Celebrate Progress for the Penobscot River Thursday, May 20, 12:00-1:00 p.m. The Penobscot River Restoration Project has been a huge success, improving access for sea-run fish to more than 2,000 miles of habitat. This exciting, challenging, and deeply meaningful collaborative project to bring the Penobscot River back to life is the subject of a new Read More
dam removal
Brookfield Faces Lawsuit for Violations of Endangered Species Act on Kennebec River
May 13, 2021 (Augusta, ME) — Three conservation groups have announced they intend to sue the international energy giant Brookfield Renewable Partners (Brookfield) for repeated violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on Maine’s Kennebec River. Brookfield’s four dams located between Waterville and Skowhegan are threatening the survival of endangered Atlantic salmon, according to a Read More
News & Noteworthy — January – March 2021
Read some highlights from this month’s news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this month’s News & Noteworthy from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. March 2021 Plastic pollution continues to be on the minds of many Mainers, including lawmakers who this week discussed a Read More
Mainers Call for Removal of Dams to Restore a Healthy Kennebec & Save Salmon
Kennebec Coalition News Release Augusta, ME (March 11, 2021) – Endangered Atlantic salmon are on the brink of dying out in Maine’s Kennebec River because of four antiquated dams between Waterville and Skowhegan, according to state and federal officials. A broad coalition of Maine people and organizations are speaking out in support of removing the Read More
Continuing the Restoration of Maine’s Kennebec River
Atlantic salmon are on the brink of dying out in the Kennebec River because of Brookfield Renewables’ four dams between Waterville and Skowhegan. The Natural Resources Council of Maine is working as part of the Kennebec Coalition to restore a healthy, free-flowing Kennebec River for Atlantic salmon by removing all four dams. Maine’s Department of Read More
Reopening the Legendary Penobscot River
Book details how organizations came together to create a model for ecological restoration Islandport Press news release November 10, 2020 (Augusta, Maine)—In June 2016, an Atlantic salmon swam through the town of Howland bound for upriver spawning grounds that had been blocked for nearly two centuries. The historic event followed the remarkable removal of long-standing Read More
New Book Shares Stories of Penobscot River Restoration
A new book, From Mountains to the Sea, captures inspiring stories from the Penobscot River Restoration Project, a collaborative effort including the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) that worked to balance fisheries restoration and hydropower production in Maine’s largest watershed. The project removed two dams—the Great Works and the Veazie—that had blocked fish migrations Read More
November 10, 2020: Zoom in: Celebrating Progress for the Penobscot River
The Natural Resources Council of Maine and our partners hosted a Zoom webinar to celebrate the success of the Penobscot River Restoration Project. Participants heard stories from Mainers, including those directly involved, who helped make the project a reality, captured in an inspiring new book, “From the Mountains to the Sea.” You can pre-order your Read More
Your Voice Matters
This year, the Natural Resources Council of Maine is proudly celebrating 60 years of protecting the nature of Maine. How fortunate we are that in 1959, a handful of people came together to protect the Allagash River from a dam project that would have spoiled the region forever. Saving that special place was the first Read More
