The second session of the 132nd Maine Legislature has come to an end and our team is proud to report that we were able to secure several pro-wildlife policy victories in this short session!
Once again, it’s you, our members and supporters, who achieve these victories. We thank you for emailing lawmakers, signing petitions, sharing your perspective in local newspapers, joining us at the State House, and donating to our programs.
BY THE NUMBERS
Maine Audubon testified on 22 individual bills in the Second Session, which brings our total number of bills we testified on to 106 for the entire 132nd Maine State Legislature —a Maine Audubon record!
More than 4,238 messages were sent to legislators by Maine Audubon members and supporters.
IN THE NEWS
Our advocacy work was reported in dozens of news stories, in print and on TV, and in outlets reporting across the state.
“Darkness is a natural resource just like land, just like water and it is absolutely deserving of conservation.”
– Advocacy Director Ches Gundrum, in “Maine’s first law to battle light pollution goes into effect this year,” Maine Public, January 12, 2026
“Growth and conservation can coexist —and they must —but we have to be smart about it.”
– Advocacy Director Ches Gundrum, with GrowSmart Maine CEO Nancy Smith in “Maine housing policy can accommodate both growth and conservation,” Portland Press Herald, January 23, 2026
“For decades, stream crossings —culverts or bridges —were installed with a narrow goal: move water under roads as cheaply and quickly as possible. The result is a patchwork of pipes that are too small or poorly installed —often perched above the stream like a waterfall.”
– Conservation Biologist/GIS Manager Sarah Haggerty, with Brownville Town Manager Lance Farrar in “Smart stream crossings benefit wildlife, public safety,” The Bangor Daily News, March 9, 2026
A BREAKDOWN OF SECOND SESSION WINS FOR WILDLIFE
| Bill Number | Description | PASSED? |
|---|---|---|
| LD 161 | Tasks state agencies with drafting recommendations to modernize Maine’s subdivision laws to support housing and conservation goals. | YES |
| LD 222 | Advances efforts to safely remove and dispose of PFAS-laden firefighting foam across the state to help prevent future spills. | YES |
| LD 395 | Establishes a working group to develop recommendations for extending federal beneficial laws to the Wabanaki Nations. | YES |
| LD 474 | Requires producers of certain batteries to take responsibility for dead batteries through a state-approved stewardship program. | YES |
| LD 646 | Establishes a Stormwater Study Commission to evaluate current laws and recommend new strategies to help prevent and treat stormwater pollution. | YES |
| LD 785 | Amends certain tax laws to benefit Wabanaki Nations and extends to the Mi’kmaq Nation the option to have a tribal representative in the Maine Legislature, an option already available to the other three Wabanaki Nations. | YES |
| LD 870 | Modernizes membership and increases natural resource-based qualifications for the Land Use Planning Commission Board. | YES |
| LD 1474 | Establishes a Wabanaki Studies Specialist within the Department of Education and enhances the breadth of content and standards defined under the Wabanaki Studies curriculum taught in public schools. | YES |
| LD 1519 | Requires producers of electronic smoking devices to take responsibility for their product waste through a state-approved stewardship program. | YES |
| LD 1661 | Tasks Maine’s natural resource agencies with conducting a review of the State's invasive species management efforts to help increase collaboration and efficiency. | YES |
| LD 1730 | Enables Mainers to utilize small plug-in solar generation devices without requiring interconnection to a utility system. | YES |
| LD 1870 | Directs the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct an assessment of the costs to Maine caused by greenhouse gas emissions between 1995 and 2024 to help inform efforts to hold climate polluters financially responsible for damages. | YES |
| LD 1904 | Establishes the Municipal Shoreline Protection Legal Fund to help municipalities pay legal costs associated with pursuing shoreland zoning violations. | YES |
| LD 1934 | Requires that new or replacement outdoor lighting installed using public funds or on public property meets standards that prevent light pollution. | YES |
| LD 2037 | Ensures Maine continues to reap environmental and economic benefits of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a regional cap-and-trade program that limits power sector carbon emissions and invests proceeds in clean energy and efficiency. | YES |
| LD 2063 | Allows the Department of Environmental Protection to more comprehensively address unavoidable impacts to Great Ponds and habitat for endangered and threatened species. | YES |
| LD 2112 | Authorizes communities to combine their collective buying power and more fully access the benefits of renewable energy by procuring electricity together. | YES |
| LD 2118 | Transfers the Maine Natural Areas Program to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to better align the state’s plant and habitat assessment work. | YES |
| LD 2141 | Increases beverage corporation accountability and transparency around the substantial funds amassed by unclaimed bottle deposits paid on beverage containers that never get returned. | YES |
| LD 2212 | Funds the state’s most successful land conservation program, Land for Maine’s Future, annually through the state’s budgeting process. | YES |
| LD 2171 & 2240 | Formalizes natural resource agencies’ rules related to recently updated protections for endangered and threatened species and vernal pools. | YES |
All this success is the result of your help and collaboration with legislative champions in Augusta and our partners in the environmental community. Thank you!
Believe it or not, our team is already prepping for the 133rd Legislature. What’s more, in the coming weeks and months, you’ll hear more from us on our engagement on other projects and issues, including: results from a wildlife-specific survey that we sent to gubernatorial candidates; our joint appeal with Appalachian Mountain Club, Natural Resources Council of Maine, and Trout Unlimited of the state’s decision to approve New England Clean Energy Connect’s (NECEC) inadequate Conservation Plan; continued work defending the integrity of the Endangered Species Act in DC; and more.
As always, thank you for your support and trust in Maine Audubon’s Advocacy Department.
