Tag: NRCM

RadioActive 1/17/19

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Land Use Planning Commission Poised to Open 1.3 million Acres of Maine Woods to Development

The Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) is poised to make the biggest proposed policy change in Commission history. Their plan to change adjacency criteria, eliminating the so-called “one mile rule”, would open up over 1.3 million acres of the Maine woods to residential subdivisions. 800,000 of those acres would also be opened to commercial development. This would open an unspecified number of class 3 lakes to development.
Opponents say, the policy change would also reverse a 2001 legislative ban on large residential subdivisions of 25 acres (so called, kingdom lots), and would allow subdivisions of up to 14 lots and 30 acres to meet only limited environmental review on approximately 400,000 acres.
The LUPC is accepting written comments on their proposed development changes until January 22. Email comments to Benjamin.Godsoe@maine.gov

Guest:
Cathy Johnson, Senior Staff Attorney, Forest and Wildlife Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine
www.nrcm.org/projects/forests-wildlife/maine-north-woods-protection-lupc/lupc-adjacency-principle-maines-north-woods/
www.nrcm.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-one-mile-rule-general-factsheet-post-hearing.pdf
www.nrcm.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/NRCMadjacencytestimony62018.pdf
www.nrcm.org/projects/forests-wildlife/maine-north-woods-protection-lupc/

Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Land Use Planning Commission
Proposed Rules Revisions: Revised Applications of Adjacency Principle and Subdivision Standards : www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc/projects/adjacency/rulemaking/Adj_Sub_PublicCommentDraft_Dec2018.pdf

Today’s program was produced with the Sunlight Media Collective.

Power for the People 9/12/18

Producer/Host: Steve Kahl
Engineer: Amy Browne

CMP’s New England Clean Energy Connect project

Key Discussion Points
a) NECEC goal to supply power to Mass.
b) Impact on renewable energy
c) environmental impact

Guests:
Sandi Howard, Facebook administrator of NECEC page
Dylan Voorhees, NRCM Clean Energy Director

Maine Currents 7/11/17

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Segment 1: The public comment period has closed and now those who care about Maine’s new National Monument are waiting to hear its’ fate. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke visited Katahdin Woods and Waters recently as part of a federal review. While his comments after touring the area seemed to indicate that he was favorably impressed, they are open to interpretation at this point. Governor LePage has been a vocal opponent of the monument, downplaying the beauty and historical significance of the area, and any potential economic benefits for the region.
On Friday the Natural Resources Council of Maine held a press conference in Bangor to release the results of their analysis of the public comments that had been submitted so far, and to highlight the thoughts of some residents of the Katahdin Woods and Waters region. In our first segement today we’re going to listen in.

FMI:
Natural Resources Council of Maine

Segment 2: Coming up on Wednesday, July 26th, WERU, in conjunction with Bucksport’s Wednesdays on Main will hold our third annual storytelling event at the Alamo Theatre. We hope to see you all there, and to give you a sample of what you can expect, today we’re bringing you an encore presentation of 3 of the storytellers from last year’s show who will be returning this year.

FMI about the 7/26th event: My Maine: The State as Experienced by Local Storytellers


Maine Currents- independent local news, views and culture, every Tuesday at 4pm on WERU-FM and weru.org

Maine Currents 2/1/17

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Studio Engineer/Segment Producer: John Greenman

President Trump’s actions in his first days in office have been met with protests around the world and right here in Maine- and they show no signs of letting up. Today on “Maine Currents” we’re going to look at the community response to Trump’s executive orders and cabinet nominees. We have a clip from the protest at Bangor International Airport over the weekend, we talk to some of the organizers of local events and then open the phone lines.

Guests:
Lisa Pohlmann, Executive Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), nrcm.org
Susan Dickson-Smith, Founder/Organizer, Eastern Maine for Racial Justice (EMeRJ), facebook.com/emerjmaine , emerjblog.wordpress.com/
Sam Salvadore Portera, Bangor Area Organizer, Maine People’s Alliance, mainepeoplesalliance.org
Karen Marysdaughter, Co-Coordinator, Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, peacectr.org
Matt Murphy, WERU General Manager, weru.org

WERU News Report 4/16/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

As the state legislative session is coming to a close, today we take a look at the status of some of the legislation we’ve been reporting on – and that the Natural Resources Council of Maine has been tracking—with NRCM’s Senior Director of Advocacy, Pete Didisheim. FMI: www.nrcm.org

WERU News Report 10/22/13

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Segment 1: Maine’s mining laws are being rewritten. Legislation drafted by mining companies was presented to the Maine legislature last year with very little advance public notice, and revisions are still being drafted. A public hearing before the Board of Environmental Protection last week drew a crowd of more than 100 people last week, with the overwhelming majority of them speaking in opposition the new regulations, which loosen environmental protections. Clips from the March 2012 public hearing when the legislation was presented to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, and an update on where things stand today, from Nick Bennett, Staff Scientist and Watersheds Policy for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (www.nrcm.org) Comments re the proposed changes can be sent to: Jeff Crawford 17 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333-0017 207-287-7647

Segment 2: A few weeks ago we reported on TWAC, the Trans & Women’s Action Camp that was taking place in Maine. Yesterday the action camp wrapped up with participants visiting Irving headquarters in New Hampshire. One of the participants explains why:

WERU News Report 9/25/13

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Maine’s lakes are endangered by policies put in place by the LePage administration, according to a report released yesterday by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. We spoke with NRCM’s Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim–the author of “Troubled Waters: Damage to Maine’s Lake Protection Program Under the LePage Administration”, and Jessamine Logan, Spokesperson for Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection.

You can read the full report at www.nrcm.org

WERU News Report 1/10/12

Issue: Alternative Local News
Program Name: WERU News Report
Broadcast Date:1/10/12
Broadcast Time: 4pm

Program Topic: Maine Legislature Watch

Key Discussion Points:
a) Updates on the DHHS supplemental budget and other legislation being monitored by the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP)
b) Follow up re: the proposed renaming/restructuring of the Department of Environmental Protection and the recommendations of the LURC Reform Committee with Natural Resources Council of Maine
c) Audio from today’s work session discussion re: legislation to make the Governor’s “working paper” exempt from Freedom of Access requests

Guests by name and affiliation:
A) Dan Coyne, Legislative Director for Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) FMI: http://www.mecep.org/
B) Pete Didisheim, Senior Director of Advocacy for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). FMI: www.nrcm.org

Call In Program: No
Political Broadcast: No

Host: Amy Browne
Engineer: Amy Browne