NRCM works to protect Maine’s natural areas and wild, undeveloped character, particularly in the North Woods. We support responsible land development and sustainable forest practices that protect sensitive ecosystems and wildlife. We work for increased public ownership of Maine lands, so future generations will know the Maine we love today.
Protection of Maine’s natural, remote areas was one of the issues for which NRCM was founded in 1959. More than 60 years later, much progress has been made but major threats to Maine’s land and water resources continue.
With our coalition partners, NRCM has won many significant victories over the years, from helping establish the Allagash Wilderness Waterway to passage of legislation limiting irresponsible clear cuts. But the challenges of protecting Maine’s treasured wildlands and the wildlife that depend upon them have never been greater, nor the need more urgent.
We worked to establish a National Monument just east of Baxter State Park and continue our work to push for Land for Maine’s Future funding to acquire public lands, watchdog Maine’s public lands and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, stop the ill-conceived East-West Highway from being built, weigh-in when harmful development is proposed in Maine’s North Woods, and ensure that any timber harvesting laws and policies are as protective as possible.
More than one-third of the state has changed ownership in the past 20 years. Corporations that have no stake in our local communities are buying up hundreds of thousands of acres. Slicing and dicing these natural areas can destroy the character of Maine’s North Woods forever.
This loss would affect not only the people of Maine but also our wildlife. The region is home to moose, bear, deer, and dozens of bird species—Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse, Pine Grosbeak, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher—for which the North Woods are the southernmost limit of their breeding range. Maine’s North Woods also provide many recreational opportunities for Maine people. Unchecked development threatens access to undeveloped, wild forests, lakes, and rivers for hiking, canoeing, camping, hunting and fishing.
While development pressures and the loss of public access continue to intensify, NRCM remains a voice for balancing economic development in Maine’s North Woods with conservation.
We invite you to learn more about our work to protect Maine’s North Woods and other natural areas, and to support our vital work for generations to come.
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
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
One Year Later, National Monument Stands Its Ground
Despite lingering doubts, a ‘definitely beautiful’ site has drawn tourists, investors and even skeptics. by Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story TOWNSHIP 2, RANGE 8 — They had come from as far away as New York’s Long Island and as close as Mattawamkeag, navigating extremely “unimproved” roads with minimal signage to find Read More
An Interview with Roxanne Quimby: Philanthropist, Conservationist, and Businesswoman
Next week marks the one-year anniversary of the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, located just east of Baxter State Park. This Monument was a gift to Maine and the American people from Roxanne Quimby and her family, and has already increased visits to the area, benefiting the region’s economy. Last year, Cathy Johnson, Read More
Zinke Has Only One Legal Option for Katahdin Woods and Waters: Retain Its Monument Status
By Anthony Moffa and Sarah Schindler, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will soon send recommendations to President Donald Trump that could do one of three things to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument: revoke, diminish, or retain its designation as a national monument. Only one of those Read More
In Maine, a National Monument May be in Peril
By David Abel, Globe Staff Boston Globe, news story PATTEN, Maine — Yellow signs blaring “National Park No!” greet Tim Hudson as his truck nears Katahdin Loop Road on a recent morning. He chooses to ignore them. On any given day, Hudson restocks the toilet paper in outhouses, empties the trash, and when necessary, wields Read More
It’s Time Zinke Let Us Know What He, Trump Have in Mind for Katahdin Monument
By BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Last Friday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he has removed Canyons of the Ancients from the list of 27 national monuments he had been asked to consider for modification or nullification by President Donald Trump. Zinke said he was recommending that no changes be made to the Read More
Don’t Muddy Clean Water Act Protections
Guest Column by Lee Margolin Keep Maine Current op-ed Beer, fish and lamprey. These are a few of my favorite things and they all depend on clean water. Luckily I am able to enjoy all three living in Harrison on the Crooked River, a class AA stream and the main tributary for Sebago Lake. As Read More
Banner photo: Moose near Baxter State Park, by Gerard Monteux
