MAINE MONITOR • April 11, 2025
In a hearing on Monday, a pair of Republican state legislators introduced three bills they say would put an outright moratorium on dam removal. State officials and fish passage advocates voiced stern opposition to all three bills, testifying that they would contradict federal law and undermine ecological protections. The conflicting viewpoints created an unusual dynamic: On one side, nonprofits like the Atlantic Salmon Federation argued in favor of existing regulatory processes — the same processes they so often critique when dams go through federal relicensing. On the other side, Republican legislators cited Maine’s clean energy goals in pushing for additional regulations.