NRCM Blog

It's About "Dam" Time

I have worked at NRCM for more than 16 years. During that time I have seen a lot of amazing progress made by NRCM and others to protect Maine’s air, land, water, and wildlife. I have attended press conferences, legislative bill signings, member events, public hearings, annual meetings, and many other activities related to our work. 

But one event that sticks out in my mind happened on July 1, 1999. I had been here for just over three years, and it was on that day, after a late night at a Bonnie Raitt concert in Portland (she donated part of her concert proceeds for our work), that I sat on the bank of the Kennebec River eagerly anticipating the moment when the Edwards Dam would be breached, letting water flow freely through this location for the first time in more than 162 years.

I was in charge of keeping an eye on the camera equipment of our photographer, Bill Silliker, so I got a prime spot on the riverbank where I could see the bulldozer get into position and, after speeches heralding this moment, the celebratory ringing of the bell, and the congratulatory conversations among my friends, family, and colleagues, we sat almost silently waiting for that bulldozer to dig out the dirt. And then, cheers erupted as the water, brown and muddy at first, but then clear and strong, begin to flow freely. I am tearing up as I write this, still remembering the excitement of the day.

The Edwards Dam removal came a decade after work by NRCM and our partners in the Kennebec Coalition began. It was the first time that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had decided that the environmental benefits of removing the dam outweighed the benefits of the small amount of power the dam produced.

And now here we are, 13 years later, more than a decade after NRCM and our partners in the Penobscot River Restoration Trust began our work to open up 1,000 miles of sea-run fish habitat on the Penobscot River. This will help bring salmon back to this part of the river for the first time in 200 years. On June 11^th, the Great Works dam will be removed. This is the first of two dams on the river that will be taken out, and there will be a state-of-the-art fish bypass built at a third dam. Along with restoration of habitat, this project will result in no net loss of hydropower created by dams on the river. Other dams will have energy production increased to make up for (and possibly even surpass) the amount of power lost by the removal of the Great Works and Veazie dams. That sounds like a win-win to me!

I sent an email out to NRCM members and friends today from Executive Director Lisa Pohlmann inviting them to the celebration of the first dam’s removal on Monday, June 11th.  And now, I am inviting you. Join NRCM and our partners and the whole community on Indian Island in Old Town on the 11^th for a full day of events to commemorate this historic event. There will be activities for kids, remarks by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and others, and there will be chances for river tours, museum visits, and more. Events start at 9:30 a.m. and include a free lunch generously hosted by the Penobscot Indian Nation.

Be a part of history and join us to celebrate the removal of the Great Works Dam. I hope to see you there!

-Beth Dimond, NRCM Public Affairs Coordinator

An Inside Perspective on the Big Energy Bills This Legislative Session: Part II

By Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Project Director

In Part 1 of this post, I wrote about Governor LePage’s energy bills, especially his attack on energy efficiency. Politically speaking, his renewable energy bill was even more fascinating. LD 1863 as first printed would have significantly undermined Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which provides policy incentives to increase the state’s energy diversity and independence through renewable electricity generation.

A comprehensive report this year from London Economics and the Maine Public Utilities Commission found that regional renewable energy policies are providing enormous economic benefits to Maine, while having an incredibly small impact on electricity consumers. The governor’s bill would have made HydroQuebec’s massive dams eligible for incentives from Maine ratepayers.

Contrary to statements by Governor LePage, current law allows HydroQuebec or any other large hydro facility to sell power in Maine. There are no hydro dams in Maine above the 100 MW limit for our renewable policy incentives. It seems that HydroQuebec, the government-owned Canadian energy producer, simply has no desire to sell cheap power to Maine consumers.

The governor’s bill also sought to undermine the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative through a clumsy provision that was eventually stripped out of both versions of the bill coming out of committee. The Minority version of the bill was otherwise basically unchanged from the original bill—and thus a major clean energy rollback. Both versions call on the PUC to solicit bids for new contracts for supplying power to Maine.

The Majority version took out the giveaway to HydroQuebec and instead allowed for bidders to identify and suggest changes to our laws that might help them lower prices. The Majority report was bipartisan but far from unanimous. Supporters of the Minority report, including the Governor’s Office, clung to a baseless theory that HydroQuebec would offer Maine cheap power, when all evidence shows practically zero prospects for that actually happening. They were willing to jeopardize Maine’s progress on renewable energy, and all the related jobs and businesses in Maine, on a hope and a prayer.

After the committee voted, there were about four weeks of waiting for further action. It was difficult to tell what the waiting game was really about. Supporters of the Minority report (which included most of the Republicans in the Senate, led by Senator Thibodeau) perhaps believed that their version had the best chance when put into the crucible of final session days when the most contentious bills are sometimes played against each other politically. The Minority report faced a simple problem: it was almost universally opposed by stakeholders, including major employers, industry, and construction businesses—its lone supporter was Central Maine Power.

An amendment to satisfy the paper mills (which reduced the impact to the part of the RPS they care about) helped push the Minority bill through the Senate on party lines on the second-to–last-day of the regular session. On the last day, the House passed the Majority bill by a solid margin (you can see the roll-call of votes here).

This situation is known as “non-concurrence,” and it happens several times each session. The way out is usually for one chamber to back down and “concede” to the vote in the other chamber. Very rarely, there will be a “committee of conference” where three Senators and three Representatives will meet and try to agree. That’s what happened with LD 1863 after 11:00 p.m. on the last regular day of the legislative session.

The Administration and their Senate allies were unable to come up with or support any compromise that didn’t fundamentally undermine the Renewable Portfolio Standard. Several ideas were discussed, some of which were so convoluted as to baffle the energy lobbyists in the hallways. In the end, Senate leaders and the Administration declined to support the Majority report even though it would have led to completely free and open competition for a low-cost power contract. They decided they would rather have no bill. And that’s what happened. The committee of conference reported back to both chambers that they were “unable to agree” and LD 1863 was considered dead.

So, despite the need for— and promise by the governor— major progresson energy issues during the 125th Legislature, the biennium achieved precious little to reduce energy costs or our dependence on fossil fuels. 

Did you miss Part I of Dylan's blog? Read it here.

An Inside Perspective on the Big Energy Bills This Legislative Session: Part I

By Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Project Director

Despite the need to reduce energy costs and our dependence on fossil fuels, and the promise of action by  Governor LePage, this past legislative session Maine achieved almost no progress towards these goals.

The inside story on the governor’s two energy bills offers a fascinating look at the Administration’s take on energy, and, ultimately, their failure to persuade legislators to go their way.

The LePage Administration’s two major energy bills were printed on March 12, 2012. One bill, the subject of Part I of this blog post, dealt with energy efficiency and heating technologies (LD 1864). The other bill, which I’ll discuss in Part II, dealt with renewable energy policy (LD 1863).

The efficiency bill would have put the governor even more in charge of Efficiency Maine’s budgets and leadership of its Board of Directors—a dangerous move when his public statements and proposals show a lack of support for energy efficiency. It would have diverted money from Efficiency Maine toward programs that would put utility profits ahead of reducing energy costs for consumers. It also would have made it easier for the Administration to raid efficiency funding for unrelated purposes. (Several months ago he proposed a $15 million raid to supplement LIHEAP purchases, for example.)

Ironically, the bill that would have undermined Maine’s efficiency programs came on the heels of Efficiency Maine’s Annual Report, which indicated they had just completed their best year on record, helping Maine consumers save more energy ($450 million worth) at a lower cost than ever before (saving energy at a cost of 3 cents/kwh for electricity and about $1/gallon for oil—you can’t beat those prices!) During the public hearing there was no evidence given that Efficiency Maine was not working successfully.

The Legislature held public hearings on both the efficiency and renewable bills on March 14, just 48 hours after the bills were printed. The bills demonstrated the continued disconnect between the governor’s simplistic energy ideology and real energy solutions Maine people and businesses want, need, and deserve. At public hearings, most testified opposed to both bills. Each bill had two work sessions the week after the hearing, and was then voted out of committee—10 days from start to finish.

Both bills as originally proposed would have significantly set back Maine’s clean energy policies, which are generally the result of bipartisan legislation considered and negotiated over many years. Thankfully, legislators worked to significantly amend each bill, to strip out the most extreme rollbacks, although neither bill as amended was especially positive from a clean energy or environmental perspective.

The energy efficiency bill as amended got a unanimous vote by the committee and went on to be passed without debate by House and Senate. The renewable energy bill got a bipartisan majority (9-4 in committee) for a preferred version of the bill. It went through four weeks of delay, debate, amendments, and aggressive lobbying by CMP, the Administration, and their legislative allies. 

The final amended efficiency bill includes several provisions of minor importance. Technically it did not give the Administration or Legislature more budget authority, although it may increase expectations that levels of efficiency investment will still be treated in a very politicized way. That is because Maine is the only state in the country where the amount of ratepayer investment in energy efficiency is determined by the Legislature, not by a Public Utilities Commission in a more objective fashion. Perhaps that is why Maine has the lowest per capita rate of investment in cost-effective energy efficiency in New England, despite repeated calls by the public and businesses to move forward.  

The final efficiency bill did not give the governor greater control over board leadership (current law already allows him to appoint the board.) It did include a $500,000 pilot project for electric heating systems (e.g. heat pumps), which was heavily lobbied for by electric utilities. However, it does not rob money from Efficiency Maine to pay for it, as was the case in the original bill. It seems that lawmakers and others largely ignored the fact that Efficiency Maine already offers consumer loans for electric heating systems and already has two electric heating pilot programs in the works. These three pilot programs should provide information about the costs and benefits of these new approaches—a small silver lining.

This energy efficiency bill became law without the governor’s signature. It is telling that Governor LePage refused to sign his own bill after it was amended to receive unanimous legislative approval.

Don't miss Part II of Dylan's blog post! Read it now!

Outdated chemical policy should take a hike!

One year ago today I started out on a journey along the Appalachian Trail. It was the first of 153 days I spent hiking from Georgia to Maine along this 2,181 mile corridor stretching all the way up the East Coast. My home, food, clothing, and gear were all contained in a 65-liter backpack I carried with me. Today, I live in an apartment, I take showers, drive my car, turn on the lights, and otherwise take part in the conveniences of modern living. With all that’s been going on with toxic chemical policy in Maine and in Washington, now seems like a good time to reflect on the recent changes I’ve made in my lifestyle, the “story of the stuff” that I own, use, ingest, and discard.

On the trail, everything you buy and use goes on your back. For food, I was consuming about 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day in the form of dried fruits, oats, cheese, bread, pasta, nuts, candy, and fresh fruits and vegetables when I could; bought at grocery stores along the way. I drank water from streams, treated with household chlorine bleach, stored in a BPA-free water bladder. I slept in a goose-down sleeping bag inside three-walled wooden lean-tos. I spent all day every day in the outdoors, breathing fresh air and traveling only by foot. Overall, my exposure to toxic metals like mercury, lead and cadmium, phthalates, PBDEs (flame retardant chemicals), PFCs (chemicals that repeal grease and water), and  bisphenol-A (a chemical backbone of plastics) was probably below average but definitely not eliminated.

Today, it’s a different story. At my apartment in Brunswick I sit and sleep on furniture that leaches out a dangerous class of chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) because they’ve been coated with flame retardants (luckily newer furniture sold in Maine isn’t coated with the most toxic of these chemicals, Deca, thanks to NRCM’s hard work). I also spend a few hours a week in my car or vanpool where I’m exposed to industrial chemicals called phthalates –these are also in the mascara I use, the shower curtain in my bathroom, and lots of other places. Fortunately, the newer computers I use at home and work don’t contain lead, but I am likely exposed to more lead paint dust now, by spending time in old buildings, than when I spent all day every day outside for five months on the AT. Also luckily, even though I’m off the trail and using kitchen products, my exposure to BPA is not as high as it would have been before NRCM worked to ensure a ban of this endocrine-interrupting chemical in all reusable food and beverage containers in Maine. And while I’m still exposed through the cans and jars of food I eat, NRCM is petitioning the Board of Environmental Protection to place further restrictions on the sale of BPA-containing products.

While Maine is making some progress in phasing out toxic chemicals in some of the products that I, and all of us, use (whether we’re in the woods or at home), what we really need is federal level chemicals reform. Patchwork state policies that only address certain chemicals for certain products on various timelines are not an efficient or effective way to protect people from environmental exposure to known toxins. NRCM is working with other groups to ensure passage of the federal Safe Chemicals Act of 2011, which would overhaul the outdated and ineffective Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. I’m glad that last week the Maine State Legislature called on Congress to take action on fixing our broken national chemicals policies.

A year ago at this time I was giddy, nervous, and excited – looking forward to the two thousand mile journey that lay ahead of me. Maine felt impossibly far away. Now that I live here and have a warm home and a bed to sleep in every night, I’m looking forward to the progress I know NRCM will continue to make to keep all of our homes safe.

- Abby King, NRCM Toxics Policy Advocate

Embracing the “Clean Gene," the Non-toxic Way

While I love spring, I can tell you honestly, I don’t enjoy cleaning. My grandmother was a cleaning fanatic—spring, summer, fall, winter. I remember when she got older, she finally conceded that some of the cleaning was too much for her so she hired a cleaning lady. And….each week before the cleaning lady arrived, Grammie would clean her house so she wouldn’t be embarrassed to have a dirty house when her cleaning lady arrived.

Clearly that gene can skip a generation. My mother is also someone who keeps a clean and tidy house. My sister and I…not so much.

So each year I find lots of reasons not to participate in “spring cleaning.” I am usually busy doing anything else. I always say I am going to stay home and clean, but then warm temperatures and sunshine arrive. Birds are chirping. Roads are clear of snow and ice. And that usually means I am headed somewhere to take pictures, visit with friends, or spend time with family.

This year, however, spring has arrived and not only do I have to clean…I have to pack. Moving items around and putting them in boxes in preparation for a move from a home in which I have lived for nearly a decade is making me realize that I should have taken part in this annual tradition much sooner.

Many years ago at NRCM, I helped create a brochure filled with ways to clean one’s house using non-toxic household items like baking soda and vinegar. I had fun working on the project, and the result is our very popular “Clean Housekeeping” brochure, which is available on our website. This brochure is filled with ideas for cleaning copper pots, getting rid of garden pests, cleaning bathroom and sink drains, and much more.

More than a decade later, after sending out thousands of copies of this brochure to people who are looking for effective ways to clean without exposing themselves or their families to harmful chemicals,  I have actually brought my own copy home. I need to clean my apartment before I leave, and after missing the past eight years of “spring cleaning” in my home, it is time that I make it shine before the next tenant moves in.

If you have some spring cleaning to do, why not do it in a way that helps keep the environment and your family free from exposure to  toxic chemicals used in most household cleaners? Visit our website to download or request your own copy of NRCM’s “Clean Housekeeping” brochure.

Happy cleaning!

- Beth Dimond, NRCM Public Affairs Coordinator
 

New Report Sheds Light on Disappointing Winter

Last winter, I wrote a blog post, Joys of a Maine winter, sharing my love for winter fishing in Maine. But this winter has been disappointing. With the warm December and January, and early spring (summer, really) temperatures, the ice fishing season was much abbreviated. I got out on the ice maybe only five times this year. And smelting was even worse—just got out twice and very little luck (do three smelts even count?!).

Concerns about thin ice conditions would typically send me into the woods for some skiing or snowshoeing, but with less than half the normal snowfall this year, I managed to go downhill skiing twice and cross-country once. And even those few days were pushing the snow conditions—which were sticky and icy.

I usually look forward to winter sports in Maine—a nice sunny day out fishing on the ice with my dad or snowshoeing or skiing on a quiet  trail. But this winter was rushed and left me feeling disappointed. To make it worse, when I finally got used to the fact that we were going to have a mild winter and gave in to the 80-degree March days with a bike ride alongside the flowing Kennebec—it has gotten cold again. What is going on?

Now, I am worried for all the song birds that have come back early, triggered by the out-of-sync environmental cues, and all the plants that are already blooming. For avid birders, like my colleague Allison Wells, these concerns are visceral. Check out Allison’s blog post about her concerns with the “Sudden Spring” and the impacts on birds. With open-water fishing just around the corner, I wonder if there will be enough snow pack to keep the waters in the rivers and streams cold enough for Maine’s precious brook trout and salmon populations.

And I am not alone with these worries or frustrations. This week, NRCM released a new report out from the National Wildlife Federation, which says that this winter may just be a preview of what’s to come in a warming world. The report, On Thin Ice: Warming Winters Put America’s Hunting and Fishing Heritage at Risk, tells the stories of how 2011-2012’s warm winter impacted hunters and anglers across America. Check out the report and what other folks in Maine have to say about it, too.

This kind of oddball winter weather is exactly what climate scientists say we can expect in a warming world. This is why it is more important than ever to stand up for clean air and a healthy climate, now.

In light of decades of Congressional inaction on climate change, yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency and Obama Administration, in its authority under the Clean Air Act, released a proposal to limit carbon pollution from new power plants. This is great news—although long overdue! This new carbon pollution standard is essential to combat global warming. Every year, power plants dump more than two billion tons of dangerous carbon pollution and other pollutants into the air. The standard announced yesterday will establish the first national limits on carbon pollution from new power plants and help protect people, kids, wildlife, and our environment from climate change and air pollution! There will be a public comment period coming up for this carbon standard—and you can take action now in support of the Clean Air Act and this important carbon pollution standard. Make sure to sign up for our Action Network!

The more we cut down carbon pollution coming out of smokestacks, the better chance we have of being able to enjoy our fine Maine winters as well as our beautiful Maine springs, each in their own time. Find out how you can help us fight for clean air and reduced emissions at www.nrcm.org/project_cleanair.asp.

Emmie Theberge, NRCM Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator

Related
Report Blames Coal Plant for Climate Change
Lewiston Sun-Journal news story

Warming Winters Threatens Maine's Outdoor Traditions
NRCM press release

Learn more about the impact of dirty fuels
NRCM website

Wildlife Observation with Motion-Activated Cameras

Editor’s Note: NRCM member Bryan Wells recently sent along a video of a bobcat feeding on a frozen deer carcass. The video, captured using equipment he assembled and deployed himself, is one of many action pieces showing Maine’s fascinating wildlife doing what they do when they think no one is watching. We invited Bryan to share his experience with our members by writing a blog post about his experience and to post links to some of his work. Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered what happens in the forest when you’re not there to observe? Well, I do. In fact, I wonder so much that I have built and deployed remote sensing cameras on my forested property north of Bangor.

My wife, Pam, and I are very fortunate. We own property adjacent to Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife refuge. As a consequence, there is a lot of undeveloped property nearby and as a result, a lot of roaming wildlife.

For over 10 years, I have been building and putting into use my motion-activated cameras to see what happens in my woods. There have been times when I have deployed up to 12 cameras at once. With my nifty electronic eyes, I have recorded over 500 hours of video and have captured 23 species of Maine mammals and the voices and sounds of dozens of birds and insects.

Occasionally, I obtain a carcass. Occasionally, I use trapper’s lure. It’s all about the food in the wild. Anytime I put out bones from a deer, for example, I will always get the common predators of the Maine woods: coyote, fox, bobcat, and fisher. In addition, I often get other scavengers like bears and raccoons as well porcupine, weasel, skunk, eagles, vultures, and in one lucky winter, a pine martin. Other roamers include deer, moose, and my most frequent visitor, snowshoe hare.

What amazes both Pam and me is that, as we wander on our property, we rarely actually see any of our woods' residents. Occasionally, we might startle a deer or moose, and a few times, we have been lucky enough to see a bobcat, but for the most part, all of these animals stay completely concealed in the forest. My wife and I find that each time we bring home new video it’s like receiving a surprise gift: the contents are unknown and always prove to be fun.

There are some challenges to using all of my homebrew cameras. It can take many hours of time to replace memory cards and batteries and to find locations to place the cameras that are reachable even during the winter. In addition, the cameras need to be serviced every 2 or 3 weeks, so deploying 8 cameras can take a lot of personal time and effort. But, to me, the results are more than worth all the time and energy needed!

In order to share my passion for observing Maine wildlife, I have created a YouTube channel where I have posted my “greatest hits” videos to share. Here are some links to this channel and some of my favorite videos:

• YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/sunkhaze
• Big Moose: http://youtu.be/bcrw3tg6V3c
• Bobcat: http://youtu.be/rIOh1pJgiVU
• Coyote: http://youtu.be/qxEQgg8dvjU
• Pine Martin: http://youtu.be/yQjW5-xvdH0

One of the videos I made is a montage of videos taken on my property over a two week period, where people walk by and animals walk by the same path at different time. Neither knows how close they came to meeting the other face-to-face. This fun video can be seen here: http://youtu.be/NagOf19ToBk

I hope that you get as much joy out of watching these videos as I do!

-Bryan and Pam Wells, NRCM members

A Birder’s Take on Signs of Spring

Last year around this time, dozens of cars lined up along Route 126 from South Gardiner to Gardiner. Children, along with one or both of their parents, gazed out through the windows or stood nearby as two Coast Guard ice breakers plowed their way up the Kennebec River, slicing through thick layers of ice—an annual event to prevent jams and flooding as the ice melts and flows out to sea.

The cutters arrived at the Gardiner boat landing last week, but not one car stopped to watch.

That’s because there was no ice to break up. The mighty Kennebec, typically snarled with jagged fangs of ice this time of year, was as clear and free-flowing on March 13th as it is on a mid-summer’s day.

To those of us who live along the Kennebec, the widening ribbon of moving water correlates with the gradual arrival of spring. Each day, the frozen water shrinks a little more, and soon the last of the bergs bob their way down the current to Merrymeeting Bay. That’s how spring happens.

But not this year. 

For birders like me, the signs of spring began appearing even before the river thawed. In early February, a subscriber on the Mainebirds listserv reported seeing a Turkey Vulture in Bowdoinham. Although the majority of Turkey Vultures spend the winter in the southern U.S. and beyond, an individual bird now and then has been known to overwinter here. Such instances are rare, since vultures feed on carrion, and it’s hard for dead animal carcasses to rot when they’re frozen solid in a typical Maine winter. But they can occasionally make a living by hanging around near large farms where there are dead chickens or cattle, or else they take a liking to dumpsites. So the report in early February? Interesting, but not disconcerting.

But the vultures kept coming. Less than a week after that first Turkey Vulture, I saw one myself, and many other birders also saw them. Reports of Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teal, and American Woodcock soon followed. Like Turkey Vultures, there are occasional individuals of these species that attempt to winter in some years. The ducks might find an open patch of water. A woodcock might attempt to linger, surviving by finding some thawed ground along the edges of a stream to feed on worms or other invertebrates.

Then came the Ring-necked Ducks followed by obligate insect eaters like Eastern Phoebes (left) and Northern Rough-winged Swallows—virtually all at least two weeks earlier than usual. For example, a paper in Northeastern Naturalist by Colby College professor Herb Wilson gave the earliest arrival date from 1994 observers for Rough-winged Swallow of April 10. A bird was seen this year on March 10. The first Eastern Phoebe reported from Wilson’s 1994 dataset was March 22; this year one was reported on March 14. In 1994 a Ring-necked Duck was first reported on March 24 while the first reported this year was March 8.

Being married to a scientist as I am, and working for an organization like the Natural Resources Council of Maine that puts a high value on science, I have long been aware that virtually all scientists studying climate change not only agree that it’s real but that its rapid acceleration is directly tied to human-made pollution from oil, gas, and coal. They all agree that unless we make big changes, fast, the world will be hotter and dryer in some places, with flooding elsewhere—and overall, an ecological mess.

I love spring as much as any Mainer does. Who doesn’t welcome brighter, warmer days after winter of cold, shorter days? However, while many of my Facebook friends blissfully post about the unseasonable 60-degree weather, I find myself mulling over the birds and the science with questions like these:

• Will the timing of mayfly or stonefly emergence from aquatic habitats change because of the change in temperatures and impact the ability of swallows to feed their young?
• Will the timing of flowering and pollination, and the ripening of natural fruits, change in ways that make food supplies less available for fall migrants trying to fatten up for migration?

My biggest question is this: Is this spring just an anomaly?

The data say no, it is not. Hundreds of scientific studies have now documented that bird migration, flowering times, insect emergence, and dozens of other biological events across the Northern Hemisphere now occur two weeks or more earlier than they did 50 to 100 years ago.

What will this mean in the years, and decades, to come? Short-distance migrant birds may be able to adapt their spring arrival dates, but will they be able to adapt in other parts of their life cycle as temperatures increase and entire ecological communities change?

As I’ve made my commute along the Kennebec over the last few weeks, I’ve occasionally thought of the glaciers melting, and the dramatic video footage showing vast chunks crashing into the waters off Greenland. Those images are disturbing, but the tug of life can quickly push them to the back of my mind. Not so with Maine’s early birds. I see them, or read posts about them, often. I welcome their return with mixed feelings.   

There’s a saying that goes, “The early bird gets the worm.” This spring, I can’t help but be concerned about what, in the long run, that will really mean.

- Allison Wells, NRCM Senior Director of Public Affairs

Learn more about the Wood Duck by visiting the Creature Feature page on NRCM's website.

Photo of Wood Duck by NRCM member Pam Wells. To see more of Pam's wildlife photos visit http://www.nrcm.org/pam_wells_slideshow.asp

Photo of Eastern Phoebe courtesy of Kirk Rogers. Visit his website here.

LURC Amendment Not Strong Enough

The work sessions to hack out a bill to “reform” LURC continue to entertain, and, more importantly, alarm us all—particularly when we realize what’s at stake is the future of Maine’s great North Woods! There is a minority report, which we support, and a majority report, which we oppose. The most recent action involves an amendment to the majority report, put forth by LURC Reform Committee member Rep Russell Black.

Don’t be fooled by Rep. Black’s amendment. Although some are calling it a compromise, it still allows counties to opt out of LURC, abolishing LURC one county at a time, and it still allows county commissioners to nominate themselves to the new board (LUPC)—today, dubbed the “loopsy.” This means we could still be looking at a board made up of eight out of nine members in the role of county commissioners who nominated themselves. This is a recipe for conflict of interest, and it also means our North Woods could rest entirely in the hands of people not representing a statewide perspective.

In addition, the majority report creates a permitting nightmare, which would require some applicants to go to four agencies: LURC, DEP, MFS (Maine Forest Service), and counties, for approval of different parts of their proposed project. That doesn’t sound efficient to me, particularly compared to LURC’s “one-stop shopping” convenience.

The problems with the majority report became even clearer today as legislators struggled to understand the problems they were creating, never mind figuring out how to solve them. And they haven’t even started drafting the actual legal language for the two reports yet.

The minority report, which we support, looks as if it will solve the worst of the problems with the majority report and we continue to build support for it, as it would address the areas of highest concern.

Maine’s 10-million-acre North Woods is the largest undeveloped forest east of the Mississippi River. It truly is a special place. For the past 40 years, LURC has done a good job of balancing economic development and ecological protection in Maine’s North Woods. In order to maintain it for future generations, we need to keep LURC strong.

It seems inevitable that the LURC bill will be heading for a floor fight in the House and Senate and YOUR legislators will have the final say. Please call or email them today and urge them to support the MINORITY report on LD 1798.

—Cathy Johnson, NRCM North Woods Project Director & Senior Staff Attorney

Related:
NRCM Blog Post: A Day in Support of Maine’s North Woods

Portland Press Herald story

Learn More about LURC and NRCM’s Work to Protect Maine’s North Woods

MMM…March Maple Madness

It’s March. Hurray!

I will admit that I am not a fan of winter though I have lived in Maine all my life. I am not someone who is giddy at the first sign of snow, and after 40 Christmases, I am not someone who needs to ever see another “white Christmas.” Bah humbug.

But, without winter, I suppose I would not get that warm, happy feeling that is inside me right now. The happiness I felt last Thursday when I could turn the calendar from “February” to “March” was almost indescribable. I love March because it means that spring begins. I love March because it means that even if it snows, the snow will melt more quickly than it did in January and February (not that we had much to melt from February this year). The arrival of March also means that Maine Maple Sunday is just around the corner, on Sunday, March 25th!

I LOVE Maine Maple Sunday. I have been attending Maine Maple Sunday for more than a decade because my cousin has a maple syrup business, Hall Farm Maple Products on Route 2 in East Dixfield, and I go each year to help out. My cousin is the eighth generation on the farm (my mom grew up there), and he started making maple syrup as a hobby in high school. Now he taps more than 7,000 trees and last year made more than 1,000 gallons of syrup. (Fun fact: it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.)

On Maine Maple Sunday (always the fourth Sunday in March), Maine’s syrup producers open their sugarhouses and farms to visitors who come from all over to sample delicious, fresh Maine maple syrup. At my cousin’s, there is a pancake breakfast, tours of the sap house, maple cotton candy (a huge hit with everyone!), tours of the dairy farm (usually there are newborn calves and a few barn kittens there to greet you), and a store in the old schoolhouse where my mom and her brother and father attended school. It’s a great day, with hundreds of people visiting throughout the day.

Several years ago, my cousin agreed to be interviewed for the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s Global Warming in Maine: Warning Signs, Winning Solutions publication. He said, “I know my granddad made syrup commercially in the 60s and early 70s and they always planned on making syrup around the 12th or 15th of March. We’re probably a week earlier. Is that due to global warming? That concerns me.” And this year, he started making syrup in February, even earlier than before, due to warm temperatures.

Global warming is a big concern for maple producers, ski resorts, and others who make their living based on cold, snowy winters in Maine. It is also a concern for Maine’s coastal communities, who are faced with issues surrounding sea-level rise. Portland has already begun to plan for higher sea-levels due to climate change.

It is important that we make changes that help reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on climate change. Yet just last week, the State announced an end to the vanpool by Go Maine (skeptics believe that is just an excuse). If that happens, and users can’t find a replacement solution, it will more cars are on the roads, more traffic congestion, more vehicle emissions  released into the environment, and Mainers spending more of their hard-earned money on expensive gasoline rather than sharing a ride with others. Learn what you can do about this here.
 
One great way to help reduce global warming pollution is to eat local foods that don’t have to be trucked or flown into your grocery store. And what is a more delicious local food than sweet maple syrup, produced right here in Maine?

So, do your part to shop locally and support a local, Maine-made product on Sunday, March 25th, by visiting a sugarhouse near you. Allison Wells, NRCM’s senior director of public affairs, visited a maple syrup producer in Dresden with her family a few years ago and made a great short film of the day—so if you have never been, I hope that watching this video will encourage you to give it a try!

For a full list of locations participating in this year’s Maine Maple Sunday, visit www.mainemapleproducers.com/maine-maple-sunday-map.html. I will be at Hall Farms for the day—if you are in the area, please stop by to say hello!

- Beth Dimond, NRCM Public Affairs Coordinator