan Collins to oppose President Trump’s nominee to head EPA, Scott Pruitt. Pruitt is unfit to head the EPA for many reasons, including that he is beholden to corporate polluters and sued the EPA 14 times to stop air Read More
Professors Recruit 700 Colleagues to Sign Letter to Trump on Climate Change
The letter, crafted by professors at Bowdoin and USM, urges President-elect Trump to “address the threat of climate change immediately.” by Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story More than 700 physics and astronomy faculty members from across the country have signed onto a letter written by three Maine professors urging President-elect Donald Read More
Broad Coalition of Mainers Urges Senators Collins and King to Reject Trump EPA Nominee, Scott Pruitt
News Release Portland, Maine – Today, a broad-based group of business, health, and conservation organizations and individuals announced their opposition to the confirmation of Donald Trump’s nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. The group sent a letter today to Senator Susan Collins, urging her to vote against Read More
Maine Sen. Angus King Says He’ll Vote Against Pruitt Nomination
Independent Maine Sen. Angus King says he will vote against President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
An EPA Administrator is Needed Who Will Help, Not Hurt Maine’s Environment
Donald Trump’s pick for EPA chief is bad for our state, its farms, fishing, wildlife and people. by Ralph Tucker, Special to the Press Herald Portland Press Herald op-ed About the Author Rep. Ralph Tucker, D-Brunswick, is co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This holiday season, our Christmas tree farms were Read More
Statement by NRCM Opposing Trump EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt
Statement by NRCM CEO Lisa Pohlmann Today, The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is considering Donald Trump’s nomination of Scott Pruitt to lead the nation’s top environmental and public health watchdog: the Environmental Protection Agency. You could not find a more unsuitable candidate to lead the EPA than Pruitt. He has proven himself Read More
Nearly 250 Maine Businesses Urge Collins, King to Support National Power Plant Pollution Standards as Strong as New England’s
Say action on climate change pollution is important for Maine’s identity, culture. NRCM news release Today, business leaders gathered at the iconic Porthole Restaurant on Portland Harbor to release a letter to Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King urging their support for proposed national standards on power plant carbon pollution that are as strong Read More
Federal Court Strikes Down EPA’s Biomass Pollution Loophole
EcoWatch news story On Friday, a key federal court ruling confirmed that Clean Air Act limits on carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution apply to industrial facilities that burn biomass, including tree-burning power plants. The court vacated an exemption that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had carved out for “biogenic carbon dioxide.” The decision, by a Read More
Maine Leaders Hold News Conference In Support of President Obama’s New Carbon Pollution Standard
Press Release Today, a group of Maine leaders held a news conference at Portland City Hall to explain their support for the federal clean air and climate change safeguards announced yesterday by President Obama. Yesterday Obama unveiled a significant new plan that would help America do its part to tackle climate change, spur economic opportunities, 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.
