Robins in Every Yard
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by Jeffrey and Allison Wells
1d ago
American Robin in Winslow, by Tina Richard Before the big spring snow, on a recent morning walk around our neighborhood with our dog, Loki, spring seemed to have arrived overnight. “Pip-pip-pip”—the calls of American Robins seemed to sound from every yard. The lawns were just starting to regain some green among winter’s leftover brown matted grass but the robins didn’t care. They were standing here and there and everywhere, their famously red breasts puffed out as if they felt proud to be declaring their residency.  Despite the snow storm, the robins are still here, dawdling about, unth ..read more
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Syncing Utility Performance with Maine’s Clean Energy Goals
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by Rebecca Schultz, Climate & Clean Energy Senior Advocate
1d ago
It may come as a surprise that our utilities’ profits aren’t based on how the companies perform. A bill before the Maine Legislature would help correct that.   LD 2172 gives the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) the authority to use a suite of tools that help calibrate utility profits with performance. It also sets in motion a regulatory process to adopt reforms that can align utility incentives with the clean energy transition.   If LD 2172 becomes law, Maine would join 17 other states and the District of Columbia in adopting what policy-makers call performance-based regul ..read more
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Critter Chatter – Is It Really Hibernation?
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by NRCM
6d ago
At several recent visits with Don Cote at Duck Pond Wildlife rehab, I couldn’t help but notice that the resident chipmunk has seemed more “chipper” (pun intended) than usual. Despite his rehab stint in the living room, I suspect his natural internal clock is nudging him about the warmer weather, signaling him to become more active, seek food, prepare for nesting, and maybe even find a mate. We all know that hibernation is the time of year when some animals pack it up for the winter and instead of moving south, hunker down to snooze until spring. Survival depends upon their ability to decrease ..read more
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Maine EPR for Packaging Law Close to Reality
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by Vanessa Berry, Sustainable Maine Program Manager
2w ago
In 2021, Maine adopted a first-in-the-nation Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging law to reduce taxpayer costs and improve recycling by encouraging producers to create less wasteful packaging. Put simply: It’s unfair that Maine taxpayers and communities are on the hook for the wasteful packaging produced by large companies—much of it single-use plastic—that ends up in our waste stream or polluting our environment. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proposed draft regulations that will define what this landmark policy looks like (view a PDF overview of DEP’s pr ..read more
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Maine Trails Madness 2024
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by NRCM
3w ago
Join us in the epic showdown of Maine trails for Maine Trails Madness 2024! Last year, our bracket featured regions, while this year, we took nominations for individual trails to include. Every week, trails will battle it out to advance to win the title. Vote in this first round to help advance your favorites! In literally every corner of the state, trails are a valued resource for connecting Maine people and visitors with the natural world and reaching destinations to work and play. But funding for trails is urgently needed to meet demand. Maine’s trails are experiencing record levels of use ..read more
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Consider the Bird Economy
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by Jeffrey and Allison Wells
1M ago
Turn to any media outlet and you’re bound to hear news about the economy. As the countdown to November continues, we suspect this will intensify. Inflation, interest rates, GDP, stock indices, bond returns—it’s gonna keep coming at us fast and furiously.   But what we won’t hear much about, at least from traditional news outlets, is the “bird economy.” This is a shame, because birds need media champions the same way job growth and interest rates do.   Just as economists are challenged to justify their responses to questions about the status of the economy, we’re often asked ..read more
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Maine Adventures with Josh: In Search of Snow
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by Josh Caldwell, Climate & Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator
1M ago
My adventures in the winter revolve around snow. Whether slapping on a headlamp for some ski laps after work, chomping at the bit for a weekend expedition to the mountains, or bursting out the door at the sight of a flurry for some snowflake snacks, snow gets my blood flowing and spirits high like nothing else. I’ve had my fair share of snowy fun this winter, but it has required some extra work due to high temperatures and infrequent snowfall. A January trip just across the border to the cross-country ski mecca of Jackson, New Hampshire, with my partner Hannah was indicative of this unwelcome ..read more
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Environmental Issues in Maine
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by NRCM
2M ago
The 2024 Legislature has begun with a flurry of activity, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) staff experts have been hard at work to identify our top priorities for protecting Maine’s climate, water, wildlife, and outdoors.    While we’re tracking and weighing in on more than 60 bills, we’re focused on five priority bills that we’re excited to engage our supporters and members on.   NRCM’s 2024 Legislative Priorities  Gas System Reform (LD 2077)  Maine Trails Bond (LD 1156)  Industrial Rockweed Harvesting (LD 2003)  Tribal Sovereignty (LD 2 ..read more
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Tribal Sovereignty: A Step Toward Environmental Justice
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by NRCM
2M ago
We all depend on a clean, healthy environment and are united by our love for the Maine outdoors. We must use this unity to ensure equity and fairness for all. It’s this obligation to make the outdoors more equitable and the recognition of past injustices toward Wabanaki tribes that is motivating the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s (NRCM) support for tribal sovereignty.   The Wabanaki Alliance State House Action Day (photo by JCaldwell/NRCM) The mission of NRCM is to protect, restore, and conserve the woods, waters, wildlife, and communities of the place we now call Maine. In that w ..read more
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Fifteen Years of Owl Hope Pays Off 
Natural Resources Council of Maine Blog
by Jeffrey and Allison Wells
2M ago
After 15 years of hoping to see a Short-eared Owl at one of their favorite local birding spots, the authors saw not one, but two in recent weeks. (Photo by Chris L’Abbe) Fifteen years is a long time. It represents hundreds, maybe as much as a thousand trips to one of our favorite local birding spots. Our visits aren’t specifically to look for owls, but just about every time we’re there, we say the same thing: “This is the perfect place for a Short-eared Owl.” If we didn’t actually say it, we were thinking it.  Birders know all about this never-ending hope. So many places we visit regula ..read more
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