AUGUSTA – The Natural Resources Council of Maine, grading state lawmakers on a variety of subjects and legislative initiatives in a special edition of its newsletter, concludes that the Legislature “closed with a mixed environmental record this year.”

In June’s “Maine Environment,” the council credits lawmakers for creating a recycling system for computers and televisions and adopting regulations to curb liquidation logging.

Legislative action to phase out toxic fire retardants also won a high grade.

But the council expressed disappointment that lawmakers did not act to seek new borrowing to boost funding for the Land for Maine’s Future conservation program. And the organization criticized the Legislature for failing to adequately address pollution on the Androscoggin and St. Croix rivers.

“This was a tough legislative session, with strong partisan tensions and difficult budget issues,” the council newsletter declared.

At the same time, the special edition said, “Maine people communicated forcefully and consistently in support of protecting our environment.”

Multiparty negotiations at the State House over a number of proposed bond issues earlier this year were unable to produce a requisite bipartisan accord.

More recently, ranking legislators and Baldacci administration officials have continued to talk sporadically about a new effort to take up borrowing initiatives.

The natural resources council newsletter indicated its F grade for inaction was based on developments to date.

“Rarely has such a broad-based coalition worked so hard in support of a popular bill to help protect Maine’s environment as demonstrated by this year’s land bond campaign. Yet, for our efforts, we were left with nothing,” the June newsletter recalled.

“Although the Legislature may return later this summer to reconsider a bond package, we believe lawmakers failed in not acting on this important measure prior to the April adjournment,” the newsletter said.

Maine’s bond rating has been dropped a notch by a Wall Street rating agency since the Legislature adjourned.

Last week, Maine Treasurer Dale McCormick told the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee that Maine officials believe the downgrade will probably cost the state little.