The second and final session of the 131st Maine Legislature wrapped up earlier this month and it was nothing short of a whirlwind! Thanks to you, Maine Audubon continued to make great strides to conserve wildlife and habitat in this short legislative session, and we wanted to summarize our efforts …
advocacy
Maine Audubon in Augusta: Summing Up the Legislative Session
Join Ches Gundrum, Maine Audubon's Advocacy Director, to hear about the victories and challenges from the Second Session of the 131st Maine Legislature. Free, online webinar. Registration required to receive the zoom link. …
Maine Audubon Urges Federal Regulators to Remove Kennebec Dams
The story of America's movement to restore wildlife habitat by removing unnecessary and underperforming dams began, in part, on the Kennebec River. In 1999, advocates from across Maine came together to celebrate the removal of the Edwards Dam near Augusta and the restoration of 18 miles of fish …
Maine Legislature Passes Suite of Bills to Protect Maine’s Lakes
The Maine Legislature this week finalized a set of bills intended to protect and enhance water quality on freshwater lakes and ponds. The bills, each passing with bipartisan support, tackle a variety of emerging freshwater issues, including aquatic invasive species, shoreland zoning, and wake …
Francesca Gundrum named Director of Advocacy at Maine Audubon
Maine Audubon is pleased to announce that Francesca “Ches” Gundrum has been promoted to Director of Advocacy. Gundrum holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College and a Masters in Wildlife Ecology (Human Dimensions of Wildlife Science) from the University of Maine. She started …
WIN! Gov. Mills Signs into law a bill that will help protect loons from lead poisoning
One of Maine's most iconic wildlife species will benefit from a new law signed this week by Governor Mills that phases out the use and sale of small-sized painted lead fishing tackle. Common Loons can accidentally ingest lost or discarded lead tackle when it sinks to the bottom, causing illness and …
“Bringing Nature Home” goes to Augusta
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of spending the morning at our State Capitol building, testifying before the Judiciary Committee, on behalf of Maine Audubon, in support of the proposed bill LD 649, "An Act to Promote Water Conservation and Water Quality and Create Habitat for Wildlife, …
BirdSafe Maine Presents at Regional Conference
This past weekend, three members of the BirdSafe Maine team traveled to Burlington, VT, to present their work at the Northeast Natural History Conference (NENHC). The NENHC is one of the largest regional gatherings where naturalists, research scientists, natural resource managers, students, and …
Changes may be coming to Maine’s Endangered Species Act
The Maine Endangered Species Act, or MESA, has been instrumental in protecting imperiled species in Maine since 1975. The Act is implemented by the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW), and currently provides special protection to 26 endangered and 25 threatened birds, mammals, …