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The Hudson, Susquehanna, Delaware, Connecticut and Merrimack watersheds in the Northeastern U.S. have experienced some of the steepest declines in snowpack, according to a study by Dartmouth researchers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Study reveals climate change erasing seasonal snowpacks of New England

A new study found seasonal snowpacks throughout New England have shrunk significantly over the past 40 years due to human-driven climate change…

By upgrading its treatment plant, separating sewer lines and increasing stormwater storage, Portland, Maine, is on track to end sewage overflows into Casco Bay by 2030, according to Environment America.(Adobe Stock)

Investments Urged to Protect ME Water Infrastructure from Climate Change

More work and investment are needed to ensure all waters in Maine are safe for swimming, according to a new report. At least 36 beaches in the state …

The Biden administration has set a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind electricity generation by 2030, enough to power more than 10 million American homes. (Adobe Stock)

Bills Aim to Create 'Responsible' Offshore Wind Industry in ME

Maine lawmakers are considering two pieces of legislation which supporters said are needed to ensure "responsible" development of offshore wind projec…

More than one-third of threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, according to the EPA. In Maine, some of the threatened species found in wetlands include the Blanding's Turtle, Ringed Boghaunter Dragonfly, and English Sundew. (Adobe Stock)

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Affects Maine Waterways

Environmental advocates say the U.S. Supreme Court has dealt a major blow to the Clean Water Act and to Maine's ability to protect some of its most …

More than 70% of Maine's total electricity net generation comes from renewable energy, and hydroelectric power provides the largest share at 27%. (Adobe Stock)

New Hydropower Dam Designs Leave Fish Unharmed

By Eric Krebs for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Maine News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pub…

Maine's largest crop is potatoes, which grow best in cool weather. But projected warming from climate change may reduce potato yields by 25 to 35%, according to the Natural Resources Council of Maine. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers Consider Drought-Relief Measures for ME Farmers

Lawmakers in Maine are considering ways to help farmers develop long-term solutions to drought, which has plagued the state for the past three years…

University of Maine graduate Emily Miller holds a female Arctic charr from the Floods Pond field site in Otis, Maine, where she and other scientists will measure, genetically sample and tag the long-lived species with a microchip ID. (Bradley Erdman)

Maine’s Arctic Charr Provide Insight into Climate Resilience

Researchers are studying the feeding habits of Arctic charr to help predict how other fish species could adapt to a warming climate. Arctic charr …

Maine's Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point has been facing high levels of toxic chemicals in their drinking water for decades. (Wabanaki Alliance)

Groups Rally for Clean Drinking Water for Passamaquoddy Tribe

Groups rallying at the State House on Monday called on lawmakers and Gov. Janet Mills to pass and sign a bill to address the high levels of toxic …

Roughly 1,000 Atlantic salmon remain in the Gulf of Maine. (jamie/Adobe Stock)

Four Atlantic Salmon Restoration Projects in Maine Get Federal Funding

BANGOR, Maine -- Efforts are under way to restore Atlantic salmon populations in the Gulf of Maine, by removing dams, replacing culverts and …

An agreement between Maine People's Alliance and Mallinckrodt U.S. LLC will not go into effect unless the Federal District Court in Maine approves it. (peter/Adobe Stock)

Groups Urge Input on Mercury Removal Proposal for Penobscot River

BANGOR, Maine -- A proposed settlement for cleaning mercury out of the Penobscot River is in its 90-day public-comment phase, with court hearings set …

The last wild populations of Atlantic salmon in the United States are found in Maine's rivers, and groups say four hydroelectric dams on the Kennebec River need to be removed to help protect them. (Kevin/Adobe Stock)

Groups Say Kennebec River Dams Threaten Endangered Atlantic Salmon

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine conservationists say four dams on the Kennebec River are the biggest threat to Atlantic salmon populations, and groups intend …

Fishing to Play Key Role in Next Decade of Conservation Efforts

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Members of the Maine fishing industry are among those looking forward to having a seat at the table, to make progress toward the …

A new federal Office of Climate Change is expected to address the intersection between climate change and public health; for example, pollution in certain communities leading to higher rates of respiratory illness. (spiritofamerica/Adobe Stock)

ME Climate Expert Applauds Exec. Orders to Tackle Climate Change

AUGUSTA, Maine -- President Joe Biden will sign a bundle of executive orders today, reversing more Trump-administration rollbacks and setting new …

Coastal restoration jobs could help Maine communities hit hard by losses in the fishing and tourism industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. (RocklandMaine.gov)

Funding for Coastal Restoration Jobs Could Benefit Maine

STONINGTON, Maine -- The U.S. House is expected to vote today on the Moving Forward Act, a $1.5 trillion bill to fund infrastructure. Part of the …

Passamaquoddy Bay runs between Passamaquoddy tribal land in Maine and Canada. One of the main sources of contention in the act is natural resources rights. (Jay Woodworth/Creative Commons)

Hearings on Maine Indian Claims Act Changes Show Challenges Ahead

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine is considering whether to revise its legal relationship with American Indian nations -- but two recent public hearings show a …

Maine Aqua Ventus is currently evaluating the first floating wind turbine technology in the Americas. (Maine Aqua Ventus)

Maine Could Have First Floating Wind Farm in the Americas

ORONO, Maine -- Soon, Maine could have the first floating wind farm in the Americas. Central Maine Power Company recently signed a 20-year contract …

Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis is part of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act. (University of Maine bio)

Maine Considers Changes to Indian Claims Act

AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine could soon revise its legal relationship with American Indian nations. Maine treats tribal nations as municipalities …

In addition to Maine's LD 955, the U.S. Senate also is considering legislation to ban oil and gas drilling off the New England coast. (Dan/Adobe Stock)

Maine Senate Passes Offshore Drilling Ban

AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Senate overwhelmingly passed an offshore-drilling ban on Tuesday by a vote of 31-4. The next step for LD 955 is Gov…

Vineyard Wind is expected to build one of the first massive offshore wind farms in the U.S., south of the Martha's Vineyard area of Massachusetts. (U.S. Dept. of Energy/Flickr)

Monitoring Offshore Wind Farm's Impact on Marine Life

AUGUSTA, Maine – A proposed offshore wind farm off the Massachusetts coast could be the first industrial-sized facility of its kind in the U.S.…

If proposed changes to the Clean Water Act are adopted, many streams and wetlands would no longer be protected. (Dougtone/Flickr)

Clean Water Act Changes Could Impact Maine Economy

BELGRADE LAKES, MAINE – The Trump Administration is trying to narrow the scope of the Clean Water Act, a change that would exclude about half …

Water quality of small streams in places such as Spruce Creek can impact larger bodies of water. (InAweofGod'sCreation/Flickr)

Protections for Streams, Wetlands Under Attack

AUGUSTA, Maine - Negative reaction from conservation groups was swift to a Trump administration proposal on Tuesday to remove federal clean-water …

The ruling could affect more than 1,000 active and retired coal-ash ponds nationwide. (USFWS)

Coal Ash Ruling Called Victory Over Toxic Pollution

AUGUSTA, Maine — A federal appeals court has ruled that Environmental Protection Agency rules governing coal-ash pits do not adequately protect …

Many of the EPA regulations that Scott Pruitt scrapped or delayed as EPA administrator had not yet taken effect before his resignation. (Wikimedia Commons)

Government Watchdog Groups: Pruitt's EPA Exit "Long Overdue"

WASHINGTON – After allegedly overspending on everything from pens to lavish trips and accepting questionable deals from lobbyists, government …

The plan proposes opening 90 percent of U.S. coastal waters to oil and gas development. (catmoz/Pixabay)

Mainers Hold Alternative to Federal Offshore-Oil Meeting

AUGUSTA, Maine — Environmental groups say the federal public meeting on a proposal to allow oil and gas drilling in Atlantic waters isn't …

Climate change is raising ocean temperatures and acidity, affecting Maine's fishing and lobster industries. (mroylbca/Pixabay)

Advocates: Maine Needs to Be Heard on Clean Power Plan

AUGUSTA, Maine – Environmentalists in Maine are calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s single public hearing on the proposal to …

Maine has big concerns about this week's move to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule, for the impacts it could have on fishing, tourism and water quality. (J. Ross/Flickr)

Clean Water Rule Repeal? Maine Drinking Water, Tourism "at Risk"

PORTLAND, Maine - The Trump administration is moving forward with efforts to scrap the 2015 Clean Water Rule, a move that concerns conservation …

A bill is pending in Congress that would impact regulations that protect water, food, medicine and the environment. (farmer.gov.in)

Consumer Warning: Bill Could Unravel Protections

PORTLAND, Maine – The Regulatory Accountability Act (S-951) sounds innocuous enough, but consumer and public-health advocates say it's anything …

A Building a Culture of Peace forum in Concord, N.H., this week helped to raise funds to fight the Dakota Access Pipeline. (E. Zulaski)

Dakota Access Pipeline Draws New England Opposition

AUGUSTA, Maine – While the Dakota Access Pipeline is being built thousands of miles away, tribal and social justice activists in New England …

A broad based coalition is urging Sen. Susan Collins to join Sen. Angus King in opposing the nomination of Scott Pruitt to head the EPA. (Natural Resources Council of Maine)

Coalition Urges Maine Senators to Unite, Reject EPA Nominee

AUGUSTA, Maine – With a vote possible as early as this week, environmental advocates are urging both of Maine's U.S. senators to unite in …

Advocates say new moves in Congress could

Congressional Maneuvers Cause Clean-Air "Concerns"

AUGUSTA, Maine – The new Congress already is working behind closed doors to roll back major public safeguards, that's the word from health and …

About 35 Maine students and local supporters occupied a local bank branch in Portland to protest loans the bank made to construct the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Maine Students for Climate Action)

Time Out from Holiday Rush for Protest in Portland

PORTLAND, Maine – While many people have been out holiday shopping this week, some local college students have been protesting a major bank's …

Maine is seeing limited algal blooms this summer, but the problem is on the rise across the nation and the CDC now has a new website that provide health information. (NASA)

Maine Sees Limited Algal Bloom Season

BANGOR, Maine - Algal blooms in bodies of water in New England and across the nation are increasing. It's a combined result of climate change…

It's the latest advice from a new CDC Study: To stay healthy, older Americans, especially men, and certain ethnic groups need to drink more water. (Mike Clifford)

Check Your Fluid Levels? CDC Advises Drinking More Water

AUGUSTA, Maine - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has followed up on a study done about a decade ago that looks at whether Americans …

Loons are among Maine wildlife that local advocates say are likely to benefit from more stringent standards on mercury pollution. (John Picken)

EPA Analysis of Mercury Rule Called "Good News" for Mainers

AUGUSTA, Maine – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed an analysis showing that reducing emissions of mercury and other toxic …

Zach Wolzich and 9-year-old daughter Samantha met with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to ask Congress to protect the carbon pollution limits in the EPA Clean Power Plan. Courtesy: Natural Resources Council of Maine

Mainers Visit D.C. to Urge Support for Carbon Pollution Limits

AUGUSTA, Maine - It almost sounds like the set-up for a joke – a doctor, an ice fisherman and his daughter walk into a Senate office – …

Hunting and fishing contribute half a billion dollars to Maine's economy and a new (NWF) survey shows wide bipartisan report for extending EPA Clean Water protections to smaller rivers and streams. Credit: Missing Lynx/NRCM.

Poll Finds Wide Support for Clean Water

AUGUSTA, Maine – Tea Party voters are well represented in a new bipartisan survey that finds broad support for the Clean Water Act. Three-in-…

PHOTO: Maine is sitting pretty and setting the pace when it comes to meeting the goals of the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, which would require states to reduce carbon emissions from power plants 32 percent by 2030. Photo credit: tpsdave/Pixabay

EPA's Clean Power Plan? Maine's Been There, Doing That

PORTLAND, Maine – Maine is sitting pretty and setting the pace when it comes to meeting the goals of the Environmental Protection Agency's …

PHOTO: A new poll conducted after the midterm elections indicates a majority of voters in six of the so-called battleground states want action on the climate crisis, regardless of which way they voted. The Sierra Club believes the same would hold true for Maine voters. Photo credit: pixabay

Poll: Voters Want Action on Climate Crisis

PORTLAND, Maine – No matter which side of the political aisle they were on and no matter which way their elections went three weeks ago…

PHOTO: Three groups are suing the FDA over their approval of new combinations of growth enhancing drugs to be administered to millions of animals raised for food, including pigs. Photo courtesy Humane Society of the United States.

FDA Sued Over New Drug “Cocktails” for Farm Animals

PORTLAND, Maine - Pharmaceuticals....it's what's for dinner. And groups in the U.S. are suing the federal government over it. The Humane Society of …

PHOTO: The EPA holds hearings across the country beginning Tuesday on its proposed Clean Air Plan aimed at reducing carbon emissions from power plants. While Maine is not a hearing site, one member of Congress is making sure her voice is heard. Photo credit: Dori / Wikimedia Commons.

EPA to Get an Earful on Clean Air

PORTLAND, Maine - The Environmental Protection agency (EPA) will begin holding a series of public hearings across the U.S. on Tuesday on the newly-…

PHOTO: Two Lights State Park in Cumberland County is among the beneficiaries of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Congress initially passed legislation creating the fund 50 years ago this week. Photo credit: Wikipedia.

Land and Water Conservation Fund Lauded, Defended

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the vote in Congress which created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Signed …

PHOTO: Coastal storm damage, such as in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, will be more frequent as sea levels rise through the century in the Northeast, according to a new report. Photo courtesy Risky Business Project.

Report: Maine Economy Headed “Underwater?”

PORTLAND, ME - The Northeast is expected to experience a temperature increase over the next century. But a new study identified rising oceans…

PHOTO: Maine Conservation Voters has issued its annual scorecard showing how each of the state�s legislators voted on seven key environmental issues. The results are mixed. Courtesy MCV<br /><br />

Grading Maine Pols on Conservation

PORTLAND, Maine - Maine's environment scored some significant victories in the first half of the 126th legislative session and took some tough losses …

PHOTO: The Obama administration�s tough new requirements to limit carbon pollution from new power plants are being hailed in Maine.

EPA Carbon Pollution Curb Meets Maine Approval

PORTLAND, Maine - Linking global warming to disease, extreme weather and other environmental problems, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has …

PHOTO: Harvesting carrots at Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport. The Maine Coast Heritage Trust's Teen Agriculture Program benefitted from the Quality of Place Initiative. Courtesy Devin Altobello.

Networking: Key to Keeping Maine a Quality Place?

ELLSWORTH, Maine - Saving fish populations described as "at rock bottom;" helping kids learn how to grow vegetables in three-foot by five-foot …

PHOTO: The Portland-Maine pipeline, shown here crossing Coos County, NH, is cited in a petition calling on the federal government to issue stricter regulations for transporting tar sands oil from Western Canada across New England and the Midwest.

Mainers Join to Petition U.S. on Tar Sands Regs

PORTLAND, Maine - More than 55 groups and individuals are petitioning the federal government to halt plans to pump corrosive tar-sands oil from …

PHOTO: Oil found in Gulf wetlands in 2012. Courtesy: Craig Guillot, NWF

Environmental "Trial of the Century" to Start Today

PORTLAND, Maine - Billions of dollars and the health of the Gulf Coast are on the line as the trial against BP begins today in New Orleans. Based on …

PHOTO: Sally Jewell, the current CEO of Seattle-based outdoor retailer REI, is President Obama's new nominee for Secretary of the Interior. Courtesy of REI, Inc.

Interior Department to Try On Non-Politico Secretary

PORTLAND, Maine - The head of REI, the prominent outdoor clothing and gear retail company, has been nominated for Secretary of the Interior. If …

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