Rodents are a group of mammals defined by one key feature: one pair of continuously growing front teeth in both the upper and lower jaws. We have a lot of rodent species in Maine, including mice, rats, squirrels, beavers, porcupines, and more. Rodents are a fascinating and diverse family, but they’re not always the most […]
Action Alert
Conservation Groups File Appeal Urging CMP Compliance With Mature Forest Requirements
For Immediate Release – December 18, 2025 (Augusta, ME) – Several of the state’s leading conservation groups have filed an appeal with the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) asking them to require improvements to Central Maine Power’s (CMP) flawed Conservation Plan for the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project. As outlined in its permit […]
Trump Administration Proposes Four Additional Changes to the Endangered Species Act
2025 has been a difficult year for the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The new administration and Congress are working quickly to weaken the effectiveness of the Act, one of the most popular and successful environmental laws in the nation. In May, the Department of the Interior proposed changing the way it defines “harm” under the […]
NECEC’s Conservation Plan Was Not Fit for Approval
Proposed in 2017, Central Maine Power’s New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission line would carry hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts, requiring a 150-foot-wide, 53-mile corridor through undeveloped woods in Western Maine. Maine Audubon has engaged throughout the entire review process to assess wildlife impacts and push for adequate mitigation outcomes. Developing a Conservation Plan […]
Maine Audubon Comments on CMP’s New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) Conservation Plan
First proposed back in 2017, New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) is a transmission line designed to bring electricity from hydropower facilities in Quebec to consumers in Massachusetts as part of the regional electrical grid. The construction route includes clearing a 150-foot-wide, 53-mile-long line through undeveloped Maine woods between the Canadian border and The Forks […]
Maine Legislature Passes Bill to Increase Protections for Vernal Pools
Maine Audubon is pleased to announce the passage of LD 497, An Act Regarding the Regulation of Significant Vernal Pools Under the Natural Resources Protection Act in the Maine Legislature. Formerly worked within LD 1882 in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, this effort seeks to better protect state-recognized “Significant Vernal Pools,” essential breeding habitat […]
Maine Audubon Celebrates Passage of Neonicotinoid Pesticide Legislation
Maine Audubon is pleased to announce the passage of LD 1323, Resolve: Directing the Board of Pesticides Control to Evaluate the Impacts of Neonicotinoids on Pollinators, Humans and the Environment in the Maine Legislature. The bill requires the state to further evaluate impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”) on pollinators and people. LD 1323 secured bipartisan […]
BirdSafe Maine – Spring 2025 Season Recap
May 31 marked the end of BirdSafe Maine’s Spring 2025 bird monitoring season. It was, sadly, another eventful effort in Portland and around Maine, though there are signs of significant progress. Read on to learn about how it went. On the Portland Route We recorded 43 total birds dead or injured on the streets of […]
The Federal Government is Taking Unprecedented Action Against the Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act is perhaps the most famous and effective wildlife conservation law in the nation, but the Trump Administration has recently proposed a change that would significantly weaken the Act and put species at risk. To understand the threat, it’s important to first understand how the Endangered Species Act works. Once a species […]