Maine’s Climate Action Plan is appropriately titled Maine Won’t Wait. With record-breaking temperatures and wildfires in the western U.S., deadly floods in Germany, and a heatwave sweeping across Siberia, it is abundantly clear that the planet can’t wait any longer for the necessary widespread, global, and transformative actions required to address the mounting impacts of 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.
Legislative Session Delivers Big Victories for Maine’s Environment
NRCM news release July 21, 2021 (Augusta, ME) — The Maine Legislature delivered significant progress this year on a broad range of environmental issues that will benefit Mainers across the state, including new laws that will conserve thousands of acres of land, invest in upgrades for State Parks, weatherize thousands of homes owned by low-income Read More
New Maine Law Will Shift Recycling Costs to Producers of Packaging Waste
EPR for Packaging Will Save Taxpayer Money and Improve Recycling News release Maine has joined more than 40 jurisdictions around the world to require companies that create packaging waste help pay for the costs of recycling. It becomes the first state in the nation to pass an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging law (LD 1541) Read More
Reaching Out with Digital Outreach
The heart of NRCM’s mission has always been to mobilize people who care about Maine’s environment. This year, we are building on our legacy of grassroots organizing. We’re excited to introduce Kristin Jackson as our new Digital Outreach Manager. Kristin is building on our existing digital organizing work and is highly focused on finding more Read More
Victory for Land for Maine’s Future
Maine’s most popular and effective conservation program is finally funded, and the money will be available right away! On July 1, Governor Janet Mills signed into law LD 221, the FY21-23 Appropriations Bill, which includes $40 million over four years for the Land for Maine’s Future program (LMF). Because the budget was passed by at Read More
News & Noteworthy — April – June 2021
Here are 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. June 2021 New Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Maine and spent time at Acadia National Park, including watching the Read More
New Law Will Help Mainers Dispose of Unused Drugs Safely and for Free
News release from NRCM and the Product Stewardship Institute June 11, 2021 (Augusta, ME) — Mainers will be able to dispose of unused medications safely and for free under a bill signed into law by Governor Janet Mills. LD 8, sponsored by Senator Anne Carney and championed by former Senator Geoffrey Gratwick, will establish a network of drug-collection Read More
Support of An Act to Provide Allocations for the Distribution of State Fiscal Recovery Funds (LD 1733)
Senator Breen, Representative Pierce, and members of the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. 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 LD 1733, An Act To Provide Allocations for the Distribution of State Fiscal Recovery Read More
The Truth about Maine’s Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging Bill
Maine people want to recycle, but it has become too costly and too confusing. This is because much of our packaging waste cannot be easily recycled, and Maine’s municipalities are struggling to foot the bill and must raise taxes to support recycling programs. It’s high time to require the corporate producers of packaging waste—like Amazon, Read More
