For example, Rep. Bruce Poliquin wants to inflame people to help his campaign along. By Alan Caron Portland Press Herald op-ed Over a thousand Mainers converged on two northern Maine public gatherings last week to argue over a proposal to set aside 87,500 acres of the North Woods as a so-called national monument. Opposition arguments Read More
Maine Economy
Expectations Mixed in Wake of National Monument Meetings
Opponents of the Katahdin-area proposal are determined to fight on, but others see the designation as a done deal and believe it’s time to plan for that outcome. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The head of the National Park Service had just wrapped up a marathon day of hearings on Read More
In the Katahdin Region, Let’s Accept and Shape the Changes, Not Fight Them
By Richard H. Schmidt III, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Like the Katahdin region, the proposal to create a national park has changed a lot in the last few years and with it, people’s opinions, including mine. I graduated from Katahdin High School, attended college in Presque Isle, and now I am Read More
Mainers Weigh In on Proposed National Monument at Packed Forums
By Nick Sambides Jr., BDN Staff Bangor Daily News news story ORONO, Maine — A near capacity crowd of 1,400 people attended a forum on a proposed North Woods national monument on Monday at the University of Maine during which pro and con arguments followed one another in quick succession. After a tense forum involving Read More
Park Service Chief Hears Emotional, Divided Views on North Woods National Monument
About 1,000 Maine residents and local officials attend two meetings, with testimony split between those who think it will hurt the region’s forest products industry and others who think it will pump new life into a lackluster economy. by Kevin Miller, staff writer Portland Press Herald news story ORONO — The Obama administration’s top park Read More
Statement by NRCM in Support of Establishment of a New National Monument
I’m Lisa Pohlmann, executive director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine and we are proud to support the national monument. We join many good friends from the Katahdin region who we’ve gotten to know very well over the past five years who also support the monument. And we represent 16,000 members and supporters from Read More
Big Solar Worked to Kill Maine Solar Energy Bill
Fearful that the bill would threaten their business model, national companies took steps that helped LePage and Republicans, at the expense of local solar installers and their Democratic allies. By Tux Turkel, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story The Maine lawmakers who last month defeated a landmark bill that would have expanded solar energy Read More
The Six Republican ‘Walkers’ Who Killed Maine’s Solar Bill
By Rep. Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan Bangor Daily News op-ed This legislative session, we could have passed a historic solar bill into law. But too many House Republicans caved in to their leaders and the governor, throwing away that opportunity and all the jobs that would have come with it. LD 1649 would have made solar Read More
North Woods Park Plan Offers Economic Benefits Both Near and Far
Our U.S. senators should recognize the possibilities offered by the marketing of the National Park Service. By Daniel Kleban, co-founder and co-owner of Maine Beer Co. in Freeport Portland Press Herald op-ed FREEPORT — A private family foundation is willing to donate to the American people nearly 88,000 acres of beautiful, pristine and historically important Read More