2015-08-06T12:02:54-07:00 2015-03-31 990 2014-04-01 010270690 NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE INC NATU 2076223101 3 WADE STREET AUGUSTA ME 04330 LISA POHLMANN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2076223101 2015-08-05 2014 2016-02-25 16:41:14Z Lisa Pohlmann 3 Wade Street Augusta ME 04342 5321911 0 X WWW.nrcm.org X 1959 ME THE NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE IS A NONPROFIT MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION PROTECTING, RESTORING, AND CONSERVING MAINE'S ENVIRONMENT, NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 24 24 24 40 0 0 2085615 2028794 0 0 108717 256126 34318 33949 2228650 2318869 0 0 0 0 1473682 1536007 0 0 251620 693442 701771 2167124 2237778 61526 81091 6961880 7056283 188659 182245 6773221 6874038 Founded in 1959 by Maine citizens, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) is the state's leading non-profit environmental organization. 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 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. NRCM focuses on four project areas: 1. Clean Air, Clean Energy; 2. Healthy Waters; 3. Woods, Wildlife and Wilderness; and, 4. Sustainability and Toxics. 0 0 590251 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, consumer guides (e.g., Clean Housekeeping pamphlet), direct mail, radio, and our website. These tools support our mission and advance our work in each of our project areas. NRCM distributes our printed newsletter, Maine Environment, to over 7,500 people three times per year, featuring updates on current environmental issues, recent activities, upcoming events, and a special column by NRCM Executive Director Lisa Pohlmann. In 2014, we published a recap of our legislative achievements in a special edition of the newsletter entitled Report Card for Maine's Environment, and distributed 15,000 copies statewide. We also created the inaugural Explore Maine edition of the newsletter as a special insert in our spring issue. Explore Maine encouraged our members and supporters to enjoy Maine through books written by NRCM members, art and photography exhibits showcasing the beauty of Maine, and visits to Maine sporting camps that offer discounts to NRCM members. Our signature email update, News from the Frontlines, provides updates during each legislative session on current issues under consideration at the Maine State House, highlights of our recent activities, and information on the emerging issues we are monitoring and researching. It is sent to members and non-member activists, with an average open-rate of 33% (the national average is a 13% open-rate for this type of email). The NRCM website, www.nrcm.org, is also a critical communication tool that informs our members and supporters, the public, and policy makers. In 2014, our website received 545,597 total visits, representing 98,999 unique visitors. NRCM also uses our informative blog posts to educate and engage people in our issues, encourage them to get outside and enjoy Maine's natural beauty, and inspire appreciation for Maine's wildlife and quality of life. In 2014, our most visited blogs were: "Matagamon to Medway: Four Days on the East Branch" with 28,262 unique views; "Maine Biz for Climate Action" with 16,193 unique views; and "Maine's Case of Snowy Owl Fever" which had 7,413 unique views. In 2014, NRCM continued the unique partnership we began in 2013 with a popular local radio station to offer Maine Green Minute, which are one-minute public service announcements broadcast four times daily about steps people can take to protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and live in a more sustainable way. Sample topics in 2014 included: how to safely recycle thermostats containing mercury, reducing waste through organic composting, how to make non-toxic cleaning products at home, and tips for saving on home energy costs. 365471 0 0 Environmental advocacy: NRCM is Maine's top environmental non-profit watchdog. We represent environmental interests at the Maine Legislature, and 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. Performing within our 501(c)(3) allowable lobbying limits, NRCM lobbyists monitor issues related to our project areas as well as emerging environmental issues. We use grassroots and direct lobbying to generate public and policymaker support for strong environmental protections and to defend Maine's environmental policies and programs from powerful special interests seeking weaker regulations or unsustainable extraction of Maine's natural resources. Our staff attend legislative work sessions (to observe and to serve as a resource for legislators), testify at public hearings, and serve on stakeholder groups. We provide an environmental perspective to policy discussions that otherwise may focus solely on the economic or business aspects of an issue. Through these activities, NRCM helps foster a clear understanding by policy makers, state officials and the public that strong environmental safeguards and a sustainable Maine economy go hand-in-hand. Our staff also research, produce and make publicly available on our website fact sheets about the topics we are working on, testimony given before the Maine Legislature, comments we provide to state agencies, and special publications and reports on key environmental issues and bills being considered by the Legislature. We use these tools to further inform and engage a broad range of people with current environmental issues and steps they can take to help shape environmental policy in the state. 303252 0 0 Clean Air, Clean Energy: Climate change is the most serious environmental threat of our time and requires action at all levels. NRCM's leadership and guidance has helped Maine make progress to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, cut carbon pollution, and address climate change. Policy advocacy, civic engagement and public outreach are at the heart of NRCM's strategies for clean air and clean energy. We promote increased funding for energy efficiency programs, expansion of renewable power such as solar, and actions at the local, state and federal levels to address climate change. Our work is critical to reducing health and environmental problems affecting our state, including high asthma rates, rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities, and changes to vital ecosystems that impact our outdoor recreation and tourism economies. In 2014, NRCM helped citizen activists in the group Protect South Portland (PSP) achieve a major goal: passage of the Clear Skies Ordinance, a policy that prohibits the bulk loading of tar sands oil, and other crude oil, onto marine tank vessels and building or expanding facilities for that purpose in South Portland. We also developed and published six new case studies featuring Maine businesses and homeowners who have benefited from energy efficiency investments and the role the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) plays in reducing carbon pollution in Maine and funding efficiency programs. 496925 0 0 All other projects - Healthy Waters: Maine's rivers, lakes, and streams are among our state's most precious and celebrated natural resources. This year, NRCM's public education, outreach and citizen engagement campaign (which we began in 2012) resulted in the Maine Legislature rejecting weak mining rules written by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The proposed rules did not protect Maine's waterways or communities from "acid mine drainage"- a toxic soup of sulfuric acid and heavy metals that results from this type of mining, and can devastate water quality, kill aquatic creatures, and destroy landscapes. NRCM is a founding partner of the Penobscot River Restoration Trust (PRRT). In late 2014, PRRT began construction of a state-of-the-art fish bypass at the Howland Dam on the Piscatiquis River, a major tributary to the Penobscot. This move follows the removal of the Veazie Dam (the lowermost barrier to fish passage on the river) in 2013 and the Great Works Dam in 2012. PRRT is a visionary approach to reconnect native sea-run fish to 1,000 miles of vital spawning habitat in the watershed without losing an important source of indigenous power generation. The project will ultimately restore 11 native species of fish to the watershed, and benefit fish stocks in the Gulf of Maine through improved habitat and access to historic spawning grounds. Woods, Wildlife, and Wilderness: The North Woods of Maine is nationally recognized as the largest undeveloped forest east of the Mississippi River. In 2014, NRCM focused on building community, business and citizen support for a proposed new national park and national recreation area along the East Branch of the Penobscot River. We secured important endorsements for the proposal from the Katahdin Area Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Innkeepers Association, and others, including over 200 businesses. The campaign is a top priority, with the goal of creating these protected areas through federal legislation in time for the National Park Service Centennial in 2016. NRCM also worked to protect Maine's forests from attempts to increase logging on public lands to unsustainable levels and reduce funding for land conservation programs. Sustainability and Toxics: NRCM educates the public about the hazardous chemicals found in items common to our homes, schools, and workplaces, and has helped Maine phase out toxic chemicals in consumer products and create landmark recycling programs for products that pose a risk to our environment and public health. In 2014 NRCM launched the Sustainable Maine initiative to offer education and hands-on training to communities seeking ways to reduce waste and toxics in the environment, increase participation in recycling and organic composting, and boost the production and use of clean and efficient energy. In its first year, the initiative resulted in new ordinances in Portland, Maine to ban foam food packaging and place a fee on single-use plastic and paper bags. NRCM staff provided technical expertise to help the city become the first in Maine to adopt these policies and take an important step to reduce trash, protect wildlife, and end our "throw away" lifestyle. 496925 0 0 1755899 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11 0 1 24 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 24 24 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 THOMPSON 2076223101 3 WADE STREET AUGUSTA ME 04330 KATE RUSH PRESIDENT 1 X X 0 0 0 Kathy Remmel SECRETARY 1 X X 0 0 0 THOMAS TIETENBERG TREASURER 1 X X 0 0 0 RUSSELL PIERCE VICE PRESIDENT 1 X X 0 0 0 VICTORIA DEVLIN DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 MARION FREEMAN DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 TONY OWEN DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 JEANNE GULNICK DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 HENRY HEYBURN JR DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 SALLY OLDHAM DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 GEORGE LAPOINTE DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 SUSAN MACKENZIE DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 DIDI MANNS DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 Stephen Mulkey DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 TOM CARR DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 JEFF PIDOT DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 Lois Winter DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 NORTON LAMB DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 STEWART STRAWBRIDGE DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 CHRIS BOND DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 ELISA BOXER DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 KAREN HEROLD DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 PATRICIA HAGER DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 PHIL BARTLETT DIRECTOR 1 X 0 0 0 LISA POHLMANN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 45 0 X 97869 0 24535 KATHRYN THOMPSON DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 40 0 X 63208 0 19983 161077 0 44518 0 0 0 0 0 8670 1329892 0 0 0 690232 162117 2028794 0 111364 0 0 111364 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3143038 0 2998276 0 144762 0 144762 0 0 144762 23800 0 4766 19034 0 19034 reimbursement for expenses 900099 14915 0 0 14915 0 0 0 0 14915 2318869 0 0 290075 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 205595 93027 106447 6121 0 1046953 942904 1115 102934 28970 24697 1178 3095 173868 159120 -3074 17822 80621 73334 102 7185 65667 63687 1036 944 0 0 0 0 23715 18286 3451 1978 0 0 0 0 0 0 39692 0 39692 0 12000 12000 0 0 25304 25304 0 0 6771 4314 2065 392 91795 61207 16841 13747 0 0 0 0 54059 41682 7867 4510 40849 39535 933 381 0 0 0 0 43892 38393 2214 3285 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 57227 44125 8328 4774 7147 5511 1040 596 telephone 14319 11751 1176 1392 Postage 60795 30554 1060 29181 Printing 88884 48302 2051 38531 Lists 18055 6046 0 12009 51600 12120 36737 2743 2237778 1755899 230259 251620 X 65963 19989 0 45974 X 78929 181542 993669 803250 196175 73261 5385 2174 0 0 0 0 0 2262 6955 42513 46646 1202883 703003 547110 499880 4961065 5307803 134772 134772 0 0 0 0 0 6961880 7056283 188659 182245 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 188659 182245 X 6017691 6104857 570530 584181 185000 185000 6773221 6874038 6961880 7056283 X 81091 8258 0 0 0 11468 X 0 1 X 1 0 X 2149942 1962738 1964538 2085615 2028794 10191627 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2149942 1962738 1964538 2085615 2028794 10191627 324713 9866914 85487 82389 91920 94529 111364 465689 0 0 0 0 0 0 27058 22462 32676 38157 38715 159068 10816384 4576 0.91222 0.91467 X Schedule A, Part II, Line 10 2010 Misc. income $13593 Special events $13,465 Total $27,058 2011 Misc. Income $17862 Special Events $4,600 Total $22,462 2012 Misc. Income $13,900 Special Events $18,776 Total $32676 2013 Misc. Income $14,648 Special Events $ 23,509 Total $38,157 2014 Misc. Income $14,915 Special Events $23,800 Total $38,715 RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 11202 26285 37487 2200291 2237778 261889 65472 0 0 250224 251320 258356 261889 1021789 1532684 105766 59571 164611 37487 367435 62556 62830 64589 65472 255447 383171 8560 4300 17169 11202 41231 4813197 197986 208059 0 188100 0 5031142 4468365 140011 389240 0 184419 0 4813197 4355651 41291 247956 0 176533 0 4468365 4550686 10876 -25785 0 180126 0 4355651 4240595 52269 459002 0 201180 0 4550686 0.958 0.036 0.006 0 0 0 107510 107510 0 893560 559032 334528 0 0 0 0 0 201813 143971 57842 0 0 0 0 499880 2507740 8258 204071 0 4766 217095 2290645 39692 -11468 28224 2318869 2406923 204071 0 0 4766 208837 2198086 39692 0 39692 2237778 Schedule D, Part V, Line 4 The purpose of the Board Directed and Permanent Endowment Funds are to support advocacy goals, to address emerging issues, and to make capital improvements to our facility. The purpose of the Citizen Engagement 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 expenses for event space and supplies Schedule D, Part XI, Line 4b change in value of gift annuities $11,468 Schedule D, Part XII, Line 2d Direct Fundraising expense for event space and services. Polar Bear Dip and Dash 21415 0 21415 0 0 0 0 0 3317 0 0 21415 0 21415 0 0 0 0 0 3317 3317 18098 X 24 162117 fair market 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 slate of candidates prepared by the nominating committee is presented to the board of directors by the the chair of the nominating committee or the chair's designee, and is voted upon by the board of directors. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b A copy of the 990 is reviewed by a public accounting firm. It is then sent to the full Board of Directors for review and feedback, prior to submitting the form to the IRS. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c A conflict of interest agreement is initially read and signed by all board members as part of their orientation. The agreement is annually re-examined and signed by all the board members. Any potential conflicts are discussed at the board meeting. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 A comparison of salaries and benefits is compiled by the director of finance. The executive director's wages are reviewed and approved by the executive committee of the board of directors. All other staff salaries adjustments are suggested by management and approved by the finance committee as part of the budget process. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 The audited financial statement, 990, annual report, and 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 annually. Form 990, Part X, Line 10a Section 1.263(a)-3(n) Election: 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 value of gift annuities $11,468.00