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 […]
Forests
Forest Conservation Easement Report Published
Approximately 90% of Maine is covered in forestland, making it the most heavily forested state in the nation. Millions of these acres are included in a complex grid of small and large working forest conservation easements. Maine Audubon undertook a detailed assessment of the terms of these easements and conducted an analysis of how well […]
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 […]
Previewing our Priority State Legislation for 2025
A new legislative session has begun in Augusta and our advocates are already in the State House working to advance protections for Maine wildlife and habitat. Our staff of advocates, scientists, and environmental educators has combed through hundreds of new bills submitted at the start of the 132nd Maine Legislature and selected our top priorities […]
A Huge Opportunity for Maine Trails on the Ballot this November
Trails are essential to our enjoyment and appreciation of the outdoors. Maine Audubon offers dozens of miles of trails across our eight centers and sanctuaries, allowing visitors to access diverse habitats while diverting traffic from sensitive areas. But trails take a lot of work. Many people think that the more primitive a trail is, the […]
Marking Maine Arbor Week 2024
Maine Audubon is once again joining other lovers and conservators of Maine’s forests and flora to honor Maine Arbor Week, celebrated this year from May 19 to 25. It serves to remind us of the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of flora, particularly our hundreds of native tree species. In 1978, the Maine legislature designated […]
Big News! Pickett Mountain Mine Proposal Rejected!
PICKETT MOUNTAIN MINING PROPOSAL REJECTED Decision comes after overwhelming opposition from Wabanaki Tribes, local businesses, and conservation groups February 14, 2024 (Augusta, ME) � The Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) has firmly rejected a mining proposal in Maine�s Katahdin region that was vehemently opposed by the Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, conservation groups, […]
Why the Katahdin region is no place for a mine
Have you ever paddled on a remote pond in the early morning mist listening to the eerie calls of the loon? Perhaps you�ve stood ankle deep in water in a bog between two ponds, and reveled in the dawn chorus filled with the songs of Common Yellowthroats, Palm Warblers, Lincoln�s Sparrows, and Olive-sided Flycatchers�a mix […]