Conservation Law Foundation

US Eyes Rollback of Protections For Critically Endangered Whale The National Marine Fisheries Service is planning to loosen speed-limit rules protecting the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

🚢 Federal officials are weighing changes to a ship speed limit meant to reduce deadly collisions with critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Scientists and advocates say weakening this rule could increase the risk of vessel strikes.
earth.org/trump-admini...

Trump Guts Protections in Unique Ecosystem off Cape Cod - The Provincetown Independent CHATHAM — About 130 miles southeast of Cape Cod lies a network of underwater volcanoes and gorges called the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument that scientists say supports […]

🪸 Scientists warn reopening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to commercial fishing could damage a rare research site. The decision may also trigger a legal battle over presidential power to remove national monument protections.
provincetownindependent.org/local-journa...

It's time for CLF’s weekly news roundup: 🧵 📨

How would Maine’s proposed climate superfund work? Maine lawmakers are considering a bill requiring oil and gas companies to pay for the recovery costs of climate-related disasters.

🌨 Maine is considering a Superfund bill that would make polluters help pay for storm damage worsened by climate change. themainemonitor.org/how-would-cl...

Massachusetts bill would set statewide goals to reduce driving miles Senate Bill 2246, known as the Freedom to Move bill, calls for the state to align its transportation plan with its climate mandates by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

🚍 The Freedom to Move bill aims to align MA's transportation plan with climate goals by expanding people’s options for getting around www.westernmassnews.com/2026/02/26/m...

Here's what you missed. The CLF Weekly Round-Up 🧵 📩

CLF is prepared to take both of these reckless decisions to court. We’ll keep you up to date as things progress.

'Endangerment finding' repealed; CT promises legal battle The Environmental Protection Agency revoked its own determination that required it to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

😷 The immediate impact? States lose critical tools to combat air pollution. In New England, transportation emissions drive respiratory disease and rack up massive healthcare bills, costs that will only climb without federal regulatory backing. ctmirror.org/2026/02/12/e...

Mass. officials, environmentalists criticize EPA's revocation of scientific finding The rule rescinds a 2009 government declaration that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare.

☁️ The EPA also eliminated the "endangerment finding", a 2009 ruling based on extensive scientific review that classified greenhouse gases as threats to public health. This determination has been the cornerstone of U.S. climate policy for over 15 years. www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...

Trump opens vast Atlantic marine monument for commercial fishing - Oceanographic Trump issues proclamation reopening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to commercial fishing.

🐟 This is the only year-round entanglement-free zone for migrating marine mammals along the entire eastern seaboard. Over 80% of New Englanders support permanent ocean protections, and courts have repeatedly ruled the monument was legally created. oceanographicmagazine.com/news/trump-o...

Trump proclamation aims to unleash commercial fishing in Atlantic - The New Bedford Light The Conservation Law Foundation says it’s ready to sue to protect a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ and national marine monument.

🌊 Trump has reopened the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a biodiversity hotspot in the Atlantic. to commercial fishing. This move undoes protections for one of the Atlantic's most critical marine refuges. newbedfordlight.org/trump-procla...

It's been a tough week. Here's the rundown: 🧵 📨

Offshore wind showed up big during the East Coast’s brutal cold America’s two utility-scale offshore wind farms performed as well as gas power plants and better than coal in January — including during Winter Storm Fern.

During January's cold snap, America's offshore wind farms performed as well as the best gas plants while New England burned oil and watched wholesale prices spike.

Read more: www.canarymedia.com/articles/off...

Opinion: Your Connecticut voice matters. Do not let yourself be silenced. It’s a state agency that plays a major role in our lives. It regulates your utilities, like your electricity and water, and determines what type of energy you use and how much you pay.

Who gets to shape the future of Connecticut’s energy system: utility lobbyists, or the people who pay the bills?

CLF's Kendall Keelen explains why programs that help resident participation are essential for transparency and affordability.

Read the op-ed: www.courant.com/2026/02/08/o...

Trump Again–Unlawfully–Rolls Back Protections for Northeast Canyons and Seamounts We will not stand by while the Trump administration destroys vital habitats that are irreplaceable in our marine environment.

Breaking: The Trump administration is attempting to open Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument to industrial fishing. CLF is prepared to sue to protect our marine monument.
clf.org/newsroom/trump-again-unlawfully-rolls-back-protections-for-northeast-canyons-and-seamounts/

Residents Push Back On County Petition For Real Estate Transfer Fee BARNSTABLE – A proposal by the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates to petition the state legislature to allow towns to enact a transfer fee on...

🏠 Barnstable County proposed allowing Cape Cod towns to enact a transfer fee on higher-value property sales to address the housing crisis. But residents opposed, with critics arguing that the county should tackle wastewater infrastructure problems first.
www.capecodchronicle.com/articles/405...

Pepsi bottler reaches costly settlement after allegations of harmful violations: 'Sends a clear message' The Massachusetts Pepsi bottler, Patriot Beverages LLC, agreed to pay nearly $500,000 to restore affected rivers and streams.

🥤 A Massachusetts Pepsi bottler will pay nearly $500K after polluting local rivers with chemicals. The settlement funds water restoration projects and upgrades to pollution-control equipment, a win for holding companies accountable for environmental damage.
www.thecooldown.com/green-busine...

The 4 lessons New England’s grid can learn from Winter Storm Fern Extreme cold and lots of snow revealed the electric system’s strengths and weaknesses as the region debates how to build a more reliable, affordable grid.

❄️ Winter Storm Fern exposed weaknesses in New England's grid, but offshore wind delivered during the coldest hours and proved its value. The path forward: diversify energy sources and build more offshore wind capacity.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

Your weekly CLF news roundup: 🧵 📨

Opinion | Democrats must learn to say ‘all of the above’ on energy Readers on clean and affordable energy, U.N. climate policy and more.

Energy affordability won’t come from doubling down on fossil fuels. In a Letter to the Editor, CLF President Brad Campbell explains why renewables are the real path to lower bills and healthier communities.

Explore Brad’s letter and more insights on clean energy:

New bill seeks redress for pollution AUGUSTA -- Voters are urging fossil fuel companies to pay for polluting Maine's climate.

⛰ Maine’s Climate Superfund bill would hold fossil fuel companies responsible for the damages associated with CO2. www.foxbangor.com/news/new-bil...

North Atlantic right whale calf entanglement reported amid ongoing vessel speed battle - Undercurrent News Scientists from the New England Aquarium identified the entangled whale as a calf first spotted in April 2025

⚠️ Intentionally speeding puts vulnerable moms and newborn calves at risk. It’s inexcusable to travel at speeds that could harm endangered whales. This cannot be the cost of doing business. www.undercurrentnews.com/2026/01/23/n...

The Sun Still Rises: Immigration, civil rights, and Dr. King’s unfinished work - Manchester Ink Link My journey from the Congo to the United States could only be possible here. Only in this country could someone arrive with little more than hope, determination, and faith in opportunity and begin to b...

✨ CLF environmental justice advocate Arnold Mikolo writes that even in moments of uncertainty, we can choose solidarity. We can choose courage. We can choose to protect one another. manchester.inklink.news/the-sun-stil...

This week’s CLF news round-up: 🧵 📫

Judge Revives Wind Farm That Trump Halted Off Martha’s Vineyard The project, known as Vineyard Wind, was already 95 percent complete when the Trump administration ordered construction to stop.

Construction has resumed this week on Vineyard Wind after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s latest effort to stop offshore wind development.

Read more:

Governor Mills Welcomes Completion of New England Clean Energy Connect Project Transmission line will deliver affordable electricity to Maine consumers and support new investments in energy efficiency, broadband, and communitiesGovernor Janet Mills today welcomed the completion ...

⚡️ Maine celebrates the completion of the New England Clean Energy Connect, delivering clean hydropower to the region. The project aims to cut electricity costs, reduce reliance on natural gas, strengthen grid reliability, and invest millions in Maine communities.

www.maine.gov/governor/mil...

Journalists Forum Explores State and Local Initiatives in the Face of Federal Retrenchment - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy As state and local governments struggle to make progress on challenges including affordable housing and climate change amid dramatic policy shifts at the federal level, reporters and editors learned m...

🏛️ With federal support shrinking, state and local governments are driving solutions on housing, climate, and land use. Journalists at the Lincoln Institute Forum examined zoning reform, nature-based climate action, and ways cities are funding essential services.

www.lincolninst.edu/publications...

Trump favors natural gas. What does that mean for CT? In some circles natural gas is viewed as the holy grail. In others it's a climate change nightmare. And then there’s everything in between.

🔥 As Trump boosts natural gas and slows offshore wind, Connecticut faces tough tradeoffs. Methane leaks, rising gas prices, and costly pipelines raise questions about whether gas is really cleaner or cheaper.

ctmirror.org/2026/01/16/t...

Your weekly CLF news roundup: 🧵 📨

As Winter Warms, Olympic Athletes, Organizers Hunt for Elusive Snow

Climate change is warming winters around the world, and it’s already reshaping the Winter Olympics. From artificial snow to shrinking host cities, the sports we love are feeling the heat.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/c...