March 5, 2025 (Augusta, ME) — A final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued for four dams on Maine’s lower Kennebec River ignores the best available science and could doom endangered Atlantic salmon to extinction while harming recovery of other sea-run fish, according to a coalition of local residents, conservation organizations, and fishing groups, together with Read More
river restoration
Alewives Abound at Benton Falls
At the end of May we were lucky enough to join our colleagues on a field trip to the Benton Falls Dam on the Sebasticook River to see the alewife (river herring) run. Alewives spend the majority of their lives in the ocean and only follow freshwater routes to spawn in interior lakes and ponds Read More
December 15, 2022: Restoring Atlantic Rivers and Their Great Fish Migrations
NRCM welcomed John Waldman — scientist, author, and educator — to discuss how we can restore Maine’s rivers and the great fish migrations they were once home to. Zoom in with John Waldman: Restoring Atlantic Rivers and Their Great Fish Migrations Thursday, December 15, 2022 About John Waldman: John is a tenured biology professor at Queens Read More
News & Noteworthy — July – September 2022
Read highlights from September 2022 news stories and opinion pieces related to the environment, including Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife, in this News & Noteworthy from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. September 2022 We didn’t want to wait to share the fantastic news stories about yesterday’s Clean Water Champions event in Lewiston, so Read More
The Path to Restoring Maine’s Kennebec River
Today, the future of the Kennebec River is at a turning point. Maine can continue the highly successful restoration of the river that has taken place over the past 20 years and help save Atlantic salmon from becoming extinct. We can improve the health of the river and enhance communities along the Kennebec. Doing so, however, will Read More
Conservationists Call on Brookfield to Protect Endangered Salmon as Spring Migration Begins
Kennebec Coalition and Conservation Law Foundation news release April 1, 2022 (Augusta, ME) – As juvenile Atlantic salmon begin their spring migration to and from the Gulf of Maine, conservation groups are calling on the owner of four Kennebec River dams to act to prevent illegal injuries and death to this critically endangered fish species. Read More
Opposition to LD 1979
Senator Brenner, Representative Tucker, and members of the ENR Committee: My name is Nick Bennett, and I am the staff scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), Maine’s largest environmental advocacy group with more than 25,000 members and supporters. I am testifying in strong opposition to LD 1979. This primary purpose of this Read More
Environmental Groups Denounce Brookfield Renewable Partners for Engaging in “Greenwashing”
Kennebec Coalition news release November 15, 2021 (Augusta, ME) — Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE: BEP) (TSX: BEP-UN) is “greenwashing” its hydropower assets in the state of Maine to profit from investors seeking environmentally and socially responsible enterprises, according to a coalition of groups fighting for the removal of four of the company’s antiquated dams on Read More
Groups Seek Injunction to Stop Brookfield Operations at Four Lower Kennebec Dams
Atlantic Salmon Federation | Conservation Law Foundation | Maine Rivers | Natural Resources Council of Maine News release October 21, 2021 (Augusta, ME) – Conservation groups today asked a federal judge to issue a preliminary injunction to immediately stop or curtail operations at four dams on the lower Kennebec River to protect endangered Atlantic salmon during Read More
