Last year, Senator Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced inconspicuous amendments to various appropriations bills designed to delay federal regulation of carbon dioxide.  Word on the D.C. street is that tomorrow Senator Murkowski will take aim at the oceans when she introduces an amendment on the Senate floor for debate.   The language we anticipate is something along the lines of “No funds shall be expended to implement any provisions of coastal and marine spatial planning under Executive Order 13547 (the President’s National Ocean Policy).”  The Murkowski amendment might also try to stop funding for longstanding coastal zone management programs that are a benefit to coastal communities, maritime safety and ocean-related commerce.   Interestingly enough, Alaska’s coastal program was eliminated last July.  With 36,000 miles of coast line to worry about, the Alaska legislature adjourned without reauthorizing its own coastal program.  Now that Alaska has read more…

The Land Use Regulatory Commission has begun deliberations on the Bowers Mountain Wind project, which CLF supported as an intervener.  Sean Mahoney presented a closing statement in support of the project  (Sean Mahoney Closing Statement 10-5-11) which built upon the testimony of Abigail Krich (Abigail Krich Direct Testimony 6-10-11 and Dr. Cameron Wake (Dr. Cameron Wake Direct Testimony 6-10-11).  As with many wind power projects in Maine today, the biggest issue for LURC to resolve is the project’s impact on scenic resources in the area.  The testimony of Roger Milliken (Roger Milliken Direct Testimony 6-10-11) spoke to the push and pull of that issue eloquently.  A decision from LURC on the project is expected sometime in early November.

After taking the bar exam, I decided the best thing to do was head north for a multi-day wilderness trip on the West Magpie River. The Magpie flows through Québec’s Côte-Nord region a couple drainages away from the Romaine and Petit Mecatina rivers. For the majority of the trip, we remained many (sometimes hundreds) of miles from any semblance of civilization. The only way to get there is by floatplane. After five days, countless rapids, and many miles of flatwater, I had a new appreciation for the Côte-Nord region and one of the last truly wild places left in the East. The Magpie, Romaine, and Petit Mecatina are all either being dammed or have the potential to be dammed. Some of our friends had run the Romaine a few weeks read more…

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week: October 11: “Celebrate Seafood in October” – A list of October seafood festivals that will be happening along the New England coast. October 13: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, October 13″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: a bill introduced by Senators Brown and Ayotte to allow the dismantling of the sector system, Target commits read more…

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island took the Senate floor yesterday in defense of science and reason – two topics that seldom seem to influence the decisionmaking of the Senate lawmakers these days when it comes to climate change.  Speaking out against the two big lies permeating the halls of congress: 1) environmental regulations are a burden to the economy; and 2) the jury is still out on climate change, Senator Whitehouse convincingly argued why both claims are false.  “The jury isn’t out,” he said, “the verdict is in!”  “More than 97% of publishing scientists accept that climate change is happening and that humans are causing it,” the Senator said in a twenty-four minute floor speech in which he cautioned his colleagues that the Senate is failing, “earning the scorn and read more…

No one knows better than the US military that our dependence on fossil fuels comes with enormous hidden costs.  In this Op-Ed in the Tampa Tribune three retired generals and one retired admiral discuss the hundreds of soldiers who have died and the thousands of their brother-in-arms who have been seriously wounded guarding fuel convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our military has long known about the overarching threat to our security from unchecked global warming. Reducing our dependence on oil and building a clean energy future will require work on a wide variety of fronts – and that is why CLF is working not only to foster renewable generation like wind and solar power but also working “on the demand side” to ensure that energy efficiency prosper as well. This read more…

Anxious to get two paper mills in northern Maine operating again, the State of Maine agreed to take on the liability of the landfill that has taken solid wastes from those facilities for decades.  Inconveniently, taking on that liability, which is at least $17 million, without having the money in hand to pay for it runs afoul of the Maine Constitution. CLF is supportive of efforts to get the mills in Millinocket and East Millinocket operating again, but is concerned about the precedent the State is setting.  The issue is not just one of meeting the requirements of the Constitution, but also how the State intends to manage landfills in Maine. The State’s (and thus, Maine taxpayers’) willingness to take on the liability for the costs of closing and cleaning read more…

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week. read more..

You've probably never seen Atlantic menhaden on a restaurant menu, and maybe you've never even heard of this little fish. But Atlantic menhaden, which have been called the "most important fish in the sea," need your help. read more..

Bi-partisan legislation proposed by Senators Whitehouse (D-RI) and Snowe (R-ME) to establish a National Endowment for the Oceans received a shot in the arm recently, when the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works approved a proposal set forth earlier this year to fund the Endowment. Senator Whitehouse, a member of the Committee, called the approval a major step forward in getting the Endowment launched and said that its funds would help protect Rhode Island’s oceans and support the fishing, research and tourism jobs which are central to Rhode Island’s economy. The Committee voted to approve the RESTORE the Gulf Coast States Act of 2011, which would set up the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, financed by the billions of dollars in Clean Water Act penalties expected to be paid read more…