Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and members of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, my name is Sarah Lakeman and I am the Sustainable Maine Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). I appreciate this opportunity to speak to you in support of LD 289, LD 621, and LD 505. Read More
State House Watch
Working for legislation to protect Maine’s environment is an essential part of NRCM’s mission for the people of Maine. During the legislative session, we are at the Maine State House, just a block from our office, to work for new safeguards and also to defend existing legislation that protects Maine’s land, air, water, and wildlife.
“Who Wants to Swim in a Cesspool?”
State lawmakers are likely to approve a measure to require the inspection of lakefront septic systems whenever a property changes hands, a regulation already in place for seaside properties. by Steve Collins Sun Journal news story AUGUSTA — In a bid to preserve water quality in Maine, there is a good chance state lawmakers this Read More
DEP’s River and Stream Upgrade Proposal is Good for Maine
By Ray Owen, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed I have spent much my life working to improve Maine’s environment. I was a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Maine for 32 years, commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for four, and chaired Maine’s former Land Use Read More
Opposition to LD 281, Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 692: Siting of Oil Storage Facilities, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Environmental Protection
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee: My name is Nick Bennett. I am the Staff Scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), which is Maine’s largest environmental advocacy group with more than 20,000 members and supporters. I am testifying in opposition to LD 281 and the Read More
Ending Gross Metering a Good First Step for Solar Development
Bangor Daily News editorial It would be a gross understatement to say that Maine’s relatively new rules for solar power generation and billing have not been well received, particularly by the solar industry, environmental groups and the Maine people turning to this source of renewable energy. For years, Maine homeowners and others have received credits Read More
Support of the Nomination of Jerry Reid to Serve as DEP Commissioner
Senator Carson, Representative Tucker, and distinguished members of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. My name is Pete Didisheim. I am the Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and I appreciate the opportunity to testify in support of the nomination of Jerry Reid to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Read More
Solar Supporters Urge Maine Lawmakers to Restore Financial Incentives
Hoping to capitalize on a shift in the political climate, installers and other advocates for solar energy want homeowners to again receive credit for feeding electricity back into the grid. by Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — Solar power advocates urged Maine lawmakers on Tuesday to revive financial incentives for Read More
Climate Change Calls for Immediate Action on the Part of Maine Officials
Eight years of denial have only made it harder to prevent catastrophic loss. Portland Press Herald editorial Back in 2010, the state Department of Environmental Protection completed a report on the kind of risks Maine faced as a result of climate change. Although it contained 60 recommendations, it was not a climate response plan. It Read More
Bill to Tax Fossil Fuel Producers Among Dozens of Climate-Related Proposals Before Maine Legislature
by Steve Mistler Maine Public news story From carbon taxes to the Maine version of the Green New Deal, Democratic state lawmakers are pitching a slew of bills designed to address the threat of climate change. While Democrats have introduced climate bills before, the proposals had no real chance to become law during Republican Gov. Read More
