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| Executive
Summary
The State of Maine 2004:
An Environmental Assessment was compiled by senior environmental policy
majors in the Environmental Studies Program at Colby College, Maine. This
is the first of what we hope will become a regular series of papers assessing
the state of Maine's environment. We evaluate climate, fisheries, forests,
solid waste, and freshwater resources. For each section, we explore the
context and current state of the issue, provide a series of indicators
examining both the environmental problem as well as underlying drivers
of those problems, and conclude with a series of policy recommendations.
Climate:
Climate change negatively impacts Maine's environment and economy. Recognizing
this, Maine's policymakers have responded with a comprehensive climate
change policy. The policy addresses, amongst other sectors, the transportation
sector, one of Maine's largest contributors to climate change. The number
and types of Maine's vehicles, the amount of travel, and commuter habits
are all leading to higher fuel consumption in the state.
More… Fisheries:
Fisheries play an important role in Maine's economy, generating almost
one billion dollars each year. Some of Maine's fisheries, including lobster,
are managed entirely on a state level. Historically, fisheries have been
prone to management failures and collapse of fish stocks. Additional monitoring
and data collection are necessary to assess stock numbers accurately.
Although Maine's lobster fishery at present appears healthy, further data
collection and monitoring are necessary to avoid collapses similar to
those experienced by the majority of other states that make up the northeast
lobster industry. More… Forests:
Forests cover approximately 30 percent of the world's total land area.
In Maine, 17.8 million acres or 90 percent of the state's total area is
forested. Services provided by forests include ground water recharge,
watershed protection, absorption of carbon dioxide, biodiversity, habitat
protection, economic and recreational opportunities. Indicators examined
in this paper include degree of sustainable management and harvesting,
land use and ownership trends, pulp prices and paper production, and consumption.
We found that the future of Maine's forests is uncertain. Pressure from
an increasingly global market, invasive species, and unsustainable harvesting
and management practices are threats to Maine's forests. Funding from
the federal government and continued efforts on the behalf of state policy
makers are necessary to insure the future for this natural resource. More… Solid
waste: Municipal solid waste is disposed of in landfills, burned
in incinerators, or recycled so that disposed material can once again
be consumed. The quantity of municipal solid waste generated in Maine
continues to increase and the state is confronted with the disposal of
over 1.2 million tons of municipal solid waste annually. The state must
react by increasing recycling rates of MSW, expanding landfill and incinerator
capacity, or by decreasing the quantity of material consumed that will
eventually make its way into the waste stream. More… Freshwater: Freshwater in Maine is used for drinking, sanitation, industry, electricity, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Overall, water quality is good but freshwater is vulnerable to eutrophication and mercury pollution. Maine's policymakers have worked hard and been successful in addressing these threats, but the problem of mercury contamination continues to threaten human health. Regional or national action is needed to counteract this threat to Maine's freshwater. More…
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