2020-10-27T13:52:01-07:00 2020-03-31 990 2019-04-01 010270690 NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL INC NATU 2076223101 3 WADE STREET AUGUSTA ME 04330 LISA POHLMANN Chief Executive Officer 2076223101 2020-10-27 207.5.168.179 2019 2021-01-29 14:40:06Z Lisa Pohlmann 3 Wade Street Augusta ME 04330 8458204 0 X WWW.nrcm.org X 1959 ME The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) is a homegrown organization founded in 1959 by Maine people and local organizations working to protect Maine's Allagash River from a proposed dam. Today, NRCM is the state's leading non-profit environmental group. Our mission is to protect, restore, and conserve Maine's environment, now and for future generations. We use science, outreach, and advocacy to educate and engage our members, supporters, policy makers, businesses, and the public about the most pressing environmental issues facing Maine. Our overarching goal is to inspire people to become better stewards of Maine's natural resources and communities. We focus on five issue areas: 1) Forests & Wildlife; 2) Healthy Waters; 3) Climate and Clean Energy; 4) Sustainable Maine; and, 5) Federal Policy. 20 20 36 45 0 0 5881596 4285899 0 0 401251 247780 32174 34927 6315021 4568606 0 0 0 0 2231323 2331486 185005 150000 590127 793000 789526 3209328 3271012 3105693 1297594 12075077 12335757 308361 301786 11766716 12033971 The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) works to protect, restore, and conserve Maine's environment, now and for future generations. We harness the power of science, the law, and the voices of more than 25,000 members, supporters, and activists to secure the most effective safeguards for Maine's environment and communities. Our five programs are Climate & Clean Energy; Forests & Wildlife; Healthy Waters; Sustainable Maine; and Washington Watch/Federal Policy. 0 0 499574 0 0 Climate & Clean Energy: NRCM seeks to secure a clean energy future where Maine reduces climate pollution by maximizing energy efficiency, homegrown renewable energy, and electric transportation. Civic engagement and public outreach are at the center of our work toward a clean energy economy. NRCM worked closely with our conservation and clean energy partners, Governor Mills' Administration, state agencies, decision makers, and our members and supporters to make dramatic progress on climate action, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency and electric vehicle infrastructure and use. Maine adopted one of the strongest carbon reduction policies in the U.S. Specifically, Maine's new policy requires development of a new State Climate Action Plan (Plan) by December 2020 (and every four years thereafter) paired with a legal requirement to reduce Maine's greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The law also establishes a Maine Climate Council (MCC) to lead development of the Plan and oversee climate action across state agencies. The Plan will be the first in 15 years and is being developed through a broad stakeholder process. The MCC launched in September 2019 with 39 members and 7 working groups. NRCM staff are highly engaged with the Transportation; Buildings, Housing, and Infrastructure; Energy; and Natural & Working Lands working groups and are offering guidance, expert analysis, and recommendations for carbon reduction strategies to include in the Plan. NRCM also led a coalition of solar advocates and secured a comprehensive new solar policy that removes barriers to net metering, increases community solar project participants from 9 to 200, expands access to solar to low-and moderate-income homes, and directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to procure 375 Megawatts of distributed solar. This policy will spur Maine to generate more clean energy, lower carbon emissions, and create hundreds of clean energy jobs. We also developed a Toolkit for municipalities to install solar farms and worked with our partners to develop solar siting best practices to guide developers and municipalities as they pursue solar projects. NRCM also helped secure a new state rebate program for electric and hybrid-electric vehicles and promoted the rebates as well as state grant opportunities to install EV charging stations using our website, email, blog posts, letters to the editor and social media. 407533 0 0 Communications: NRCM communicates with our members, supporters, policy makers, and the public using email updates and calls to action, community meetings and events, single issue reports, direct mail, radio, videos, social media, and our website. The wide range of tools we regularly use advances our mission and helps to meet the goals of our issue areas. The NRCM website, www.nrcm.org, is an especially critical tool to reach people with facts about our work. During the period April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2020 we saw a total of 226,443 unique visitors to our website. Our printed newsletter, Maine Environment is also extremely popular, and features updates on current environmental issues, upcoming special events, and a column by NRCM Chief Executive Officer Lisa Pohlmann. Social media is an ever-expanding tool to engage our members and the public. NRCM's Facebook page is our most popular social media tool to share information and engage the public and has grown over the past two years from just over 11,000 followers to an active community of more than 16,363 people. Linked-In, Instagram and Twitter have also seen significant growth in recent years. As a result of these tools and our efforts to continually improve our communications, we have developed a loyal network of supporters and activists in Maine and around the country. 329796 0 0 State House/Emerging Issues: NRCM is Maine's top environmental watchdog. Performing within the allowable lobbying limits for a 501(c)3, NRCM monitors issues related to each of our programs as well as emerging environmental issues that could impact Maine's air, forests, waters, wildlife, and community health. Additionally, we represent environmental interests at the Maine Legislature, and before state agencies responsible for managing our state's natural resources. These include the Department of Environmental Protection, the Land Use Planning Commission, and the Public Utilities Commission. 1077648 0 0 Forests & Wildlife: Maine is home to the largest intact temperate forest in the world, supporting unparalleled habitat for many rare plants and animals. Maine forests also offer unique recreation options and provide jobs in the forest products and tourism industries. NRCM supports responsible land development and sustainable forest practices that protect sensitive ecosystems and wildlife. We also seek increased public ownership of Maine lands so future generations will know the Maine we love today. Despite tremendous public opposition and 95% of public comments in favor of retaining the one-mile Adjacency Principle, the state Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) adopted new rules to allow development up to seven miles from three dozen "rural hubs" and also allow "kingdom lot" subdivisions of 15-25 acre lots. Such lots fragment large blocks of forestland and limit recreational access. However, NRCM's efforts led to a reduction in the development limit from the originally proposed ten miles to seven and reduced the total acreage open for new development from over two million acres to under one million. NRCM is monitoring the implementation of the new rules to ensure valuable habitat in Maine's North Woods is protected from sprawl. We will review each development permit application before the LUPC, intervene if needed, and identify opportunities to improve land use planning in Maine. NRCM also supported a $95 million public bond proposal to fund Maine State Parks and the Land for Maine's Future (LMF) conservation program, which carried over into spring 2020. The bond was tabled when the corona virus pandemic forced the Legislature to adjourn early but will be taken up in a special session in summer 2020 or in early 2021. Bond funding for these programs remains a top priority for NRCM. With new funding, LMF will protect more special places and the state will be able to address an existing maintenance backlog and improve infrastructure at various state parks and historic sites. Healthy Waters: Maine's rivers, lakes, and streams are the lifeblood of our state. Our waterways provide food for fish, birds, and wildlife, drinking water for communities, and they support fishing, paddling, and other recreation businesses. Since our founding, NRCM has worked to decrease water pollution, restore free-flowing rivers, and improve native fish passage. Last year NRCM led adoption of new water quality protections for more than 400 miles of rivers, lakes, and streams in the upper stretches of the Penobscot River-including high-quality brook trout habitat. We also advanced new water quality standards to protect the sustenance fishing rights of Maine tribes by requiring water quality in designated tribal waters allow for a fish consumption rate of seven ounces per day instead of the eight ounces per week under previous regulations. In addition, the state increased funding for two lake protection programs and at NRCM's urging adopted new water quality safeguards by requiring inspections statewide of underground septic systems for home sales in shoreland zones. Along with our pro bono legal team and conservation partners, NRCM continued to work toward securing a new fish passage plan for four dams in the upper Kennebec River that still block Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish from reaching historic spawning grounds. We attended meetings and submitted comments pressing the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) to require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) before issuing a new license for the Shawmut Dam (the third of four dams migrating fish encounter in the river), and secured critical support for an EIS from state and federal agencies. We believe the EIS will demonstrate that removal of at least some of the dams is necessary to prevent extinction of Atlantic salmon in the Kennebec and restore healthy populations of shad and alewife. Sustainable Maine: NRCM helped Maine develop statewide programs to recycle consumer products that pose a risk to public health and the environment, including programs for beverage containers (the "bottle bill"), computers and TVs ("e-waste"), and unwanted paint. Now we focus on providing citizen groups, schools, and state and municipal leaders the tools and support they need to reduce waste, increase recycling and composting, and discourage littering. NRCM's partnerships resulted in 25 town ordinances that ban or put a fee on single-use plastic shopping bags and 20 town ordinances banning polystyrene foam food containers. Using this momentum, we mobilized the grassroots support needed to make Maine the first state in the U.S. to ban foam food containers and the third to ban single-use plastic bags. We launched a campaign to educate the public, businesses, and municipalities about the amount of product packaging materials that become waste and the need to provide all Maine communities access to recycling and consistency in what materials are collected. We used our website, social media, events, and strategic messages to build awareness of the problem, and worked with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to create and introduce a bill to create a recycling program for excess packaging. NRCM also worked with Maine schools to reduce food waste and single-use plastics. We distributed our School Food Recovery Handbook: A How-to Guide to Reduce Wasted Food in Maine's K-12 Schools to educate students, teachers and administrators about the environmental and health benefits of reducing food waste, and helped schools start separating food waste, begin using share tables to make sure edible food goes to students or food pantries, and switch from disposable plastic cutlery and trays to reusable silverware and trays. 1077648 0 0 2314551 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 37 0 1 36 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 20 20 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 CT MA ME NH PA X X KATHRYN Hyttel 2076223101 3 WADE STREET AUGUSTA ME 04330 LISA POHLMANN Chief Executive Officer 40 40 X 112676 0 33317 KATHRYN HYTTEL DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 40 40 X 80098 0 22753 BONNIE WOOD DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 WILLIAM MESERVE TREASURER 1 1 X X 0 0 0 ELIZABETH RETTENMAIER DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 TONY OWENS DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 PETER MILLARD DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 SALLY OLDHAM DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 NORTON LAMB DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 SARAH SHORT DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 TOM CARR DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 MARCIA HARRINGTON DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 DAVID KALLIN DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 ANNE S WINCHESTER DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 DENNIS KING DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 MARIA GALLACE VICE PRESIDENT 1 1 X X 0 0 0 KAREN HEROLD SECRETARY 1 1 X X 0 0 0 PATRICIA HAGER PRESIDENT 1 1 X X 0 0 0 KATHRYN OLMSTEAD DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 EMILY BECK DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 EDWARD SIMMONS DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 STEPHANIE SMITH DIRECTOR 1 1 X 0 0 0 192774 0 56070 1 0 0 0 THE COMPASS GROUP INC 2961 A-HUNTER MILL ROAD SUITE 808 OAKTON VA 22124 CONSULTANT FOR CAMPAIGN 150000 1 7213 1676173 0 0 0 2602513 365442 4285899 0 303852 0 0 303852 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3828671 0 3884743 0 -56072 0 -56072 0 0 -56072 32209 0 4855 27354 0 27354 Other Income 900099 7573 0 0 7573 0 0 0 0 7573 4568606 0 0 282707 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 248843 117376 90408 41059 0 0 0 0 1587658 1317042 136134 134482 89940 79887 3928 6125 279376 224155 5989 49232 125669 104940 10441 10288 66010 45053 1287 19670 28027 28027 0 0 27750 22365 2780 2605 0 0 0 0 150000 150000 46502 0 46502 0 0 0 0 0 39563 38704 525 334 4935 3484 1037 414 90074 52139 21255 16680 0 0 0 0 45146 36138 4517 4491 41571 29451 2206 9914 67613 39176 8332 20105 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 53020 42468 5309 5243 17451 13986 1748 1717 Telephone 16815 13757 1137 1921 Postage 59638 29003 1316 29319 Printing 119668 55803 2470 61395 Dues, Fees , and subscriptions 17123 11125 3867 2131 48620 10472 15146 23002 3271012 2314551 366334 590127 X 42411 14208 0 28203 X 100 100 1534991 1549668 985689 1153448 9095 5104 0 0 0 0 0 0 10278 8169 60041 56276 1356387 905624 433264 450763 8155796 8244054 885823 868175 12075077 12335757 308361 301786 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 308361 301786 X 7990194 8522113 3776522 3511858 11766716 12033971 12075077 12335757 X 1297594 -1000967 0 0 0 -29372 X 0 1 X 1 0 X 2304946 2729271 3567434 5881596 4285899 18769146 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2304946 2729271 3567434 5881596 4285899 18769146 1332363 17436783 85265 108663 213342 350539 303852 1061661 0 0 0 0 0 0 39916 39240 35062 39117 39782 193117 20023924 5315 0.87080 0.86353 X Schedule A, Part II, Line 10 2015- Misc. income $14,001 event income $25,915 total $39,916; 2016- misc. income $15,640 event income $23,600 total $39,240. 2017 -Misc. Income $5,290 event income $29,772 total $35,062. 2018 - Misc. income $7,228, event income $31,889 total $39,117. 2019- Misc. income $7,573 event income $32,209 Total $39,782. RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 9775 62213 71988 3199024 3271012 313551 78388 0 0 283552 293526 310466 313551 1201095 1801643 139551 54783 17809 71988 284131 70888 73382 77617 78388 300275 450413 51995 15676 4000 9775 81446 7805238 1294842 -776542 0 357329 0 7966209 5926673 1880250 228789 0 230474 0 7805238 5196260 222532 507881 0 0 0 5926673 4805665 82012 495583 0 187000 0 5196260 5031142 133028 -149135 0 209370 0 4805665 0.81 0.05 0.14 0 0 0 249010 249010 0 911872 743626 168246 0 0 0 0 0 195505 161998 33507 0 0 0 0 450763 0 0 Gifts of Future interest 868175 F 868175 3520221 -1000889 23523 0 -24517 -1001883 4522104 46502 0 46502 4568606 3252888 23523 0 0 4855 28378 3224510 46502 0 46502 3271012 Schedule D, Part V, Line 4 The purpose of the Board Directed and Permanent Endowment Funds are to support organizational goals, to address emerging issues, and make capital improvements to our facilities. The purpose of the Citizen Engagement and Tomorrow's Leader's fund is to strengthen our outreach capacity, and to engage the public in the protection of Maine's environment. Schedule D, Part XI, Line 2d Direct fundraising expense $ $4,855, decrease in gifts of future interest -$17648, decrease in gift annuity -$11,721 Schedule D, Part XII, Line 2d Direct fundraising expenses for event space and services X X X X 1 The Compass Group Inc 124 Quay Street Alexandria VA 22314 The Compass Group was retained to help organize and direct an endowment campaign, to further support the Natural Resources Council of Maine's mission. The compass group agrees to provide consulting services for a 12 month period or as needed. 0 0 150000 -150000 0 150000 -150000 CT MA ME NH PA Dip and Dash 23112 0 23112 0 0 0 0 0 4185 Auction 9097 0 9097 0 0 0 0 0 670 0 32209 0 32209 0 0 0 0 0 4855 4855 27354 Schedule G, Part II, Line 1 Fundraising events X 48 300442 Present value X 1 65000 FMV 0 0 1 0 Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 6 Any person interested in the purposes and objectives of NRCM is eligible to become a member upon payment of membership dues. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 7a The nominating committee prepares a slate of candidates which is presented to the board of directors by the chair of the nominating committee, or by the chair's designee. This group of candidates is discussed and voted upon by the board of directors. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b The 990 is prepared internally and then reviewed by an outside accounting firm. The completed 990 is sent to all board members for review and comments prior to the final copy submission to the IRS. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c Board members and staff are required to disclose any conflict of interest that arises by virtue of their board service or employment. The organization will monitor the compliance with an annual disclosure statement that is distributed to these individuals. For any conflict of interest, the person involved in the conflict shall take action in consultation with chief executive officer or president of the board to avoid participation in the matter to effectively avoid the conflict. The president and/or chief executive officer will monitor ongoing transactions or other matters affecting the organization for the conflicts of interest and disclosure those conflicts immediately to the executive committee or board as appropriate. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 The organization undertakes a process of compiling a comparison of salaries and benefits to ensure that the compensation is reasonable, given the market in which the organization operates. These comparisons are used to gauge ranges and salaries for staff. The executive director's salary is reviewed and approved by the executive committee of the board of directors. All other staff salary adjustments are recommended by the management team and approved by the finance committee as part of the budgeting process. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 The audited financial statements, form 990, the annual report, and the gift acceptance policy is available on our web site, and upon request. The conflict of interest policy is reviewed and signed by the board members and staff annually. Form 990, Part X, Line 10a Section 1.263(a)-3(n) Election: The Natural Resources Council of Maine Inc. 3 Wade Street Augusta, ME 04330 EIN -01-0270690 The Natural Resources Council of Maine Inc. is electing to capitalize repair and maintenance costs under regulation Section 1.263(a)-3(n) Form 990, Part XI, Line 9 Change in gift annuity -$11,724, decrease in future gifts -$17,648 KATRINA CHAMBERLIN TRUST 105 Front Street Bath ME 04530 Banking ME N/A T 654227 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 unable to complete in time