In June loggers from across the Northeast were recognized at the Blaine House, the residence for the standing governor, for their outstanding business and sustainable harvesting practices.

“The Northeast Master Loggers Certification Board certified eleven new Master Logger companies,” said Beth Postlewaite, executive director of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands (TCNF), as she gave out the awards. “Of the eleven companies certified, six were from Maine. This is a model for the nation.”

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Back in 1930 the first railroad tracks were laid in Brunswick, at what is now Maine Street Station. Historians say the project helped boost the local economy out of the Great Depression. Eighty years later, new tracks are being laid, upgrading the old railroad lines from Brunswick to Freeport, which officials hope will boost the local economy out of the Great Recession. Once the upgrade is finished in 2012, the Amtrak Downeaster will add two daily round trips from Boston on up to Brunswick, with stops in Portland and Freeport.

To celebrate, hundreds of local residents and officials gathered on August 1, 2010, at the Maine Street Station in Brunswick. The excitement and magic that trains inspire was palpable.

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A Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway at the Height of Land got underway with an official groundbreaking on August 14th. When Lady Bird Johnson visited the area 40 years ago, she saw the need to protect the view for future generations. The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust made it happen.

“That view says Maine,” said Governor John Baldacci, looking out over the tops of trees at Mooselookmeguntic Lake and the Bemis Mountain Range. “It’s an inspiration to everyone who sees it, and now it’s going to be that way forever.”

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At the August 19, 2010 meeting of the Board of Environmental Protection, Senate President Libby Mitchell testified in favor of proposed rules that will limit children’s exposure to bisphenol-A, also known as BPA.

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On July 22, 2010 Congresswoman Chellie Pingree spoke on the House floor about legislation she introduced this week to help schools provide healthier meals for their students while supporting local farmers.

“On average, an apple travels 1,500 miles from farm to school. This bill gives schools the freedom to buy apples from their neighbors and keep every dollar spent in the community instead of traveling across the country and back,” said Pingree.

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President Barack Obama and family landed at the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton amid tight security to begin a weekend get-away on Mount Desert Island.Governor John Baldacci, his wife, Karen, and Congressman Mike Michaud welcomed the President and the first family on the tarmac. Baldacci let him know the best places to eat lobster, what to see, and invited him to play golf.

“He said that he was really looking forward to this,” said Governor Baldacci.

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President Obama and his family will be visiting Maine next weekend, traveling to Mount Desert Island next Friday and staying through Sunday (July 16-18).

“What an honor that the Obama family has chosen Maine for vacation when they could have gone anywhere in the country. I think the Obamas will really enjoy the quiet woods, beautiful coast, wonderful people and everything else that brings thousands of families here every year,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree who is a graduate of The College of the Atlantic on the island.

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This year, the Sixth Annual Northeast Permaculture Convergence will be held July 2nd-4th; the convergence will feature tours of farms and homesteads on Friday, July 2nd, and workshops, live music, camping and family events over the weekend.

“There is a growing interest in organic, local, fair-trade, climate-neutral and zero-waste everything – people want alternatives and permaculture offers solutions,” says Jim Merkel, Co-director of the Newforest Institute of Brooks Maine.

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The Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate hosted a public forum to showcase how climate change and our energy use impact Maine and threaten the country’s national security. A panel of political and military leaders discussed the critical links between climate change, protecting our national security, increasing our energy independence and preserving our nation’s natural resources.

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The sulfur content of all fuel oils sold in Maine will be reduced incrementally from 2016 to 2018 by an estimated 60 percent from today’s levels. Under this new law Maine’s air quality will improve dramatically, and haze will be reduced.

The legislation was sponsored by Senator Seth Goodall and signed into law by Governor John E. Baldacci in April.

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