MAINE MORNING STAR • July 23, 2024
A public interest law firm that helped get the Chevron doctrine overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court is part of the legal battle over public access to shorelines in Maine. The Pacific Legal Foundation, which typically champions conservative and libertarian causes, is representing a defendant in a case involving public access to intertidal land in the town of Wells. The firm, which represents clients for free in cases nationwide involving individual and property rights, like the one in Wells, brought in more than $25 million in 2023. Meanwhile, those fighting for public access rely on donations to cover their legal fees. Donna M. Cummings, who has lived one street back from Moody Beach for 25 years, says it feels like an “agenda” that pushes private ownership over public access.