NRCM news release June 13, 2019 – Land and water conservation projects nationwide would receive a big boost from a bipartisan bill introduced this week to guarantee full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), one of the nation’s most important conservation programs. The bill, HR 3195, introduced in the U.S. House of Read More
News Release
The Natural Resources Council of Maine creates news releases on issues related to our work. We are a nonprofit membership organization protecting, restoring, and conserving Maine’s environment, now and for future generations. We release news as necessary to inform our members, the general public, businesses, and others about threats and opportunities related to Maine’s environment. Often, these news releases are coupled with press conferences, and, as opportunity arises, they include steps people can take to get involved or take action. For more than 50 years, the Natural Resources Council of Maine has been protecting the places and way of life that make Maine so special.
For media inquiries for NRCM, please contact Colin Durrant by email or (207) 430-0103.
Maine House Passes Ban on Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
NRCM news release June 3, 2019 (Augusta, ME) — The Maine House of Representatives today passed a bill (LD 955) to ban offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration in Maine’s ocean waters. In January 2018, the U.S. Department of Interior proposed to vastly expand offshore drilling and exploration, including off the coast of Maine, Read More
Key Bill to Jump-start Solar Energy in Maine Approved by Committee
Augusta, ME (May 30, 2019) – A bipartisan bill aimed at sparking the development of solar energy in Maine received approval from the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities & Technology Committee (EUT) late last night. LD 1711, sponsored by Senator Dana Dow (R-Lincoln), would stimulate solar energy across the state by breaking down outdated barriers to investment Read More
Landmark Bill Would Protect Sustenance Fishing Rights in Maine’s Tribal Waters
May 29, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – Under a bill proposed by Governor Janet Mills that earned broad-based support during a public hearing today, Maine’s tribes will receive long-sought water quality protections for legal sustenance fishing rights provided to the tribes in the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980. The bill (LD 1775) addresses an Read More
NRCM Statement on Nomination of Phil Bartlett as PUC Chair
May 28, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – The Natural Resources Council of Maine released the following statement from Clean Energy Director Dylan Voorhees on Governor Mills’ nomination of Phil Bartlett as Chair of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC): “Phil Bartlett will provide the leadership on clean energy and energy efficiency that the PUC so desperately needs. Read More
Bill Would Upgrade Clean Water Protections for Maine Rivers
News Release May 23, 2019 (Augusta, ME) — More than 400 miles of Maine’s rivers and streams will receive increased legal protection under a bill (LD 1743) that will receive a public hearing today. Of particular significance, the bill includes critical portions of Maine’s largest river, the Penobscot, and 200 miles of trout streams flowing Read More
Bipartisan Bill Would Accelerate Investment in Solar Energy Across Maine
News release May 16, 2019 (Augusta, ME) – For the last five years Maine has ranked last in New England for solar energy generation and number of solar jobs per capita. A new bipartisan bill that received a public hearing today aims to reverse that trend by accelerating the development of more than 400 megawatts Read More
U.S. EPA Says CMP’s Permit Application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is Incomplete
Also Says CMP Permit Application Does Not Examine Less-damaging Alternatives, Such as Burial Along Existing Roads NRCM news release As Central Maine Power’s (CMP) controversial transmission line proposal continues to face growing scrutiny and opposition from Maine people and towns, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just issued a strongly worded letter to the Read More
Maine PUC Intentionally Holding Energy Efficiency Back, Costing Consumers Millions in Savings
NRCM news release May 3, 2019 (Hallowell, ME) – The staff at the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has recommended dramatic cuts to Efficiency Maine’s proposed three-year plan aimed at helping Maine households, businesses, towns, and industry save money through investments in energy efficiency. The staff recommendation released yesterday follows a disturbing pattern by the Read More
