The committees have almost completely finished their work and there has been a major shift to monitoring the debate on the floor of the two chambers and to catching legislators in the halls to discuss pending legislation that is important to our industry. There were several important outcomes this week for our members, but there
Legislative Update: March 27, 2026 Read More »
On behalf of the Maine Forest Products Council, we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) October 9, 2025 draft Water Quality Certification (WQC) for the Shawmut, Lockwood, Hydro Kennebec, and Weston Hydroelectric Projects on the lower Kennebec River. Earlier this year, nearly 100 employees of Sappi North
MFPC Voices Concern Regarding DEP’s draft WQC for the lower Kennebec River dams Read More »
Though I am just over a month into my tenure as the new Executive Director, I already feel incredibly lucky to have been chosen to follow in Patrick’s footsteps. As a wise man (Pat Sirois) often said, the Council represents the forest industry, one of the largest heritage industries in our state, in the most
August 2025 MFPC Newsletter Read More »
This column originally appeared in the BDN on July 5, 2025 Mainers are known for being thrifty to a fault. We know how to stretch a dollar, and how to make the most of limited resources. We are also the most forested state in the nation, which is why Mainers have always relied on wood
Opinion: Media got it wrong when it comes to Maine’s pulp and paper mills Read More »
Source: Maine Forest Service The Maine Budworm Response Coalition (MBRC), comprised of timberland owners and managers in Maine, successfully advocated for emergency funding to oversee and implement the Early Intervention Strategy (EIS) methods to reduce the rising SBW populations and protect the health of our forest ecosystems and resources, maintain wildlife habitat, and prevent impacts
2025 Spruce Budworm EIS Treatment Program 100% Complete Read More »
View full story at Maine Public here. About 50 years ago, a legendary spruce budworm outbreak devastated Maine’s North Woods. The native caterpillars devoured millions of acres of spruce and fir trees and left behind a vast landscape of skeletal trunks. The infestation lasted more than a decade, sparked a massive aerial pesticide campaign and
Maine Public: Northern Maine braces for spruce budworm outbreak Read More »
This week was again largely consumed with work sessions as committees work to wrap up committee work on nearly 2,000 bills. Our team continues to monitor our priority bills closely as they progress through the process, and we will be in touch with members to engage with legislators as needed from this point forward. While
Legislative Update – May 23, 2025 Read More »
The budworm kills balsam firs and spruce trees, which are abundant in the north of the state. This article originally appeared on Bring Me The News on May 13, 2025 The devastating wildfires that are consuming thousands of acres of forest in northern Minnesota have been exacerbated by the actions of a wood pest. Commanders
Wildfires in northern Minnesota are being fueled by a forest pest Read More »
This week was largely consumed with work sessions as committees continue to work through nearly 2,000 bills ahead of pending deadlines. New bill drafts have continued to be printed, although the pace has slowed. Our team continues to monitor committees closely, working with key legislators and the administration on language to address concerns and achieve
Legislative Update – May 16, 2025 Read More »
This marked another busy week with our team scrambling to to communicate hearings scheduled with short notice to impacted members. Committees are working hard to meet deadlines, and hundreds of bills are yet to be printed. Please watch your inboxes closely, as we will continue to work hard to keep our members fully engaged in
Legislative Update – May 2, 2025 Read More »
