The future of Maine wildlife and habitat conservation policies and programs depends upon decisions made by our elected officials. While Maine Audubon does not endorse candidates in any election, we are able to ask questions and educate candidates on wildlife and habitat issues.
As we’ve done in the past, Maine Audubon invited all candidates running to be our state’s next Governor who qualified for the upcoming primary election to participate in a 13-question survey covering a variety of wildlife-related topics. All candidates were asked to submit their answers by May 1 and keep answers to each question to less than 250 words. Candidates were told that submitted questionnaires would be provided to reporters covering the Governor’s race, shared directly with our membership, and made publicly available on our website.
Seven candidates qualified for the Republican Party Primary Election on June 9: Jonathan Bush, Robert Charles, David Jones, Garrett Mason, Owen McCarthy, Ben Midgley, and Robert Wessels.
Five candidates qualified for the Democratic Party Primary Election on June 9: Shenna Bellows, Troy Jackson, Angus King III, Hannah Pingree, and Nirav Shah.
Four candidates completed our survey by the May 1 deadline: Shenna Bellows (D), Troy Jackson (D), Hannah Pingree (D), and Nirav Shah (D). Click on their names to read their answers to each of the questions below.
Maine has 57 endangered and threatened species. According to a 2024 Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife report, the fund that supports the conservation of these species “is inadequate to address the basic science and habitat conservation needs necessary to ensure healthy wildlife populations in Maine.” What would you do to help address this problem?
My husband and I are birders, so the potential loss of species like the black tern, blackpoll warbler, and saltmarsh sparrow mean a lot to me. And it’s not just about the birds, but the loss of the diverse habitats that support and sustain the birds. But, as Maine Audubon efforts to protect birds like piping plovers have clearly demonstrated, we can take meaningful action to protect species and the habitats that support them.
When the IF&W itself tells us that the fund protecting our 57 endangered and threatened species is inadequate to meet even basic science and habitat conservation needs, that is not a bureaucratic footnote — that is a warning we have to take seriously. The first thing I’ll do is make sure the Endangered and Nongame Wildlife Fund is actually funded at the level the science demands. Right now that fund relies heavily on income streams that were never designed to carry the weight of a serious statewide conservation program. As governor, I will work with the Legislature to establish more stable, dedicated revenue for wildlife conservation.
The Maine Endangered Species Act has helped prevent extinctions and safeguarded ecosystems that underpin our economy and communities for over 50 years. However, identifying vulnerable species and implementing effective recovery plans requires time, scientific expertise, and consistent, long-term funding. It’s clear that funding exists, but it’s not enough and it’s all made up of voluntary contributions. To adequately address our state’s biodiversity challenges, this has to change.
I am grateful that many conservation organizations in Maine have taken on the work of identifying several pathways to establish long-term, dedicated funding sources for our state’s core environmental programs. I would lean heavily on this past research and collaboration to inform policy initiatives. This kind of work requires creative thinking and thoughtful partnership. Other states have prioritized conservation funding and we must absolutely do the same to protect the extraordinary nature of Maine. For example, I understand Georgia and Texas routed some dollars spent on outdoor gear to help support public land and wildlife conservation programs. We have options, we just need to do it.
While I served in the Legislature, more than a dozen species were added to this list. Watching vulnerable species recover and, hopefully, come off the list is part of a legacy I’d like to leave behind. As your Governor, I would support establishing new, adequate funding sources for the Endangered and Nongame Wildlife Fund.
I would consider increasing the cost of the Loon Plate, which is the fund’s biggest contributor and explore other creative ways to provide long-term funding for the important work of the threatened species programs. In my work leading the Maine Climate Council, we created the Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, which just released its latest interim report (it mentions this IFW Wildlife report). The Subcommittee includes the best and brightest of Maine’s climate science experts, who ground the Council and Maine people in the best available data to inform their decisions and actions. I worked to ensure that we have an accurate grasp of the problems, which is the first step to effectively using public funds to address them. While we’ve made progress over the past 7 years, I think more effort needs to be made to prioritize the top research projects and conservation needs in this state and then collaborate across state agencies, state-based science entities, and private philanthropy to fund the most urgent projects.
Maine’s natural heritage is one of our greatest strengths, but right now we are asking too much of an under-resourced system. As governor, I will work to ensure the fund supporting endangered and threatened species is adequately funded so we can meet the basic science, monitoring, and habitat conservation needs identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Budgets are about values—and I will choose to protect the natural resources that define Maine. That means making sustained investments, not one-time fixes.
We also need to better integrate conservation into decision-making across state government. Too often, habitat protection is treated as an afterthought rather than a core priority. I will ensure agencies are working together so that development, infrastructure, and conservation efforts are aligned.
Finally, I will expand partnerships with land trusts, conservation organizations, and local communities to protect critical habitats at scale.
This is about stewardship. If we want future generations to experience Maine the way we do today, we need to act with urgency and invest accordingly.
Healthy lakes and ponds are essential to Maine wildlife and Maine’s economy. For example, Common Loons require clean water, as they are visual predators that rely on clear waters to see and pursue fish. What actions, if any, would you pursue regarding the health of Maine lakes and ponds?
Protecting Maine lakes and ponds is about protecting the Maine way of life. As a longtime member of the Manchester Conservation Commission, I’m acutely aware of the challenges impacting lakes like Cobbossee from invasive species to lead fishing tackles to stormwater runoff, not to mention warming temperatures driven by climate change and the chronic underfunding of the science and management programs that monitor and protect them.
As Governor, I will partner with the Maine Lakes Coalition to increase support from the state to support boat inspection programs, in-lake phosphorus reduction treatment for impaired lakes, watershed surveys to identify water quality threats and stormwater infrastructure and culvert replacement. Additionally, I will invest in DEP staff capacity to partner with local experts to research emerging threats, promote best practices and provide technical assistance and public education to increase local capacity to protect the lakes we love.
We all depend on clean water and must do all in our power to protect it for Maine’s people, wildlife, and the environment. Compared to other states, Maine has relatively clean water, and as a result, Maine is the last stronghold in the eastern U.S. for wild brook trout and has the only remaining populations of landlocked arctic char and sea-run Atlantic salmon. Our state also harbors the largest population of common loons in the eastern U.S. Decades of science has told us that most species either live in or around aquatic habitats. Plus, our outdoor economy and sporting traditions rely on the health of Maine’s thousands of miles of rivers and thousands of lakes and ponds.
In order to protect these waters and the people and wildlife that rely on them, we must strengthen forestry and other land-use and development regulations in the shoreland zone; adequately fund invasive aquatic species prevention and management; improve stormwater management standards; reduce pollution by setting stricter limits on chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers; and invest in wastewater and septic upgrades.
We must take a comprehensive approach to managing Maine’s watersheds and water quality in a rapidly changing climate, with warming, stronger storms, and increasing impacts from both natural and man-made pollutants. Our water systems need to be more resilient to protect public safety, health and infrastructure—upgrading wastewater and stormwater infrastructure is critical—but we also need to assess downstream impacts from all types of pollutants.
By integrating infrastructure planning, land conservation, and watershed management from a systems perspective, we can improve water quality holistically, increase resilience to storm impacts, and maximize benefits for communities. I’ve led the work to secure new state and federal resources to advance this work over the past several years with the creation of the State Resilience Office and coordination of the unprecedented federal investments for both water and resilient infrastructure. I know that in a time of declining federal support, we’ll need more innovative funding solutions to ensure that the urgent short and long-term needs of communities are met, especially preparing for a changing climate.
Partnerships with communities addressing pond and lake water quality are also essential.
As Maine’s climate warms, marine and freshwater environments face additional threats: waterborne diseases, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, and flooding-related contamination. We will expand monitoring of both public water bodies and drinking water sources—especially after storms—for bacteria, saltwater intrusion, and wellhead contamination, while continuing to invest in wastewater infrastructure improvements to safeguard public health.
Clean lakes and ponds are essential to Maine’s wildlife, public health, and economy. As governor, I will take a comprehensive approach to protecting water quality.
In my environmental plan, I prioritize strengthening watershed protections, addressing runoff, and investing in monitoring so we can identify and respond to threats early. We also need to upgrade aging infrastructure, particularly wastewater and stormwater systems, that are contributing to water quality issues.
I will also work to reduce pollution at the source, including addressing contaminants that impact water clarity and ecosystem health. Protecting riparian buffers and managing development near waterways will be key.
This is not theoretical. When water quality declines, it impacts everything, from loons and fisheries to tourism and local economies.
Mainers take pride in these resources. My responsibility as governor will be to ensure we are making the investments and policy decisions necessary to keep our lakes and ponds clean and healthy for generations to come.
Coldwater fish like the Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon are uniquely adapted to the pristine, cold, oxygen-rich waters that Maine provides. However, these species face growing threats from warming water temperatures; habitat fragmentation from dams and culverts; pollution; and land-use changes that degrade the clean, connected waterways they depend on. How would you address the conservation of these and other coldwater fish in Maine?
I would work on three things. First, I would identify refuge lakes that could be safe havens for our cold water fish, as they did in Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota and increasing protections for those lakes. Second, I would encourage additional monitoring and investments in culverts and shoreline habitat protection to make sure we are limiting runoff to protect the health of our waterways. Finally, I would work with advocates like Trout Unlimited and Upstream to enact conservation measures to prevent the spread of invasive species and maintain high water quality to prevent additional problems.
When I was growing up fishing with my grandfather I did not know I would be the last generation to experience the wonders of northern Maine fishing as they had always been known. By the time my sons were old enough to fish, brook trout could hardly be caught in our home rivers. While brook trout decline has a lot to do with climate change, it also has a great deal to do with actions being made right here in Maine and the failure of past governors to protect our waters. We can no longer defer to industrial interests and we have got to remain vigilant when it comes to managing development that all too often is given a free pass by state agencies so long as it satisfies other policy goals. I understand that the conservation of coldwater fish in Maine requires that we prioritize the connectivity and conservation of undeveloped lakes and rivers and the watersheds, wetlands, streams, and brooks that connect to them.
Embracing actions to keep Maine’s waterways cool and functional like those detailed in Maine Audubon’s Forests for Maine Fish guidebooks to protect riparian habitats and repair stream connectivity are key. Bolstering existing state programs and protocols to advance this work from modernizing management forestry standards or reimagining failing infrastructure that’s fragmenting coldwater fish populations in municipalities is how we better protect our waters.
Maine has an opportunity to build on the progress we’ve made protecting habitat for these two iconic species. I will also work to defend and supplement the new Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) funding that was just passed by the Legislature. Since its inception in 1987, LMF has helped to protect hundreds of thousands of acres across Maine, including key brook trout habitat at areas like Cold Stream in western Maine and important Atlantic salmon habitat along the Machias and Dennys rivers in Washington County. Additionally, I will push for additional state through the Municipal Stream Crossing Grant Program to upgrade culverts to restore fish/wildlife passage and improve climate resilience. As director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, I helped direct nearly $6 million to address blocked stream crossings, but we know there is so much more to do. Studies suggest some 80 percent of culverts pose a barrier to the passage of aquatic organisms, often due to being undersized, perched, or blocked.
We can’t do it alone, Maine needs a strong federal partner to help fund this important work. In the past, we’ve relied on the US Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, and the Department of Transportation to bring critical resources to this work – from places like the Penobscot River watershed, the St. Croix River watershed, and the Kennebec River. As Governor, my administration will work hard to ensure these partnerships continue.
Protecting coldwater fish like brook trout and Atlantic salmon requires protecting the systems they depend on: cold, clean, connected waterways.
In my environmental plan, I call for accelerating culvert and dam upgrades to restore fish passage and reconnect habitats. We must protect riparian buffers and reduce pollution that degrades water quality.
Climate change is a major threat here. As governor, I will pursue an aggressive climate agenda to reduce emissions and protect the long-term viability of these ecosystems. This is about taking a systems-level approach, aligning infrastructure, land use, and conservation policy so we are not undermining these species unintentionally.
Maine’s outdoor traditions and economy are tied to these species. Protecting them means protecting both our environment and our way of life.
The Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey (Maliseet), and Abenaki have been stewards of the lands and waters that we now call Maine for centuries. As governor, how would you plan on addressing the policy priorities of the Wabanaki Nations?
I’ve supported tribal sovereignty for my entire career. On Day 1 of my administration, I’ll introduce a governor’s bill, written in collaboration with Wabanaki leaders, to amend the Maine Implementing Act, ensuring that Wabanaki Nations have the same rights, privileges, powers, duties, and immunities as the other 570 federally recognized tribes. Recognizing tribal sovereignty is not only the right thing to do to restore historic wrongs, but it is also good for Maine, as it will unlock benefits for all Mainers.
I will bring the same collaborative approach that I’ve brought to my work as Secretary of State to the relationships with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribes, and Penobscot Nation by inviting them into decision-making by my Administration and showing up when there are opportunities to support them. I’m committed to inviting Wabanaki leaders to serve in my Administration and ensuring that every member of my Cabinet values and practices respect for sovereignty in every level of decision-making that impacts tribal nations.
As governor, I will bring this approach to formalizing early and ongoing partnerships with the tribal nations in decision-making about energy, healthcare, economic development, land-use and natural resource management to include the tribal nations as we tackle the challenges before us.
For too long, the state’s relationship with the Wabanaki Nations has amounted to nothing more than symbolic gestures and empty promises – and this is at the best of times. For much longer, the state’s relationship with Wabanaki people was far worse. ln recent years, the Legislature has made great strides in repairing the fraught relationship between our governments. We set up a commission to examine the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act and convened for a Joint Convention of the Maine Legislature to hear from the Chiefs of Wabanaki Nations. We also passed laws to support economic development, improve access to clean drinking water, recognize the exclusive jurisdiction of tribal courts, enshrine protections for Wabanaki children and their families into state law, among others. It was an honor to help advance so many of these efforts.
Yet, we’ve still fallen short of what we owe our indigenous neighbors when it comes to respecting tribal sovereignty and self-determination. That is something I carry with me even as my time in the Legislature has come to a close. The time has come and passed for us to rectify our laws and honor the inherent sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations. I was proud to be the first candidate in this race to commit to restoring full tribal sovereignty because it will be the very first bill I introduce on Day 1 of my administration.
First, I would introduce a Governor’s bill, in collaboration with the Tribal Nations, to amend the Maine Implementing Act and support full Tribal Sovereignty – giving Tribal Nations the same rights and powers as the other 570 federally recognized Indian Tribes and I’d urge the Legislature to pass it during my first 100 days in office. It is important that this issue doesn’t languish any further and I would use all of the powers of my office to ensure that it passes quickly, working in partnership with Tribal Chiefs and leaders.
Tribal Nations and their people have a deep connection to the lands and waters. Tribal approaches to managing natural lands, waters, and the environment are remarkable and important to emphasize – Tribal members are the original conservationists. I’m supportive of completing the 1980 Settlement Act to purchase the lands that were intended to be purchased and I would also support Tribal Governments converting current fee lands to trust lands, if that is what the Tribes are interested in doing. I believe the continued partnership between Maine’s conservation community and Tribal Nations to expand Tribal land access and ownership should be encouraged, and I would support continued work to advance these efforts.
As governor, I will sign legislation restoring tribal sovereignty to the Wabanaki Nations as soon as possible.
This is long overdue. It is about fairness, respect, and recognizing the rights of the Wabanaki Nations to govern themselves and pursue economic opportunity on their own terms.
But this cannot stop at legislation. I will ensure that Wabanaki leaders have a seat at the table in decisions related to land, water, and natural resource management. Their knowledge and stewardship are essential to making better decisions for Maine.
This is also about partnership. When we work together, we strengthen both our communities and our economy.
This is a moment for leadership, and I am committed to getting this done.
Plastic pollution and toxics, such as pesticides, industrial chemicals, and heavy metals, pose significant threats to wildlife by contaminating habitats, disrupting food chains, and causing health issues like reproductive failure and developmental abnormalities. What actions, if any, would you take to address the presence of toxics in Maine’s environment?
Maine faces real and documented threats from plastics and toxic chemicals, and addressing them requires a comprehensive, precaution-based approach. First, I would support and strengthen Maine’s existing extended producer responsibility laws to reduce plastic waste at the source, while also advocating for stricter regulations on PFAS or “forever chemicals”, which are already contaminating agricultural soils and drinking water across the state. To protect wildlife, I would expand monitoring programs for heavy metals and pesticides in coastal and inland waterways, particularly in areas where loons, eagles, and marine mammals live, and work with Maine DEP and MDIFW to prioritize remediation of contaminated sites near critical wildlife habitat. On the agricultural and industrial side, promoting integrated pest management practices among Maine farmers would help reduce pesticide runoff into rivers and estuaries, while consistent enforcement of Clean Water Act permits would hold industrial polluters accountable. Equally important is partnering with Wabanaki Nations, who depend heavily on fish and wildlife and are often among the first to experience the effects of toxic contamination, ensuring they are central voices in monitoring and policy decisions. Finally, funding community-based water quality monitoring and shoreline cleanup programs would engage residents directly in protecting their local environments. Ultimately, the guiding principle behind all of these actions is precaution — acting before harm is fully proven rather than waiting for irreversible damage, because Maine’s natural environment is both ecologically vital and economically foundational to the people and wildlife who depend on it.
Protecting Maine from plastic pollution and the presence of toxics will be a significant priority of my environmental agenda – and one that I have personal experience with. As a logger by trade, I have spent years working in the forest products industry. Large landowners started to incorporate aerial herbicide spraying as a part of their forestry management plans around 30 years ago. The justification for the use of aerial spraying glyphosate has always been that it is a necessary and useful practice–one that would regenerate the growth of our forests, protect our environment, and save jobs in the industry in the long run. Aerial spraying can drift over long distances, and the lingering presence of these chemicals gets into groundwater and streams, and harms wildlife and plants alike. To me, the damage in these areas is clear and I would seek to put an end to aerial herbicide spraying as Governor.
Our pollution issues don’t end here though. We can reduce pollution by setting stricter limits on chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers across the state; reducing unnecessary plastics – especially those that are single-use; among others.
In nearly every campaign event I’ve held and attended (and there have been over 300!), I have talked about my work fighting the chemical industry to pass nation-leading bans on flame retardants and the Kids Safe Product Act in 2008. This bill is among the work I’m most proud of when I look back at my time in the Legislature. After my time in the legislature, I spent several years working to successfully reform the federal Toxic Substance Control Act as a part of a national coalition – testifying before the U.S. Senate, lobbying Congress, and speaking out in national forums.
More recently, I was among the first officials in the Mills Administration to raise the alarm about PFAS in 2019, working with partners like Defend Our Health to launch the state’s first task force on the issue. Since then, I’ve supported state funding to help farmers, strengthen water quality protections, and advance mitigation and cleanup efforts. As governor, I will continue to back meaningful reforms that put the health of Maine people, farmers, and communities ahead of polluters.
Key investments that require ongoing support include upgrading sewer and water systems, stormwater management and culverts, and protecting natural lands that buffer runoff and PFAS contamination. I am open to additional work on other priority chemicals, working in partnership with key stakeholders. Again, this work should ensure that the state’s under-resourced communities have both the technical support and priority when it comes to state funding programs.
Toxics and pollution pose serious risks to wildlife, public health, and Maine’s future, and PFAS contamination has made clear just how urgent this challenge is.
In my environmental plan, I outline a comprehensive approach to both address existing contamination and prevent future harm. That includes accelerating PFAS cleanup efforts, supporting impacted farmers and communities, and strengthening monitoring so we can identify and respond to contamination earlier.
We also need to stop these problems at the source. That means reducing the use of harmful chemicals, strengthening regulations, and holding polluters accountable when they contaminate our land and water.
This is not just an environmental issue, it is a public health issue. Mainers should not have to worry about whether their water is safe or whether contamination is impacting their livelihoods.
As governor, I will act with urgency to address PFAS and other toxics, protect our natural resources, and ensure that Maine remains a place where families can live, work, and build a future.
In 2020, the Maine Climate Council set a goal to conserve 30% of natural and working lands in the state by 2030. ~22.5%, or 4.3 million acres of land in the state, has been conserved to date. In order to reach this goal, land would need to be conserved at 5x the rate that it is today. How do you plan on responding to this goal?
Just as I’ve made it my brand and mission to solve hard challenges by bringing people together, I think we can solve this problem by bringing together the Wabanaki People, LMF, state leaders and current landowners. I’d like to explore innovative partnerships with land trusts and philanthropists to purchase and conserve more land. We need to turn over every stone to protect Maine’s natural beauty in the face of climate change and habitat devastation.
I unequivocally support our state’s current goal to increase conserved natural and working lands in the state to 30% by 2030. Maine is rich with biodiversity and natural areas which define the character of our state. These resources are of global importance. To help protect these places, we must increase the total acreage of conserved lands. One-time, random appropriations bolstering our land conservation efforts are not going to cut it. One obvious first step is to establish a dedicated, secure source of funding for the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program. I always have and always will support LMF. It’s our state’s most successful land conservation program for a reason – it brings the farming, fishing, forestry, and environmental communities together.
I believe it is not only critical to fund our land conservation programs, but to make sure that the state focuses their conservation efforts on both rare and high biodiversity areas to support land and water connectivity and ecosystem health. The state’s efforts to conserve endangered and threatened species and identify habitats of statewide ecological significance must be elevated. Conserving dwindling habitat types such as old-growth forests and richly biodiverse areas such as salt marshes and estuaries will help make our communities and ecosystems more resilient in the face of climate change and increasing development pressures.
As the founding Chair of the Maine Climate Council, I’m glad you asked! With our population growing—and expected to grow further due to climate migration and workforce needs—we must strengthen both land conservation and smart land use planning, and move more aggressively to meet Maine’s 2030 goal. Protecting Maine’s natural and working lands is essential not only to preserve what makes our state special and meet climate goals, but also to address urgent needs for housing, community resilience, and resource access to the ocean, farmland, and forests for communities, farmers and harvesters.
Investments in the LMF program, with a focus on farmland, working waterfronts, resilience, and public access, are key. My leadership in this effort—from supporting past successful LMF bonds to recently advancing the $25 million Working Waterfront Resilience Grant Program—has been critical in supporting Maine’s natural heritage industries while protecting and maintaining accessibility to our lands and waters.
My administration will continue to partner with state and local land trusts, communities, conservation organizations, and private landowners to meet these goals. I will also provide leadership for a public-private campaign that engages philanthropic, business, and non-profit partners in a coordinated conservation effort to achieve Maine’s ambitious conservation goals in a way that also supports housing, economic opportunity, and climate resilience.
The 30% by 2030 goal reflects the urgency of protecting Maine’s natural resources, and we need to accelerate our efforts to meet it.
As governor, I will prioritize partnerships with land trusts, conservation organizations, and local communities to scale up conservation efforts. We also need to ensure that conservation supports working lands and local economies.
This is not about choosing between conservation and growth. It is about doing both thoughtfully.
We need clear goals, accountability, and sustained investment to get there.
Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation are the greatest threats to wildlife in Maine. In recent years, policymakers’ interest in meeting housing and other development goals have resulted in significant changes to Maine’s environmental permitting laws in order to facilitate expedited housing development. What is your perspective on this issue?
I reject the false choice that we can’t have more housing and conserve habitat. We need to build more densely and smartly. We should be investing in community-based, affordable senior housing and social housing for young people. We can reinvigorate our downtowns and allow taller buildings and more accessory dwelling rather than massive habitat destruction to create single family homes where once grew forests. We also cannot wait decades when housing is a critical issue facing Mainers today. We can do this by bringing people together and talking proactively, not having people suing after the fact.
The nature of Maine is extraordinary. What we do to conserve our woods, waters, and wildlife now will define who we are as a state for generations to come. The threats–from unchecked development to fierce storms and rising temperatures–to our natural assets are great and mounting.
I believe that we can balance our conservation priorities with our work to tackle housing affordability. It’s no secret that working families are being priced out of Maine while Wall Street investors and out-of-state millionaires buy up our communities. From Kittery to Fort Kent, too many of the people who actually make this state run can’t afford to live here anymore. My administration would tackle the housing crisis with the speed, scale, and focus working families deserve without compromising the environmental permitting laws that have helped protect the integrity of our working and natural lands and waters for decades. Advancing creatively policies that help protect the housing that we do have from predatory purchasing schemes and accelerates building dense, innovative, and affordable housing in places where it’s best-suited and needed are core to embracing growth in a smart way.
I released a housing affordability plan late last year and was the first to do so among my colleagues who are running for Governor. My plan seeks to double the pace of housing production across Maine to meet the urgent demand for more housing Mainers can afford, while serving the diverse needs of our people and communities, and prioritizing support for good planning, density, and reducing sprawl.
I strongly support land use laws, zoning and local ordinances that encourage denser development in downtowns, in-fill development, transit-ready development, and re-use of existing buildings.
I’ve been engaged in processes, like the state commission that recommended LD 2003, as well multiple state reports that recommended state and local practices that increase density and support communities in improving their planning to increase housing production and prevent sprawl, like the Roadmap for the Future of Housing Production.
I also helped lead the development of the new Housing Opportunity Program and the Maine Office of Community Affairs, both of which are state agencies and grant programs built to help support good community planning, ordinance development, and housing plans that meet smart growth goals. Through the Maine Climate Council process, I have also strongly supported housing development that reduces transportation emissions, encourages walkability of communities, and increases the ability for diverse communities to find quality housing they can afford. I’ve helped communities and state agencies implement local projects that meet these goals – from transit planning to community grant programs like the highly successful Community Resilience Partnership.
We are facing both a housing crisis and a conservation challenge, and we cannot afford to treat them as competing priorities.
I’ve been clear: I’m not going to kick this crisis down the road and we must build more homes. But we need to do that in a way that protects the natural resources that make Maine special.
That means focusing new housing where infrastructure already exists: near downtowns, job centers, and existing communities, all while avoiding unnecessary sprawl into sensitive habitats. This entails prioritizing density, where infrastructure supports so, so that fewer habitats are disturbed. It also means modernizing permitting so we can build housing faster and more predictably, while still protecting critical natural resources.
We also need to be clear about what we are protecting. Identifying and prioritizing critical habitats will allow us to direct development away from the places that matter most for wildlife. We can build the housing Maine needs and protect our environment, but only if we are intentional about how and where we grow.
As governor, I will take a balanced, data-driven approach that delivers both.
Climate change is a major threat to wildlife and habitat in Maine. How do you plan to address climate change in Maine?
I will move forward with Maine Won’t Wait to continue the progress that has been made, but go further to ensure that we’re bringing an affordability lens to investments to ensure that working families can be part of the solution.
Early on in my campaign I reached out to Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization, for advice. I agree with him that we are in a moment of extraordinary opportunity. China and Europe are making tremendous investments in solar, and solar panels have become affordable. Maine’s predatory utilities and outdated bureaucratic structures have created a situation where solar advocates were pitted against affordability advocates, which is absurd given how cheap and sustainable solar can be. We need to:
Make direct public investments in the grid where necessary to facilitate more residential solar connections;
Implement connect and manage mandates like Texas is doing to force the utilities to allow residential solar connections to the grid. We should replace the connection agreements currently required with simpler notification requirements to eliminate the stranglehold utilities have on solar connections;
Go big on direct investments in heat pumps and solar panels for LIHEAP-eligible property owners where tax credits aren’t enough (because they don’t have the start-up capital to do the installations); and
Invest in transit and transportation infrastructure to combat emissions
Climate action has been an important part of my legacy in the Legislature, and it absolutely would continue to be as Governor. It’s no secret that I’ve disagreed with Governor Mills on a whole lot of issues, but when it comes to climate and clean energy I give her a lot of credit for leading our state in the right direction. The most obvious example of this is the Maine Climate Council’s work. The Maine Climate Action Plan is a towering achievement that should not be understated. However, I understand that many of its individual tenets remain unfulfilled. Collaborating with climate and environmental NGOs, as well as Wabanaki stakeholders, to act on realizing the full promise of the plan is an unequivocal priority of mine.
As Governor, you can count on me to continue Governor Mills’s resolve and ambition on climate and clean energy action. Our north star is correct, and I plan to keep us moving in that direction as a state. However, my administration will take a different path in at least three ways: 1) Tribal Sovereignty will be core to our climate work; 2) Including strong labor standards in all of our climate policies – if we want to make lasting progress as a state on climate, we’ve got to make sure the economy we’re building is fairer than the one we’re leaving behind; and 3) Tackling the energy affordability issue head-on because if we deliver clean energy that’s cheaper and more reliable Mainers will believe in strong climate policy.
I will make climate and environmental leadership a top priority as Governor, building on Maine’s role as a national leader in showing how bold climate action can strengthen our economy, protect communities, protect wildlife, and improve public health. Delivering results will require strong leadership, effective agency coordination, clear communication, community engagement, and sustained investment.
I wrote Maine’s climate law, co-chaired Maine’s Climate Council, and launched Maine’s climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, which reflects the urgency we face as climate impacts already affect our economy, health, and environment. It outlines a practical path to support businesses, protect people, create jobs, and prepare for future risks. I will build on the Mills administration’s focus on resilience, affordability, clean energy, and support for rural and low-income communities—while accelerating progress, deepening community engagement, and addressing challenges like federal rollbacks and misinformation.
My administration will sharpen accountability for utilities, ensuring reliable, affordable energy while advancing clean energy and modernizing the grid. We will pursue innovative financing, strengthen oversight, and evaluate the roles of key energy agencies to better deliver results. I will advance Tribal sovereignty to strengthen collaboration on climate and environmental stewardship. I will expand support for community resilience and emergency preparedness by deepening partnerships across governments, organizations, and institutions.
Finally, I will increase focus on land conservation, meeting our 30 by 30 goals and more smart land use focus—protecting natural and working lands while supporting housing and resilient community development.
Climate change is already impacting Maine, from warming waters that threaten fisheries to changing ecosystems that put wildlife at risk.
As governor, I will pursue an aggressive climate agenda that both reduces emissions and invests in resilience. That includes accelerating clean energy, modernizing our grid, and protecting natural systems that help buffer against climate impacts.
We are also seeing federal actions from Donald Trump that egregiously undermine climate progress. As governor, I will stand up for Maine, protecting our environment, defending our clean energy progress, and making sure we are not set back by decisions coming out of Washington.
Maine has bold climate and clean energy goals. What factors are important to consider when balancing renewable energy development with impacts to wildlife and habitat?
All factors should be considered. We need to swing big to electrify and build the path toward a renewable future, while also keeping a conservation lens. The truth is some hard decisions will need to be made. We need to build out renewable infrastructure, and fast, in order to protect the most possible species. But we need to be careful and thoughtful; it is a difficult balance and one I will work every day to maintain. As a state senator and as Secretary, this is something I’ve been very good at– bringing people in rooms to have open conversations, identify priorities and red lines, and find a compromise all sides can be happy with.
Maine is the most heating oil-dependent state in the nation. To protect the future of our communities and environment, it is imperative that we embrace a transition to clean energy. The federal government’s hostility toward climate action and the deployment of renewable energy requires that we act now – and boldly – within our state borders.
Maine cannot meet its climate goals without offshore wind. I am proud that my unique relationship with organized labor, the Wabanaki Nations, and the lobstering community allowed us to reach consensus between those groups and environmental organizations on how to proceed with offshore wind development here in Maine. We were able to successfully receive federal approval for limiting offshore wind development to a region in the Gulf of Maine that lobstering communities felt would be least invasive to fishing. As Governor I will prioritize Maine finding its own way to keep us on track with offshore wind despite the obstinance of the Trump Administration.
In addition to offshore wind, we know we need to embrace onshore grid-scale projects too. But, we know that all development – renewable energy included – impacts our environment. Adequately researching potential impacts to wildlife and ecosystems and mitigating those impacts is critical. Maine’s environmental permitting laws are strong and projects that best avoid negative environmental impacts and take steps to improve conditions as much as possible for wildlife should be prioritized.
Maine must continue to lead in clean, renewable energy development in order to hit its clean energy goals but we must do it thoughtfully and ensure protection of Maine’s natural resources and wildlife. I support strong environmental standards for these projects, as I believe that protecting the environment is one of the key reasons for ushering in renewables in the first place.
Maine has robust requirements in law, and I support implementing them in fair and transparent ways. For example, I support approaches, such as some of the approaches of the Agricultural Solar Stakeholder Group and subsequent implementation statutes, which balance development with the protection and conservation of natural and working lands – both of which offer climate and environmental benefits. I believe more support for community planning, robust public engagement and demonstrated community benefits are key to the success of larger-scale renewable energy projects and I think the state will continue to play a role in improving those processes and incentivizing them.
First, smart siting. Renewable energy projects should be located in places that minimize impacts on critical wildlife habitat, migration corridors, and sensitive ecosystems. We need to use the best available science to guide those decisions, and we need to be clear about what areas should be protected.
Second, this has to be a transparent process. Communities deserve a real seat at the table, and decisions should be made openly and with input from local stakeholders, conservation groups, and tribal nations.
Third, we should prioritize development that makes the most of existing infrastructure: repowering sites, using already-disturbed land, and building closer to where energy is needed – so we reduce pressure on undeveloped landscapes.
I believe we can meet our clean energy goals and protect Maine’s wildlife and habitat, but it requires thoughtful planning and a commitment to getting it right.
Over the past eight years, the Maine Department of Education has created new positions and programs around climate education, Wabanaki Studies, and green schools. What is your perspective on the role that these initiatives play in Maine schools?
These initiatives are great and I’ve been proud to support them. However, we cannot expect them to succeed without giving them- and the teachers they work with the resources to succeed. We cannot expect one or two staff members to effectively teach every child in the state Wabanaki History. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Maine Educators Association because I know how critical it is to make sure our schools are well resourced. Whether from programs at the department of Ed or in our classrooms, I’ll be sure to champion these topics like climate education and Wabanaki Studies.
Embracing a culture of care and respect for our environment requires teaching so early on and often. Maine’s climate education programs, Wabanaki Studies teachings, and green schools sustainability initiatives and leadership trainings are vital components of this work. I was proud to co-sponsor legislation to strengthen Wabanaki Studies in 2023 to help make sure that all Maine students are learning about the people who have stewarded this land for thousands of years and are our sovereign neighbors.
All of our kids deserve to learn in the outdoors and about our environment.
As the mother of two teenagers, I think a lot about the climate that our kids and grandkids will inherit. In fact, it’s one of the key reasons I decided to run for governor. Throughout my campaign, young people at events across the state have continued to speak up about their concerns about climate and I’ve also had some wonderful engagement with Wabanaki youth, too. Along these lines, I was recently endorsed by the Maine High School Democrats.
In terms of Wabanaki Studies, I’m a strong supporter of continuing this education in Maine’s schools. As the saying goes, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Maine still has much work to do to help restore balance to the relationship between the State and the Wabanaki Tribes, and educating our children about the Tribes is key to that work. I was endorsed by former Passamaquoddy Tribal Representative Donald Soctomah, who originally sponsored the law about Wabanaki education and I’d look forward to engaging with Tribal Elders and Tribal youth on how we continue to make Wabanaki Studies more robust and universal.
I am a very strong supporter of youth climate engagement, and am proud of the Maine Climate Council’s robust efforts to include youth on the Council and working groups, and support that work. I also spent several years working with legislators and the Maine Department of Education to implement and fund the new Green Schools program and am thrilled to see that program up and running and would seek to grow that work, both engaging schools and implementing local projects across the state.
I see these initiatives as preparing students for the world they’re inheriting. Programs like these help students understand Maine, its land, its history, and the challenges we face. They connect young people to the places they live and give them a sense of responsibility for protecting them.
Because the decisions we make today about our environment, our climate, and our communities are going to shape their future.
I also believe these programs help students see themselves in the solutions. Whether it’s understanding how ecosystems work, learning from the stewardship of the Wabanaki Nations, or seeing pathways into clean energy and conservation careers. these initiatives give young people both knowledge and opportunity.
Maine forests have long been shaped by a balance between natural processes and human use. As pressures from certain timber harvesting activities, development, and climate change continue to grow, forest management standards play a critical role in protecting water quality, wildlife habitat, and the overall resilience of these ecosystems. What changes, if any, would you make to Maine’s current forest management standards as governor?
I am glad that the Statewide Standards for Timber Harvesting and Related Activities in Shoreland Areas went into effect earlier this year. It’s a great example of how we can make the government work better and make things more clear and efficient. Other ideas include working with land and business owners to get more folks through Sustainable forest certification programs, potentially with some tax incentives for completing the program.Increasing the acreage marked as ecological reserves and forever wild areas or putting more revenue towards the exemplary forest fund to make sure we are increasing the amount of protected land. Finally, we should work with the University of Maine system to increase the number of courses available in Ecological forestry so we are training the next generation of conservation experts.
As someone who has personally spent thousands of hours logging in the woods of northern Maine, I feel as passionate about protecting the workers that labor on this landscape as I do for the integrity of the woods. Maine is the most forested state in the nation with a history of trying to achieve sustainable forest management, but we know we have to do better because the forests are disappearing
Thankfully, there are a range of improved forestry management standards and science-based actions that we can take to accomplish this, but we have to work together to see them through. It’s time for the state to ensure that all the voices in Maine’s forest management process–from small woodland owners, to environmental organizations, to tribal members, and the folks doing the dangerous and grueling work–are heard. As Governor, I would seek to establish Maine’s first Forest Advisory Board, so that we can shine a light on how decisions regarding forest management are made and ensure that all relevant stakeholders have a seat at the table.
While a board would help inform a roadmap to modernize existing forest management standards, there are several urgent issues ready for immediate action that I have personal experience with in my hometown of Allagash – at the top of the list: aerial herbicide spraying. This spray can drift over long distances, and the lingering presence of these chemicals gets into groundwater and streams, and harms wildlife and plants alike. As Governor, I would immediately put forward legislation to ban aerial herbicide spraying in Maine.
Maine is the most forested state in the nation. The vast majority of these forests are privately owned and managed. Our forest management regulations and incentives balance sustainable harvests with fish and wildlife protections. Our forest economy is moving away from the traditional pulp and papermaking to a focus on emerging industries such as wood based insulation, building materials. Supporting those markets, and the sustainable forest management required, is an economic opportunity for Maine and can help support healthy forests.
Another emerging sector is carbon markets. Covering 89% of the state, our forests serve as a critical carbon sink and preserve that is crucial to the state’s carbon neutrality law. The state is beginning to integrate our working forest lands with carbon markets to keep forests as forests and meet climate goals, with forests currently offsetting roughly 60%–75% of Maine’s annual greenhouse gas. Paying landowners to grow trees for carbon is an area the state should focus on – not to replace the forest industry, but to reduce emissions and grow bigger, older trees. This strategy would also benefit wildlife species such as Bicknell’s thrush and pine marten.
Effective forest management means managing the entire ecosystem, not just the trees, protecting habitat features like large, mature trees, standing dead wood, and riparian areas that wildlife depend on.
As governor, I would strengthen standards to better protect these critical habitat features, reduce fragmentation, and ensure that harvesting practices support long-term biodiversity and resilience. That includes protecting sensitive areas like stream corridors, wetlands, and old-growth stands, and taking a more landscape-level approach to management.
We also need to support practices like those highlighted in “Forestry for Maine Birds,” which show that working forests can remain productive while improving habitat for wildlife.
Roughly 70% of the state was once covered in trees that were hundreds of years old. According to recent reports, we understand that the Unorganized Territory (UT) now holds just 3% of late-successional, old-growth forest. Many species are more abundant in older Northeast forests, especially native woodpeckers, warblers, thrushes, fisher, marten, and more. How would you address the conservation of Maine’s late-successional, old-growth forests?
I would empower experts and give local communities the tools to successfully protect their resources. I would also work to bring people together so that we can discuss best practices and be equipped to better handle issues as they arise across our state. But most importantly, I would make sure my leadership across the state knew that conservation was a priority. The governor needs to use their moral leadership on these critical issues.
The river channels my father used to navigate as we motored up the St. John River in my childhood are filled in with gravel and silt. I was a young logger at the advent of mechanized harvesting and have since seen clear-cutting normalized as a forestry practice. And I can show you the difference between diverse, naturally growing forests and the comparatively sparse, lifeless plantations industrial forest landowners spray with glyphosate. We throw around words like “wilderness” and “pristine” when we describe Maine’s woods and waters but these notions are divorced from what we are actually allowing to happen there. It is beyond obvious our state has historically allowed forestry to be dictated by industry and this culture has pervaded in Democratic and Republican administrations alike. It is time to break that culture and ensure state government upholds the dedication to stewarding the land and water that Mainers expect it to. I can guarantee that in me conservationists will have a partner like no other in taking on some of the headwinds that have always blown against them – the conservation of late-successional, old-growth forests included.
Like my approach to modernizing forest management standards, a collaborative yet bold plan to protect these endangered forests is critical. I would embrace the following steps: permanently protecting whatever old-growth forests are on state land; better support state agencies and conservation organizations in land acquisition endeavors; strengthen forest certification standards and bolster forest carbon offset projects and other incentive programs to protect old-growth forests on private land; among others.
Enrolling more land in carbon markets (administered by the state) would have a secondary benefit of providing more late successional habitat for those species that rely on it. Additionally, in 2022, the Legislature expanded the number of acres that can be enrolled in the state’s ecological reserve system. This was a good step. As Governor, I would submit a bill to remove the acreage cap on Ecological Reserve and support a percentage of LMF funding earmarked for late successional habitat conservation programs.
Forests of these kind are irreplaceable. They provide critical habitat for species that depend on mature forest conditions, store carbon, and help maintain the health and resilience of our ecosystems. We need an intentional, long-term strategy to conserve them.
As governor, I would focus on protecting what remains and increasing the amount of mature forest across the landscape over time.
That starts with identifying and conserving existing late-successional stands and prioritizing them in state conservation efforts. It also means taking a more landscape-level approach, ensuring that forest management supports a mix of age classes, including more areas that are allowed to grow into older, more complex forests.
We also need to work in partnership with landowners and the forest products industry to support management practices that maintain both economic viability and ecological integrity.
What is one of your favorite wildlife species and why? Alternatively, share a favorite memory of a time you enjoyed the nature of Maine.
One of my husband Brandon and my favorite ways to enjoy Maine is to enjoy wildlife. Brandon is an active member of the Audubon Society and we love to bird together in our free time. For the last decade, we have gone to Monhegan in the spring for warbler migration. It’s the highlight of my year every year and it reminds me how grateful I am to live in such a beautiful state.
This is a hard one – part of me wants to choose the red fox because it has always been a family event when one appears in our yard at night. They are mysterious creatures who seem to appear at twilight and have deep intelligence. I am also fascinated by the sounds foxes can make and how hauntingly eerie they may sound. We have been out camping and startled often by sudden high-pitched screams only to realize we’ve just heard a fox. That same sense of mystery is why I’m also tempted to choose the beaver. Old timers in Allagash used to say “the beaver is the oldest logger in the woods.” There is something relatably human in the way they interact with the landscape, but they do it in a way that enhances their environment rather than take from it. And like the fox, beavers have spooked me more than once. When you’re fishing for brook trout in a small pond that tail slap can really startle you!
My favorite memory of enjoying the nature of Maine is probably something outside of Allagash. In the late 1990s when my sons were very young, my partner, Lana, and I took them to Bar Harbor for a few days. They had never been south of Presque Isle or seen Bangor, and they had most certainly never seen the ocean. But it was also my first time really spending any time walking on a beach or experiencing ocean tides. The sense of wonder they felt building sand castles and running in and out of the waves was something I felt we were sharing together, and it will always mean a lot to me.
I love all kinds of owls and live in an area with both great horned owls and barred owls. I think they are beautiful birds, mysterious and important to the forest ecosystem. I love listening to owls at night in the woods, especially when they are talking to each other (or that is at least what I think they are doing). I have two kids who are now teenagers, but when they were younger I read them a couple of different great kids books about owls, which they loved. And I remember the awe of my son the first time he heard an owl at night and listened closely to their conversation and tried to communicate back. It was a time when he could barely talk. It was pretty special and I’ll always be a big fan of listening to owls at night.
One of my favorite memories in Maine is hiking Cadillac Mountain and reaching the summit at sunrise.
There’s something powerful about standing at the top of the state, watching the light come up over miles of forests, lakes, and mountains. In that moment, you really understand just how special this place is, and how much there is to protect.
It’s not just the scale of it, it’s the feeling that these landscapes have been here long before us and, if we do our job right, will be here long after us. Maine’s natural beauty is not something we can take for granted, it’s something we have a responsibility to protect. I am blessed to call this beautiful state home and as governor will do everything I can to protect it.
The primary election is on June 9 and will determine each qualified party’s nomination of candidates for federal offices and State and County offices. After the primary, we will invite candidates who will appear on the general election ballot to engage with us again. For resources and information about this election, see the State of Maine Voter Guide.
The health of our democracy and the protection of Maine wildlife both depend on engaged, informed citizens. We are grateful to the candidates who took the time to take our survey and we thank you in advance for taking the time to review their answers.
Paid for by Maine Audubon