Conservation league rates state legislators

AUGUSTA – Citing a flurry of achievements, the Maine League of Conservation Voters has published its latest environmental scorecard for Maine legislators, awarding a dozen perfect grades.

The league tracked voting on 13 bills covering issues from land conservation to water quality to compile its two-year ratings.

Measures voted on this year included one bill allowing the state to acquire Katahdin Lake and another establishing a program to recycle mercury thermostats.

Three state senators sided with the league 100 percent of the time: Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, Senate Majority Leader Michael Brennan, D-Portland, and Appropriations Committee co-chair Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston.

League Executive Director Eliza Townsend said a close reading of House and Senate voting showed numerous examples of what environmental advocates regarded as improvements by individual lawmakers.

Topping that category, according to the scorecard, was Republican Rep. Darlene Curley of Scarborough, who is the GOP nominee for the 1st Congressional District seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Allen.

The league scorecard gave nine state representatives perfect grades. The House honor roll, also made up exclusively of Democrats, includes Reps. Herb Adams and Charles Harlow of Portland, Christopher Babbidge of Kennebunk, John Brautigam of Falmouth, Emily Cain of Orono, Connie Goldman of Cape Elizabeth, Deborah Hutton of Bowdoinham, Elaine Makas of Lewiston and Jacqueline Norton of Bangor.

Alone at 0 percent was Rep. Douglas Thomas, R-Ripley.

Last month, issuing its first report card for a sitting governor, the league gave Democrat John Baldacci a B-minus, crediting accomplishments relating to air quality, energy and toxics but expressing concern about water quality protection.

The report was critical in the area of general administration and mixed overall.

Of the two gubernatorial candidates in the November election currently serving in the Legislature, Republican Sen. Chandler Woodcock of Farmington was recorded at 27 percent and independent Rep. Barbara Merrill of Appleton was recorded at 83 percent.

Overall this year, from the viewpoint of environmental advocates, “by and large things went well,” Townsend said. “The Katahdin Lake accomplishment is really significant.”

The deal, which follows three years of planning and more than 100 hours of deliberations by a legislative committee, is designed to attach about 4,000 acres surrounding Katahdin Lake to Baxter State Park. Another 2,000 acres, where hunting and snowmobiling will be allowed, will be managed by the Maine Department of Conservation.

The wilderness park contains Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.