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Maine Policy Review

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Articles 31 - 60 of 76

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

By Land And By Sea, Amanda Beal Jan 2011

By Land And By Sea, Amanda Beal

Maine Policy Review

This short article discusses the results of the By Land and By Sea project, in which Maine fishermen and farmers came together to discuss common concerns and to forge new solutions aimed at re-envisioning a unified food system.


Adrift In A Sea Of Information About Sustainable Seafood: The Maine Consumer Perspective, Catherine V. Schmitt Jan 2011

Adrift In A Sea Of Information About Sustainable Seafood: The Maine Consumer Perspective, Catherine V. Schmitt

Maine Policy Review

The desire for a sustainable seafood industry that protects the environment and the future of fishing is certainly of interest to consumers, but even here there are conflicting standards, as Catherine Schmitt explores in this article.


Meat And Poultry Processing, Henrietta Beaufait Jan 2011

Meat And Poultry Processing, Henrietta Beaufait

Maine Policy Review

This article discusses Maine meat and poultry processing and the need for increased safety inspection capacity to allow this important food sector to continue to grow.


Education On Food, Fisheries And Agriculture, Molly Anderson Jan 2011

Education On Food, Fisheries And Agriculture, Molly Anderson

Maine Policy Review

This article describes the important role of education in helping the growing workforce in food-related industries, as well as the general population. The author notes that education in Maine about food, fisheries, and agri­culture is provided in a wide variety of venues: formal degrees at colleges and universities; Cooperative Extension; farm-to-school programs; the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA); and even educational farms. A sidebar by John Rebar discusses the work of University of Maine Cooperative Extension.


Challenges To Food Access Among Lewiston’S African Immigrants, Michelle Vasquez Jacobus, Reza Jalali Jan 2011

Challenges To Food Access Among Lewiston’S African Immigrants, Michelle Vasquez Jacobus, Reza Jalali

Maine Policy Review

Michelle Vasquez Jacobus and Reza Jelali present a case study of challenges to food access among African immigrants in Lewiston, Maine


Local And Regional Food Systems: A Usda Priority, Virginia Manuel Jan 2011

Local And Regional Food Systems: A Usda Priority, Virginia Manuel

Maine Policy Review

Virginia Manuel gives examples of innovative Maine food production, distribution and processing projects and businesses and the ways USDA rural development is financing them.


Farm To School, Amy Winston Jan 2011

Farm To School, Amy Winston

Maine Policy Review

Farm to school programs aim to link institutional purchasing to local food producers. This article describes how these programs in Maine have the potential to not only benefit food producers and communities economically but also to improve the health of schoolchildren and to reduce the carbon footprint of food production.


Kitchen Gardens: From The White House To Your House, Jean English, Douglas Fox Jan 2011

Kitchen Gardens: From The White House To Your House, Jean English, Douglas Fox

Maine Policy Review

This short article discusses how having small “kitchen gardens” can reduce fossil inputs, keep food and energy dollars in local communities, and add resilience for individuals and local economies in the face of economic downturns.


Food Safety, Alfred A. Bushway, Beth Calder, Jason Bolton Jan 2011

Food Safety, Alfred A. Bushway, Beth Calder, Jason Bolton

Maine Policy Review

The authors describe the importance of food safety regulations and practices in this era of global food systems and illustrate some of the challenges facing Maine’s small food producers and processors.


Unity Food Hub: Creating New Opportunities For Local Farms, Michael Gold Jan 2011

Unity Food Hub: Creating New Opportunities For Local Farms, Michael Gold

Maine Policy Review

Unity, Maine, as described in this case study, has grown into a “food hub,” as defined by the USDA. With support from the Maine Farmland Trust, a number of local development options are being explored.


Franklin County: Agriculture As A “Sleeping Giant”, Tanya Swain Jan 2011

Franklin County: Agriculture As A “Sleeping Giant”, Tanya Swain

Maine Policy Review

Franklin County, Maine was once a major farming area. This case study describes efforts underway to revive and grow agriculture in this rural area in the state’s western mountains


It’S Growing Season For Maine’S Food System, Deborah Felder Jan 2011

It’S Growing Season For Maine’S Food System, Deborah Felder

Maine Policy Review

In the introduction to this special issue, guest editor Deb Felder lays out the elements of a sustainable food system. She notes that the increased interest in more ecologically sustainable, safe, humane, and economical community-supported food systems has “put Maine in the forefront of the food movement.”


Healthy Food Access And Affordability: “We Can Pay The Farmer Or We Can Pay The Hospital", Gus Schumacher, Michel Nischan, Daniel Bowman Simon Jan 2011

Healthy Food Access And Affordability: “We Can Pay The Farmer Or We Can Pay The Hospital", Gus Schumacher, Michel Nischan, Daniel Bowman Simon

Maine Policy Review

The authors provide a history and overview of Federal food assistance efforts, especially food supplement programs, and the policy implications for Maine and national nutrition-incentive programs. They present a profile of the work of Wholesome Wave which aims to increase affordability and access to locally-grown food.


Farms And The Working Landscape, John Piotti Jan 2011

Farms And The Working Landscape, John Piotti

Maine Policy Review

After years of losing farms and farmers, Maine is seeing an increase in the number of acres being farmed, due partly to a resurgence of interest in farming and new tools that help preserve working landscapes. These tools include agricul­tural easements such as those offered by the Land for Maine’s Future, the Buy/Protect/Sell program at Maine Farmland Trust, local ordinances, and several federal programs


Poor Nutrition Amidst Plenty, Dora Anne Mills Jan 2011

Poor Nutrition Amidst Plenty, Dora Anne Mills

Maine Policy Review

Hunger and food insecurity is on the rise in Maine as are increases in obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, all linked to food choices. Old and young, immigrant and native, rural and urban—Mainers are experiencing a food emergency made graver by the economic recession and rising health costs. Dora Anne Mills writes about “poor nutrition amidst plenty,” its causes, consequences, and the programs and policies that address it


Resource, Environment And Energy Considerations For Maine Food Security In 2050 And Beyond, Amanda Beal, John Jemison Jan 2011

Resource, Environment And Energy Considerations For Maine Food Security In 2050 And Beyond, Amanda Beal, John Jemison

Maine Policy Review

This article discusses some of the expensive “externalities” produced by industrial agriculture and fishing. These include impaired watershed quality, soil degradation, pollution, reduction in biodiversity, and impacts on human health. The article also includes a discussion of transgenic crops and how these relate to sustainable agriculture


Forging A Common Vision For Maine’S North Woods, Robert J. Lilieholm Jan 2007

Forging A Common Vision For Maine’S North Woods, Robert J. Lilieholm

Maine Policy Review

Robert Lilieholm takes stock of the challenges and opportunities facing Maine’s North Woods, the largest undeveloped forested block in the eastern United States. In the face of changing ownership patterns and development pressures, there is lively debate over current land use policies and trends. Lilieholm suggests that a broader, regional vision for the North Woods might better serve the long-term interests of both the area’s forests and its struggling communities.


Alternative Large-Scale Conservation Visions For Northern Maine: Interviews With Decision Leaders In Maine, Elizabeth Dennis Baldwin, Laura S. Kenefic, Will F. Lapage Jan 2007

Alternative Large-Scale Conservation Visions For Northern Maine: Interviews With Decision Leaders In Maine, Elizabeth Dennis Baldwin, Laura S. Kenefic, Will F. Lapage

Maine Policy Review

Based on confidential interviews with 21 decision leaders in Maine, Elizabeth Baldwin, Laura Kenefic, and Will LaPage examine the complexity of the conflicts over alternate visions for large-scale conservation in Maine. Exploring models that may be useful for policymakers grappling with competing values for Maine’s forests, they present four alternatives: national forests, new U.S. forest service models, forest heritage areas, and the British national park model. The authors found that the leaders interviewed agreed about the need for some level of conservation, but did not completely agree on how this might happen and where the decision-making power should lie.


Are The Economics Of A Sustainable Maine Forest Sustainable?, Mike Levert, Charles S. Colgan, Charles Lawton Jan 2007

Are The Economics Of A Sustainable Maine Forest Sustainable?, Mike Levert, Charles S. Colgan, Charles Lawton

Maine Policy Review

Mike LeVert, Charles Colgan and Charles Lawton discuss the transformation of the economic environment of Maine’s forests over the past two decades. Paper companies have sold most of their holdings; residential and conservation demand for land has increased; forestland prices have skyrocketed; and new classes of landowners have different strategies, objectives, and time horizons than the old industrial landowners. The authors believe that management of Maine’s forests must now address changes in the economic environment with the same intensity as threats such as the spruce budworm were addressed if we are to keep Maine’s forests as forests.


U.S. Forest Ownership: Historic And Global Perspective, Lloyd C. Irland Jan 2005

U.S. Forest Ownership: Historic And Global Perspective, Lloyd C. Irland

Maine Policy Review

Mainers once enjoyed the sense that the state’s vast forested lands would forevermore be a feature of the state’s landscape and cultural heritage. However, this sensibility has been threatened by fragmentation and sprawl and rapid changes in ownership. According to Lloyd Irland, Maine is not unique. The U.S. is facing a crisis of sustainability in forests and rural communities. Irland provides a brief history of forest ownership in the U.S. and analyzes some global trends to help to explain this crisis. He suggests Mainers look to experiences elsewhere in the nation and world to come up with a new mix …


Genetically Modified Food: What Are Mainers Thinking?, Mario F. Teisl, Luke Garner, Brian Roe, Michael E. Vayda Jan 2004

Genetically Modified Food: What Are Mainers Thinking?, Mario F. Teisl, Luke Garner, Brian Roe, Michael E. Vayda

Maine Policy Review

Whether to allow genetically modified (GM) foods in Maine, and if so, under what circumstances, has been hotly debated in recent years. The authors explore one aspect of the issue—Mainers’ attitudes about the labeling of GM foods. They point out that labeling GM foods is more complex than simply whether to label. Policy decisions need to be made about whether labeling should be mandatory, what pieces of information should be on the label, who should be in charge of monitoring compliance, and even what foods should be labeled. The authors discuss the potential benefits of GM food labeling, and conclude …


Certification And Labeling Of Forest Products: Will It Lead To More Environmentally Benign Forestry In Maine?, Mario F. Teisl, Stephanie Peavey, Kelly O’Brien Jan 2001

Certification And Labeling Of Forest Products: Will It Lead To More Environmentally Benign Forestry In Maine?, Mario F. Teisl, Stephanie Peavey, Kelly O’Brien

Maine Policy Review

From a supply and demand point of view, the trend toward forest-products certification appears simple: some retail consumers may prefer to buy products from forests managed in an environmentally sound way while some forest owners may be willing to alter their management practices in order to sell to these consumers. However, as the authors indicate, the issue of communicating to consumers the degree of “environmental good” being purchased can be complicated and may be a factor affecting the long-term success of certification programs. The authors present the results of a recent survey that assessed the use of two types of …


Maine Forests: A Century Of Change, 1900-2000…And Elements Of Policy Change For A New Century, Lloyd Irland Jan 2000

Maine Forests: A Century Of Change, 1900-2000…And Elements Of Policy Change For A New Century, Lloyd Irland

Maine Policy Review

At the close of the 19th century, the state’s forest area was at an all time low; land ownership was changing rapidly with the emergence of new paper companies; a growing number of wildlife species were threatened; and widespread unease over the future of Maine’s forests was evident. Today a similar unease is evident. Many believe the state’s spruce-fir forest is being overcut; land ownership is changing rapidly; fear exists that the sustainability of Maine’s forests; and wildlife populations have been severely compromised. Given the similarity in circumstance, one might ask whether there has been any change over the past …


Fish Or Foul? Will Aquaculture Carve Out A Niche In The Gulf Of Maine?, Philip W. Conkling Jan 2000

Fish Or Foul? Will Aquaculture Carve Out A Niche In The Gulf Of Maine?, Philip W. Conkling

Maine Policy Review

Despite early promise and an optimal environment, aquaculture has grown more slowly in Maine than it has in other parts of the United States and the world. As Philip Conkling explains, this is due to market forces, scientific and technical issues, cultural opposition, and, more recently, the threat of an endangered species listing for Atlantic salmon. While near-term prospects for significant expansion of the industry appear bleak, Conkling suggests that a fresh generation of pioneers may be able to carve out a new niche, but only by conducting “old fashioned” research and development—on the job, on the water, and in …


Evolution Of The Maine Lobster Co-Management Law, James Acheson, Terry Stockwell, James A. Wilson Jan 2000

Evolution Of The Maine Lobster Co-Management Law, James Acheson, Terry Stockwell, James A. Wilson

Maine Policy Review

In fisheries management circles, there is growing realization that traditional ways of managing marine resources are not working and that new approaches to management need to be tried. One of the most promising of these new approaches is co-management, where authority for managing fish stocks is shared between the industry and government agencies. This paper discusses the implementation of the new co-management system, which was initiated in the Maine lobster industry in 1995. The law has clearly been successful; it has been framed in a way to allow lobster fishermen to be able to generate rules to constrain their own …


Developing A Cooperative Research Agenda For Maine’S Commercial Fisheries, Robin Alden, Linda Mercer Jan 2000

Developing A Cooperative Research Agenda For Maine’S Commercial Fisheries, Robin Alden, Linda Mercer

Maine Policy Review

This past year the Maine Department of Marine Resources sponsored a unique series of meetings involving fishermen, academic and government scientists, and fishery managers. The goal was to define a shared research agenda for Maine’s marine fisheries. Robin Alden and Linda Mercer summarize the results of these meetings. In doing so they address the question: “What do we need to know to properly manage Maine's major marine resources?” Alden and Mercer also conclude that the collaborative process these meetings helped to establish is one of the keys to the successful management of Maine’s marine resources.


Best Practices In Endangered Species Recovery Planning: Lessons For The Conservation Of Maine’S Atlantic Salmon, Raymond J. O’Connor, Ray B. Owen, Judith Rhymer Jan 2000

Best Practices In Endangered Species Recovery Planning: Lessons For The Conservation Of Maine’S Atlantic Salmon, Raymond J. O’Connor, Ray B. Owen, Judith Rhymer

Maine Policy Review

The call for federal listing of Atlantic salmon as endangered implies that such action will result in a recovery plan for the species that is superior to Maine ’s Atlantic Salmon Conservation Plan. In this article the authors compare the Maine plan against the findings of a recent review of Endangered Species Act recovery plans. The review, conducted by the Society for Conservation Biology in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assessed the quality of a national sample of Endangered Species Act recovery plans with the intention of identifying “best practice.” By comparing the Maine plan to the …


Measuring Maine’S Marine Economy, Brian Roach, Jonathan Rubin, Charles Morrris Jan 1999

Measuring Maine’S Marine Economy, Brian Roach, Jonathan Rubin, Charles Morrris

Maine Policy Review

Even though Maine’s new license plate no longer features the lobster, the ocean remains central to Maine’s identity and to its economy. As the authors point out, Maine has more than 4,500 miles of coastline and more than 4,600 islands over one acre in size. For many who live here, their way of life is tied to the sea; for many who visit Maine, their stay is tied to the sea. Despite such prominence, it has been difficult to accurately assess the importance of Maine’s marine economy. In part, this is because there clear definition of a marine economy is …


A Closer Look At Maine's Forest: Mainewatch Institute Conference Explores Sustainable Forestry Practice And Policy, Christopher "Kit" St. John Jan 1997

A Closer Look At Maine's Forest: Mainewatch Institute Conference Explores Sustainable Forestry Practice And Policy, Christopher "Kit" St. John

Maine Policy Review

No abstract provided.


Linking Marine Science To Industry: One Building Block, Kathleen Ellis Jan 1997

Linking Marine Science To Industry: One Building Block, Kathleen Ellis

Maine Policy Review

All involved in the work to develop Maine’s marine industry are united in the view that partnerships are paramount in maximizing the potential of this resource for the benefit of the state’s economy in a global marketplace. One entity with experience in the arena of working in collaboration with the private and public sectors is the University of Maine, which now is attempting to develop its role within the state’s marine industry further by becoming the home of a new School of Marine Sciences. Kathleen Ellis in this commentary offers some historical perspective on the university’s place in the state’s …