News Update


News Sections: Land Sales | Forest Practices | Maine Woods National Park | Other Maine/Northern Forest News


 

Maine Land Sales: In the News

SAPPI Sells 905,000 acres of Maine forest land near Moosehead Lake to Plum Creek, October 6, 1998. Bowater sells 1 million acres of Maine forest land to Canadian Firm J.D. Irving, October 21, 1998, then 656,000 acres to an Alabama-based investment company on November 2, 1998.

Forest Practices in Maine: In the News

Other Maine/North Woods News

Maine Woods National Park (MWNP): In the News

The MWNP is a proposal of RESTORE: The North Woods.

Maine Legislature Fails to Pass Forest Practices Reform (Spring 1998)


FEN Press Release on Legislative Failure

Augusta, Maine. March 25, 1998. The 118th Maine State Legislature has failed to enact reforms that would have changed the state's notorious reputation as "The Paper Colony." Over two million acres of Maine's forests, immortalized in Thoreau's The Maine Woods, have been clearcut and over cut in the past twenty years. A handful of multinational corporations own over ten million acres of Maine -- a treasure that they have proven time and again unwilling to manage responsibly. Once again the tools of industrial forestry have proven as powerful in the forests of Maine as they have in the state's legislature and agencies.

Chuck Gadzik, Director of the Maine Forest Service, acted as an unabashed proponent of the industry's "do nothing" plan the legislature did pass. Even in light of recent reports from the US Forest Service which conclude that industrial landowners are cutting trees twice as fast as they are growing back, Gadzik advocated for further "study" of the situation. Gadzik actively lobbied legislators, and was observed repeatedly in legislative proceedings taking counsel directly from industry representatives. One member of the Agriculture and Forestry Committee noted that the proposal from the Maine Forest Service and the industry proposal "look like they were written by the same person."

Concerned citizens have tried for years to change Maine's infamous Forest Practices Act (FPA), which allows clearcuts 250 acres in size and permits an entire ownership to be clearcut in just eleven years. The North Woods Coalition, an alliance of Maine's environmental community, worked to pass a modest "Four Point Plan" that would have ensured that large landowners did not cut more trees than were growing, would have limited clearcutting and provided for an audit of the landowner's forestry activities. The plan was endorsed by editorial boards and some lawmakers throughout the state but was soundly defeated by a legislature unable to stand up to the power and influence of the corporations. The Bangor Daily News noted,

"the failure of the legislature to fully support meaningful forestry reform is a blunder of significant consequences. The committee gave Maine blather. More study committees. More reviews and surveys and talking in circles."

"We are proud of the legislators who did vote for the Four Point Plan and offered the points as amendments to the Committee bill," said Jonathan Carter, Executive Director of the Forest Ecology Network, "unfortunately they were in the minority. Perhaps the voters will change that next November." Carter pointed to two recent state-wide referendums on forest practices in which three-fourths of Mainers voted to replace the FPA with plans similar to that of the North Woods Coalition's four points. "The people of Maine understand that we need to fix this problem, and it is they who now have the ability to do something about it."

 

Let Your Legislator Know How You Feel About Their Failure to Pass Forestry Reform!

The Maine legislature needs to get the message! Call, email or write your legislator today and tell them your concerns for the forest. You may want to look over the joint policy for talking points, or see a sample letter. Remember to follow up your contact.

 

Note: Some legislators courageously supported the "Four Point Plan" to protect Maine's Forests. Find out how your representative voted before contacting them so you'll know whether they should be lauded or chided.

Email addresses are provided below for those representatives (House and Senate) that have them. See the Maine Legislature Home Page to find out who your representative is or to get their phone number. You can also call toll-free 1-800-423-2900 for the House or 1-800-423-6900 for the Senate.

Please cc: your correspondence to FEN with fen@powerlink.net or by post -- thanks!

 

 

Contacting Your Legislator by Email

The Senate list follows the House list. Most Representatives don't have e-mail addresses at the State House because Maine has a part-time legislature which only meets 5-6 months in odd-numbered years and 3-4 months in even-numbered years. For now the fastest way to reach your representative is by telephone. Messages for House members can be left at the Clerk's Office:

Following are e-mail addresses for members with home addresses. Please keep in mind that members may not receive these messages immediately. If time is crucial, please use the phone numbers above.

Barth, Alvin L., Jr. (R-Bethel)
abarth@bdc.bethel.me.us

Belanger, Irvin G. (R-Caribou)
ibelanger@ainop.com

Berry, Donald P., Sr. (R-Belmont)
chemman@northlandlink.com

Berry, Randall L. (D-Livermore)
berry@megalink.net

Bragdon, Tarren R. (R-Bangor)
tarren@mint.net

Brooks, Joseph E. (D-Winterport)
joeb1@bangornews.infi.net

Bruno, Joseph (R-Raymond)
jbruno@ime.net

Buck, John T. (R-Yarmouth)
johntbuck@msn.com

Bumps, Randall L. (R-China)
rbumps@pivot.net

Cameron, Robert A. (R-Rumford)
roannefarm@aol.com

Carleton, Joseph G., Jr. (R-Wells)
jcarleton@cybertours.com

Cianchette, Peter E. (R-South Portland)
cianchette@aol.com

Clukey, Dean F. (R-Houlton)
doubled@ainop.com

Cowger, Scott W. (D-Hallowell)
maple@mint.net

Davidson, Thomas M. (D-Brunswick)
tdavidson@netquarters.net

Desmond, Mabel J.. (D-Mapleton)
mjdez@mfx.net

Donnelly, James O. (R-Presque Isle)
james.donnelly@state.me.us

Farnsworth, Richard R. (D-Portland)
woodinc740@aol.com

Gagnon, Kenneth T. (D-Waterville)
k_gagnon@colby.edu

Goodwin, Albion D. (D-Pembroke)
agoodwin@nemaine.com

Gooley, Walter R. (R-Farmington)
wgooley@somtel.com

Jabar, Joseph M., Sr. (D-Waterville)
joejabar@mint.net

Jones, Sharon Libby (D-Greenville)
sljones@moosehead.net

Joyner, Jeffery G. (R-Hollis)
joyner@mix-net.net

LaVerdiere, Charles C. (D-Wilton)
repccl@somtel.com

Lemont, Kenneth F. (R-Kittery)
lemonthse1@aol.com

Lindahl, David A. (R-Northport)
lindahl@ime.net

Mack, Adam (R-Standish)
bigmack98@juno.com

Marvin, Jean Ginn (R-Cape Elizabeth)
jgmarvin@biddeford.com

Mayo, Arthur F., III (R-Bath)
mayo@gwi.net

McKee, Linda Rogers (D-Wayne)
repdist79@aol.com

Meres, June C. (R-Norridgewock)
meresjc@mint.net

Muse, Christopher T. (D-South Portland)
ctmuse@ime.net

Pieh, Wendy (D-Bremen)
wpieh@lincoln.midcoast.com

Povich, Edward J. (D-Ellsworth)
eddie@celestat.com

Powers, Judith A. (D-Rockport)
oakleaf@midcoast.com

Quint, Michael W. (D-Portland)
mwquint@aol.com

Sanborn, Laura (D-Alton)
hlsanborn@aol.com

Shiah, David C. (D-Bowdoinham)
dshiah@horton.col.k12.me.us

Vedral, John W., III (R-Buxton)
jvedral@cybertours.com

Volenik, Paul (D-Brooklin)
paul_volenik@celestat.com

Winsor, Tom J. (R-Norway)
tomwinsor@maine.com

 

Maine State Senators with Email:

Abromson, Joel (R) Dist 30 SenJoel.Abromson@state.me.us  
Amero, Jane (R)
Dist 27 Jane.Amero@state.me.us  
Bennett, Richard (R)
Dist 25   rbennett@maine.com
Cathcart, Mary (D)
Dist 7 SenMary.Cathcart@state.me.us maryorono@aol.com
Cleveland, John (D)
Dist 22   dssr41c@prodigy.com
Daggett, Beverly (D)
Dist 15   daggett@mint.net
Goldthwait, Jill (I)
Dist 5   jillgold@acadia.net
Harriman, Phil (R)
Dist 23 SenPhilip.Harriman@state.me.us senpeh@aol.com
Kieffer, Leo (R)
Dist 2 Leo.Kieffer@state.me.us  
KilKelly, Marge (D)
Dist 16   Kilkelly@wiscasset.net
Lafountain, Lloyd (D)
Dist 32 SenLloyd.LaFountain@state.me.us  
Lawrence, Mark (D)
Dist 35 Mark.Lawrence@state.me.us  
Longley, Susan (D)
Dist 11 slongley@state.me.us  
Michaud, Michael (D)
Dist 3   mmichaud@agate.net
Paradis, Judy A. (D)
Dist 1   rody@nbnet.nb.ca
Pingree, Chellie (D)
Dist 12 Chellie.Pingree@state.me.us pingree@midcoast.com
Rand, Anne (D)
Dist 28 Anne.Rand@state.me.us  
Treat, Sharon (D)
Dist 18 SenSharon.Treat@state.me.us treat@saturn.caps.maine.edu

OFFICES OF THE SENATE:

Majority Office (D) webmaster_dems@state.me.us
Minority Office (R) webmaster_reps@state.me.us
President's Office webmaster_pres@state.me.us
Senate Office webmaster_senate@state.me.us
To Contact the Senate
webmaster_senate@state.me.us



283 Water Street, 3rd floor, P.O. Box 2118, Augusta, Maine 04338
Phone: 207-623-7140
email: fen@powerlink.net


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