BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 23, 2025
Several of Maine’s leading conservation organizations have filed an appeal with the state’s Board of Environmental Protection, challenging Central Maine Power’s conservation plan for the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line. The groups say the plan falls short of protecting mature forests in western Maine as required under CMP’s permit. The appeal, filed by the Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Audubon, Natural Resources Council of Maine and Trout Unlimited, argues that CMP’s plan prioritizes heavily logged areas rather than true mature forests, potentially setting a troubling precedent for future development projects.