LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGNS

1)  Maine Comprehensive Land Use Plan

The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) is currently rewriting its Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

Tell LURC that their land-use policy needs to:

1. Address the severity of climate change and develop a long-term sustainable climate action plan for the North Woods. Emphasize that healthy watersheds supports healthy ecosystems which in the long-run supports climate stability.
2. Support democratic, local and community-based economic development.
3. Protect large-scale intact ecosystems, including the hydrological cycle.
4. Support Equitable and Participatory Planning.

• SAMPLE LETTER:  LURC Needs to Protect Maine's Water
   
• "Four Elements of a Stronger CLUP" (.pdf format)
  More information about important points you might include in your letter to LURC and your local newspaper.

Send your comments to LURC by Friday, June 6, 2008:

lurc@maine.gov

Land Use Regulation Commission
22 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0022

You may want to send a similar letter to your local newspaper.

2)  Nature Conservancy in Maine

Contrary to what many would expect, the Nature Conservancy has a close relationship with Poland Spring/Nestlé. It's important to make sure any Conservation Easement the Nature Conservancy is granted prohibits commercial water extraction.

Help spread the word by sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper:

• SAMPLE LETTER:  Nature Conservancy & Poland Spring
   

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"THIRST" MOVIE

Host a showing of the 1-hour documentary movie Thirst. A Study Guide for the film is available, written by Ruth Caplan, Chair of the Sierra Club Water Privatization Task Force.

• Use pitchers of tap water at your events.
• Use containers that you can refill with tap water when you are away from home.
• If there is a problem with water quality in your community, use a good quality water filter which is much cheaper than bottled water and does not produce mounds of plastic waste. The average cost of filtered water is $0.13/gallon compared to $1.27 for bottled water.
• Advocate for adequate funding and good public management of municipal water systems.
• Monitor unusual land purchases near to natural springs.