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Committee endorses three gubernatorial picks for state environmental boards
Summary
The Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources unanimously recommended confirmation of Brooke Barnes to the Board of Environmental Protection and approved two appointments to the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Board (Eileen Bader Hall and Erin Merrill). Supporters cited experience in conservation and permitting; no opposition was recorded in committee.
The Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted this week to recommend confirmation of three gubernatorial nominees to state environmental boards.
Senators and representatives on the committee voted unanimously to recommend Brooke Barnes of Harpswell to the Board of Environmental Protection. Joe Bushey, director of boards and commissions, introduced Barnes “on behalf of the governor,” noting the nominee’s long record at the Department of Environmental Protection and later at Stantec Consulting. Barnes described a career that began at DEP in 1988, cited work on enforcement programs and processing reforms, and pointed to experience managing complex responses such as the Casco Bay oil spill. Representative Campbell moved the committee recommendation and Representative Osher seconded; the committee recorded a 10–0 vote in favor.
The panel also recommended appointment of Eileen Bader Hall of Veazey to the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Board. Bushey told the committee Bader Hall has managed freshwater restoration for The Nature Conservancy in Maine and brings grant-writing and project-management experience. Conservation groups including Maine Audubon and the Nature Conservancy testified in support, as did legal and restoration professionals who highlighted her experience with stream and river projects. The committee voted 11–0 to endorse the nomination.
Finally, the committee recommended reappointment of Erin Merrill of Cornville to the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund Board. Merrill, who has served on the board for four years and works in fundraising and outdoor education, outlined projects the board has helped fund, from search-and-rescue equipment to habitat studies. The committee voted 10–0 to recommend her reappointment.
All three recommendations will be transmitted to the full Senate as required by statute. Committee chairs reminded nominees that the Senate may still exercise its advice-and-consent role during confirmation.
