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 …
advocacy
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, …
New Bill to Protect Water Quality in the Presumpscot (and Beyond)
Fifty years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, our fight to protect clean water in Maine continues. There was a public hearing on February 28 on LD 1964, a bill to reclassify certain waterways in Maine to reflect their improved status. This happens every three years, when the Maine …
The Climate Action Plan: A Full Year of Progress!
It’s been a full year since Governor Mills released the Climate Action Plan (CAP), a blueprint for meeting Maine’s ambitious climate goals authored by the Maine Climate Council. One year isn’t a very long time, especially when much of the public focus has remained on dealing with the lingering …
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 …