This year marked the thirty-seventh straight year that Maine Audubon has engaged volunteers, early in the morning on the third Saturday of July, to count loons on lakes across the state. The 2020 Maine Annual Loon Count stands out in this long-running tradition for a few reasons. Falling this year on the 200th day of […]
Policy & Advocacy
Large-scale solar development rush must strike delicate balance
This essay was published in the Portland Press Herald as a Maine Voices opinion piece on August 11, 2020.� It’s an exciting time for solar energy in Maine. Tux Turkel’s August 5th article in the Portland Press Herald set the stage well: Market conditions have aligned with recent legislation enacted to spur renewable energy development […]
VIDEO – Climate Spotlight: The State of Maine’s Climate
Maine Audubon kicked off our Climate Spotlight series with a discussion about how Maine’s climate is changing, and what Maine has done to address it so far. It was an educational and entertaining discussion with two of Maine’s preeminent climate scientists: Maine State Climatologist Dr. Sean Birkel and Stacy R. Knapp, the Emissions Inventory Manager […]
Maine Audubon Statement on NECEC Project, July 2020
Since 2018, Maine Audubon has engaged with Central Maine Power’s (CMP) New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project, sharing our concerns with CMP and its parent company, Avangrid, and providing recommendations for avoiding, minimizing, and compensating for the project’s impacts on wildlife and habitats, as well as providing extensive public comment to the Maine Department […]
Why Maine Needs The Great American Outdoors Act
The Great American Outdoors Act is on path to becoming law! This bipartisan piece of legislation has passed the Senate and is expected to pass the House in late July. If and when it becomes law, this Act will benefit Mainers by providing permanent funding for thousands of acres of public outdoor spaces, and helping […]
Maine Climate Council Webinar Recordings
Many thanks to the hundreds of you who joined last week’s webinar Maine Climate Council: Everything You Need To Know. The event was a great success, and listeners heard from members of each of the Climate Council working groups. Recordings of the main event and three of the breakout sessions are below. But first, if […]
Sign our Petition to the Maine Climate Council
The Maine Climate Council is forging ahead in its important mission to develop a plan to help the state achieve its bold climate targets. In order for the Council to adopt a strong and effective plan with concrete steps that will grow Maine’s economy, reduce air pollution, and build healthy, resilient, and equitable communities, they […]
Maine Audubon Comments on DEP Draft Order for NECEC project
In early March, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a draft order approving Central Maine Power’s (CMP) New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project with conditions, requiring CMP to agree to significant, additional actions to minimize and compensate for the project’s impacts before the DEP issues a final permit. Maine Audubon staff previously […]
Maine Climate Council Vows to Stay on Track
In this time of uncertainty and anxiety over a global health emergency, it may be hard to think about other pressing matters like climate change. However, Maine is not letting one crisis prevent us from preparing for another, and so the work of the Maine Climate Council is proceeding with a modified schedule during the […]