By David Farmer,Staff Writer

Air quality A+ National leadership on climate change issues

Energy A Consistent leadership and creativity

Fisheries/wildlife B Some significant actions, but overall lack of vision

Forestry B+ Followed through on campaign promise to limit liquidation harvesting

Land conservation B Good intentions, mixed results so far

Marine resources C+ Leadership inadequate to importance of resource

Smart growth C+ More promises than results

Toxics A- Considerable achievements of national importance

Water quality D Serious problems are being addressed

Wilderness B- Good intentions, some initiative shown; more follow-through needed

Appointments B- Some very good; some very bad

Administration C Good intentions; mixed management record

Overall grade B- All Maine’s natural resources merit the leadership the governor showed on air quality

Source: Maine League of Conservation Voters
Androscoggin issue behind governor’s ‘D’ on water quality
Overall, Baldacci receives a B- from the Maine League of Conservation Voters.

LEWISTON – Gov. John Baldacci received a mixed grade in a report card issued Thursday by one of the state’s leading environmental groups.

The Maine League of Conservation Voters gave the governor an overall grade of a B- on his administration’s environmental policies.

In some areas, Baldacci received excellent marks. The league gave him an A+ in air quality, saying the state had taken “national leadership on climate change issues.” His administration also received A’s on its energy policies and handling of toxics.

On water quality, however, the governor scored poorly, receiving a D, primarily for the administration’s handling of a paper mill discharge permit on the Androscoggin River and a decision to allow a power company to drop the water level of Flagstaff Lake. Both of those decisions were eventually overturned.

“All Maine’s natural resources merit the leadership the governor has shown on air quality,” said Eliza Townsend, the league’s executive director.

Baldacci said he accepted the scorecard as a good-faith effort to shine light on the government’s environmental performance, joking that a B- could get his son on the honor roll in school.

“I think a B- is a good grade,” Baldacci said Thursday. “But I’m not satisfied. I want us to do better in a whole bunch of areas.”

Baldacci also said that he was pleased that the administration had been recognized for its leadership on climate change, keeping toxics like lead and mercury out of consumer products and energy issues, areas where the state has become a national leader.

This is the first time the MLCV has issued a report on the environmental effectiveness of a Maine governor. Traditionally, the group has tracked the voting records of the Legislature and made endorsements based upon the scores. The national League of Conservation Voters also tracks the actions of federal lawmakers, including the president.

“Maine’s environment is a fundamental part of our health and quality of life, and is the backbone of our economy,” said league President Caroline Pryor in a statement accompanying the report. “Citizens need to know whether their elected leaders are protecting our natural resources.”

The MLCV used 10 categories to judge the Baldacci administration’s environmental record: air quality, energy, fisheries and wildlife, forestry, land conservation, marine resources, smart growth, toxics, water quality wilderness and administration. Grades ranged from a high of an A+ to a low of a D. Overall, Baldacci received three A’s, five Bs, three Cs and a D.

While the Maine League of Conservation Voters takes a tough line on the administration’s actions in several areas, even their harshest criticism notes some elements of progress.

On water quality, the league says that serious problems “are being addressed,” while on n appointments, which the group blames for some of the bad water quality decisions it says were made by the administration, new Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner David Littell is praised.

Littell replaced former DEP Commissioner Dawn Gallagher, who resigned last year amid controversy about her handling of the discharge permits for paper mills along the Androscoggin River.

“We’ve made some significant efforts to improve the water quality in the Androscoggin,” Baldacci said. “But, as the report points out, we still have much work to do.”

“I think that they recognize that improvements have been made, even in the area of water quality,” Baldacci said. “[The report] recognizes that the administration has renewed its efforts to get to Class C standards” on the Androscoggin.

The Maine League of Conservation Voters has never endorsed a candidate for governor, Townsend said Thursday, but would consider the possibility of doing so later this year.

The group’s legislative scorecard, which will grade state senators and members of the Maine House of Representatives on 12 to 14 votes from the last two years, should be available in the next couple of weeks, Townsend said.

The full report card for Baldacci is available online at www.mlcv.org.