Statement of Natural Resources Council of Maine Scientist Nick Bennett “This vote reflects Maine people’s strong concern about weak mining rules. This is a victory for clean water and all the Mainers who depend on it for their livelihoods. It’s also a victory for Maine taxpayers, who should never again have to spend their hard-earned Read More
Maine Legislature
The Natural Resources Council of Maine reviews every bill being considered by the Maine Legislature to determine which ones deserve support and which ones should be opposed based on their potential impact on Maine’s environment. Read more about the bills we are following and taking action on.
Legislator Offers Deal to Resolve Land Bonds Standoff
The compromise would funnel money to both land conservation projects and Gov. LePage’s heating assistance program. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA – A House Democratic leader is trying to thaw the political freeze on the Land for Maine’s Future program by proposing a bond package to fund both land Read More
Loose Mining Rules Endanger the Proven Job Creators for which Maine is Known
By Jeff McCabe and Jen Brophy, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Metal mining is a boom and bust industry with a long record of polluting the water and leaving taxpayers to pay the cleanup costs in Maine and elsewhere around the country. More than 40 years after the Callahan mine in Brooksville Read More
LePage’s Investigation of Land for Maine’s Future Would be a Waste
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial At his rant-filled press conference Friday, Gov. Paul LePage said he was launching an investigation of the Land for Maine’s Future program. The governor has refused to sign off on bonds to fund projects that have already been approved by LMF, putting dozens of land conservation Read More
LePage: Stalling Conservation Bonds Helps ‘Poor’ in Battle with ‘Rich’
By John Swinconeck, The Times Record Times Record news story reprinted on bangordailynews.com BRUNSWICK, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage on Monday clarified the reasoning behind why he ordered an investigation into the Land for Maine’s Future program. “Just rumors. When you hear a lot of chatter, look into it,” said LePage, speaking after an assembly at Read More
Bill to Fix Clerical Error in Maine Energy-efficiency Law Advances
But its prospects are uncertain because of a likely veto by LePage. By Kevin Miller, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald news story AUGUSTA — A bill correcting a one-word clerical error potentially worth $38 million for an energy-efficiency program moved closer to final passage in the Legislature on Monday after weeks on the back burner. Read More
LePage’s LMF Moves Threaten Democratic Process, Former Conservation Officials Say
The hold-back of land bond funds defies a voter mandate, say a former commissioner and deputy commissioner. By Richard B. Anderson and Mark Sullivan Portland Press Herald op-ed Next to its people, Maine’s bounty of natural resources is our state’s greatest asset. For more than a quarter-century, the Land for Maine’s Future Program, with overwhelming public Read More
LePage Violating State Responsibility with Public Reserved Lands Harvest Plan
By Catherine B. Johnson, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Gov. Paul LePage threatens to increase logging on Maine’s Public Reserved Lands beyond sustainable levels and divert the revenues to unrelated purposes. But his plans run contrary to the origins, unique characteristics and purpose of these Lands. Maine has about 600,000 acres of Read More
LePage Says He has Ordered Investigation of Land for Maine’s Future
By Christopher Cousins Bangor Daily News news story Gov. Paul LePage made news on several fronts during a nearly hour-long press conference Friday at the Blaine House, which by now you’ve probably read something about. One of the tidbits we know the least about was LePage’s statement that he has called for an investigation into Read More
