by Sandra Neily Bangor Daily News op-ed Decentralize and localize LURC with more county representation? Allow a county to opt out of LURC oversight? Remove centralized management of a forest asset that drops billions of dollars a year into the Maine economy? Imagine North Woods resources as an affiliated, sprawling string of factories. (Maine people Read More
Land Use Planning Commission
Winter Camping in Maine’s Wilderness: A Reminder to Take Action
“Crunch, crunch, crunch.” The sound of my snowshoes mark our progress slowly down the flowage in northern Maine. Our group of five NRCM members, including our treasurer, Chris Bond (pictured, on the right), is embarking on our annual winter camping trip along this quiet waterway. Traditional camping with toboggans, snowshoes, canvas tents, and portable wood stoves Read More
LURC’s Role Needs to Be Reaffirmed, Not Subject to Local Political Pressure
The agriculture committee should reject the LURC reform proposal to protect Maine’s woods by Robert Kimber Portland Press Herald op-ed Our license plate rightly declares that Maine is Vacationland. Tourism is one of our major industries, and the future of that industry depends on maintaining the health, integrity and beauty of the Maine coast and Read More
A Day in Support of Maine’s North Woods
Today, it was abundantly clear: Maine people care about the North Woods. For NRCM staffers, our day started with a press conference complete with cameramen, photographers, journalists, and friends and members of NRCM tuning in to the words of five eloquent spokespeople sharing their unique perspectives and passion for Maine’s North Woods. They came to Read More
Opposition to LD 1798, An Act to Reform Land Use Planning in the Unorganized Territory
Good afternoon Sen. Sherman, Rep. Edgecomb and members of the Committee. My name is Lisa Pohlmann. I am a resident of Jefferson. I am the Executive Director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. I am here today on behalf of the 12,000 members and supporters of the Natural Resources Council of Maine in opposition to Read More
Legislature Urged to Reject Bill that Threatens to Spoil Half of Maine, Add Bureaucracy and Cost
Maine Citizens Who Depend on North Woods for Their Homes, Businesses, Jobs, and Recreation Come to August to Fight for Maine’s North Woods Heritage NRCM Press Release Today, leading citizens from throughout Maine, including the North Woods, gathered in Augusta to speak out about major problems with pending legislation that could spell the end of Read More
LURC Reform Proposal Side-swiped by Partisan Politics
If some of the recommendations put forth by the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) Reform Commission last week weren’t reason enough for concern, now the LePage Administration has really thrown a wrench into things. And it’s Maine’s treasured North Woods that’s at stake. Although NRCM agrees with some of the Reform Commission’s recommendations (for example, Read More
Coalition Concerned about LURC Reform Proposal Headed Off-Track
Maine’s North Woods Could Pay the Price NRCM and coalition partners Members of a broad coalition of conservation and planning groups are raising concerns about reforms proposed for the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) and how those reforms are being addressed in the Legislature. Maine’s legendary North Woods—the anchor of our forest products and tourism Read More
Coalition Concerned About Impact of LURC Proposal on Maine’s North Woods
Planners, conservationists, and citizens throughout Maine are concerned about the impact of proposed changes to Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) on Maine’s North Woods, and are urging the Legislature to examine the proposal carefully and think long and hard about the importance of Maine’s signature natural resource. “We are pleased that the LURC Reform Read More
