PO BOX 17766 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.

7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE




When Eliot helped Senator Ed Muskie craft the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts,
Muskie emphasized that Maine need not sacrifice jobs for a clean and healthy
environment. He taught us that we dont need to choose between payrolls and pickerel.
That's still sound thinking.

Maine is a place of unrivaled natural beauty. Our state also can be a place of
boundless opportunity but only if we protect our environment, minimize environmental
threats to the health of our citizens, and build our renewable energy generation portfolio.

New energy solutions can help meet our economic goals and protect the
environment. If we capitalize on this opportunity, extending Ed Muskies legacy, we can
once again make Maine a great place to live and a great place to make a living.

Imagine a different and better approach to governing. Imagine a state where
governments decisions are made based on evidence, not ideology. Imagine a state where
dramatic advances in science complement Maines natural competitive advantages.
Imagine a state that emerges as a magnet for the best new businesses, the most
innovative and skilled employees and the finest cutting-edge manufacturerswhile
conserving and sustaining the natural environment we cherish.
This is the moment for Maine.
Heres how the Cutler Administration will pursue these extraordinary
opportunities:



PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

I. REBUILD THE DEP TO MEET TODAYS ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES
The Cutler Administration will rebuild and strengthen Maines Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP), restoring its integrity and funding and providing the
department with the staffing levels, competence, expertise and leadership that it needs to
discharge its responsibilities. We will modernize an often-cumbersome review process,
improve the predictability of environmental regulation in Maine, and encourage more
environmentally sound development and investment in Maine by transforming the citizen
Board of Environmental Protection into a professional, adequately staffed, three-judge
court of first-stage appellate review.
As Associate Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Eliot
led the effort to restore funding and personnel to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency after it was weakened dramatically during the Nixon and Ford Administrations,
and he will apply those skills in the similar circumstances now apparent at the Maine DEP.
Moreover, because Eliot is an independent, he will be able to select the most
qualified individuals for key positions of responsibility, regardless of political
affiliation. He will find the most qualified people to lead the DEP, and he will support them
in their work to protect Maines public health and environment.
Among the priorities for the Cutler Administrations DEP will be these:
Implement Maines Kids Safe Products Act, which was adopted with bipartisan
support in 2008, but has been stalled in its implementation by the LePage
Administration.

Promulgate mining regulations that strengthen the Aroostook County economy
while protecting the Countys water and land resources through rules that will
permit minerals extraction by mining companies that make enforceable, long-term
commitments to protecting Maines environment.

Increase protection of inland waterways and lakes through oversight of municipal
water systems, attention to problematic stormwater runoff, and support for local
associations that safeguard the quality of our lakes.




PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

Assist Maines towns and cities in coming to grips with the monumental financial
challenges of rebuilding or replacing aging sewer systems, separating sanitary and
storm sewers, building new treatment works and dealing with urban and rural
runoff.

Defend and enforce federal regulations that protect Maine from upwind emissions
of greenhouse gases, ozone precursors, particulates and toxics.

II. REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORTATION
Climate change is real, and human activity is its chief cause. The greatest
environmental challenge of our time, global warming portends massive effects on our
public health and our way of life. The next governor of Maine needs to acknowledge the
facts about climate change and lead Maine people to limit and mitigate its impacts.
Maines economy including our Gulf of Maine fisheries, forest products, farms
and four-season tourism depends on the quality of our water, our coastal resources and
communities, our wildlife habitats and our infrastructure. All these resources are
threatened by rising sea levels, rising water temperatures, ocean acidification and
changes to our habit including our flora and fauna.
Maines transportation sector is our largest single source of both liquid fuels
consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, so powering cars and trucks with lower-
carbon alternatives such as electricity from solar or other renewable energy sources
sustainably-produced biofuels and other clean fuels will preserve our health, clean our
environment and strengthen our economy. By being vigilant and forward-looking, state
leaders can protect the region from dirtier fuels and put us on a more sustainable path.
By taking the following steps, the Cutler Administration will place at the top of its
environmental agenda the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions both in Maine and in
neighboring states and provinces:

Develop in cooperation with northeast states and Canadian provinces a regional
Clean Fuels Standard and market-based incentives to gradually reduce the carbon
intensity of transportation fuel use and resulting carbon emissions.





PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE



Join the multi-state effort to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles to 15%
of all new cars sold by 2025, develop shared standards for electric charging
stations, and shape new policies that will make it easier to build and use charging
stations.

Procure increased numbers of energy-efficient state fleet vehicles.

Encourage more efficient forms of transportation including rail, buses,
carpooling, commuter lanes, and bicycling and sidewalks where it is cost-effective
to do so.

Collaborate with Maine communities to better coordinate state transportation
policies and local landscape and zoning policies in order to combat sprawl, which
contributes to increased carbon emissions, drives up the cost of public services,
weakens communities and makes our state a less attractive destination for visitors.



III. DEVELOP RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Reducing Maines dependence on fossil fuels and reducing energy costs are critical
goals for Maines future. Towards these goals, the Cutler Administration will:
Re-double Maines efforts at conservation and energy efficiency, starting with a
comprehensive review of existing programs and incentives, including smart grid
technologies, new rate structure designs and diversified energy sources for Maine
homes and businesses.

Consider new incentives that can spur development of energy storage
technologies and distributed energy generation from onshore and offshore wind,
biomass, biofuels, geothermal, tidal and solar resources.

Support regional efforts for investment in increased pipeline capacity for to
deliver natural gas to Maine and the rest of New England.



PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

Jumpstart the introduction of natural gas into more Maine communities as a lower
cost bridge fuel between higher carbon fossil fuels and cleaner renewable energy
sources, helping more Maine communities attract and maintain employers.


IV. CREATE THE MAINE ENERGY FINANCE AUTHORITY
Maine should make sound public investments in the energy sector in order to both
restore economic activity across Maine and spur the wider development of renewable,
distributed generation.

The Cutler Administration will establish the Maine Energy Finance Authority (MEFA)
within the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) not in a separate new bureaucracy to
provide low-cost capital for 21st-century energy projects that promise to make energy
more affordable for citizens and businesses.

Through low-interest, tax-exempt financing and public-private partnerships, MEFA
will encourage investment in renewable energy resources and help construct needed
energy infrastructure, including expanded natural gas pipeline capacity for industrial and
commercial users and communities in Maine.

In circumstances where high energy prices might discourage a company from locating
in Maine or increasing existing activity and employment, MEFA financing or contracting
will be able to facilitate investments in cost-effective distributed generation or
cogeneration options at large industrial or commercial facilities. This could hasten the
development or expansion of a lumber mill or wood products manufacturer in Penobscot
County or a high-tech manufacturing facility in Cumberland County. In communities
where access to a lower-cost energy source, such as natural gas, could transform the
regions economic prospects, MEFA will be able to finance or co-finance energy
infrastructure improvements that target job growth.


V. MAKE GOVERNMENT WORK BETTER
Innovation and investment in Maines energy infrastructure needs to be supported
by a fair, predictable and efficient regulatory process that will help move this agenda
forward while meeting our tough environmental standards.



PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

As Maine people and businesses invest in new technologies that will save energy,
reduce emissions and create jobs, the last thing we should do is put unnecessary
roadblocks and delays in their way. The rules need to be clear, and state regulators and
inspectors must have the knowledge and training to make informed and timely decisions.

The Cutler Administration will make government a reliable partner in our efforts to
improve Maines energy infrastructure, reduce our carbon emissions and maintain our
precious environment. Here are some of the measures we will take to do that:

Undertake a comprehensive study to identify the most serious long-term risks
posed to Maine residents, communities and businesses by climate change, develop
a statewide plan to mitigate those risks and to take advantage of any opportunities
for Mainesuch as increased use of our portsthat will emerge as a result of
climate change.

Eliminate or modify regulations that cause unnecessary costs, delays and
uncertainties and deter investment in clean, cost-effective energy projects.

Implement a Dig Once policy requiring the Public Utilities Commission and the
Department of Transportation to consider whether road or utility construction
affords an opportunity to bury conduits for services such as fiber optic cables,
permitting us to meet our transportation, communications, and energy challenges
more efficiently and cost effectively.

Put in place a new Buy Once policy requiring that whenever the State of Maine
purchases certain categories of goods or services, the vendor will make the same
price for the same goods or services available within a reasonable period of time to
any unit of local government in the state that also wants to purchase the same
goods and services. Better leveraging the states buying power, particularly in
cases where the costs of new technologies remain relatively high, will help drive
down costs and expand access to those technologies.








PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

VI. MAKE PLANS THAT LEVERAGE MAINES NATURAL ASSETS
To pay for all the things we want and need to do in Maine protect our natural
resources, maintain our parks and recreation areas, invest in education, develop new
energy sources we must have economic growth that is fully consistent with our
environmental goals. Indeed, Maines most important competitive advantages are our
magnificent natural resources. Thats Ed Muskies most enduring legacy: Good jobs and
the extraordinary quality of Maines natural environment can and must coexist.
Maine is one interdependent community, with merely 1,300,000 of us responsible
for a vast piece of extraordinary real estate. If opportunities arent available for people of
all ages in all parts of Maine, the entire Maine community will suffer. A fundamental
responsibility of Maines next governor will be accelerating economic activity in Maine
counties where it has lagged for decades, where prosperity has vanished and towns have
lost population.
Certain traditional industries in Maine papermaking is a good example should
continue to add value to our natural resources and generate exports for our economy and
incomes for Maine citizens, but as more and more sophisticated technology is introduced
and as productivity increases, employment will never again reach earlier levels.
Yet, these daunting challenges often hide great opportunities. The very same
resources that have sustained and supported many of Maines traditional industries the
North Woods, our rivers and the Gulf of Maine, the western mountains, and our arable
lands and abundant water supplies also sustain and support Maines dominant tourist
economy and can fuel new economic growth in that sector and others.
The Katahdin Region is a perfect example of a place where boundless prospects hide
behind the challenges facing the Regions traditional economy. In recent decades the
Region has suffered from dramatic job loss, industrial flight and a precipitous decline in
homeowner property values. Stearns High School in Millinocket, the Magic City, once was
a Class A basketball powerhouse that won the New England championship; Stearns teams
today compete in Class D. Yet, nowhere in Maine do the potential benefits of renewable
energy and the rich promise of a flourishing natural environment come together with
more possibility and potential than here.






PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

As governor, Eliot has promised to personally apply his own skills and experience in
the Katahdin Region to assist area residents and communities in crafting an economic
development plan that capitalizes on the Regions natural riches, while protecting and
celebrating its recreational wonders; that harnesses available low-cost energy from the
hydroelectric dams on the mighty Penobscot River to spark new centers of manufacturing
and new economic activity; and that advances the Regions enormous tourism and
recreational potential through branded development, including a possible new state or
national park and recreation area.
In the Katahdin Region and throughout the State of Maine we need to stop looking
for our future in the rearview mirror. Challenges and opportunities that mirror those
found in the Katahdin Region exist throughout rural Maine. With an open mind, a
willingness to innovate, and with our gaze fixed on the road ahead, the Cutler
Administration will lead Mainers in efforts to balance preservation and use, to protect
Maines natural resources and to harness Maines competitive advantages in pursuit of a
more prosperous future.




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Crystal Canney
Cutler for Maine
ccanney@cutlerformaine.com
www.cutlerformaine.com
207-615-5968

Embargoed until 11:00am
May 06, 2014
CUTLER TALKS ENERGY AND THE ENVIORNMENT

(Bangor, Maine) -- Independent for Governor Eliot Cutler rolled out his latest in a series of major
policy initiatives this morning, outlining his proposals for energy and the environment on the banks of
the Penobscot River.

Cutler who worked hand in hand with Senator Edmund Muskie on the Clean Water and Clean Air
Acts said, "Our state has boundless opportunity - but only if we protect its natural beauty, minimize
environmental threats to the health of our citizens, and build our renewable energy generation
portfolio. If we extend Ed Muskie's legacy, we can once again make Maine a great place to live and a
great place to make a living."

Cutler said he would rebuild and strengthen Maines Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),
' but also that the regulatory process must be fair, predictable and efficient.

As Maine people and businesses invest in new technologies that will save energy, reduce emissions
and create jobs, the last thing we should do is put unnecessary roadblocks in their way, he said. The
rules need to be clear, and state regulators and inspectors must have the knowledge and training to
make informed and timely decisions.

Other initiatives include creating a Maine Energy Finance Authority which would provide low-cost
capital for 21st century energy projects that promise to make energy more affordable for citizens and
businesses. Cutler said, "In cases where high energy prices might discourage or prevent a company
from locating in Maine or increasing activity and employment, this financing opportunity could hasten
the development or expansion for a number of businesses allowing businesses to expand and add
jobs."



Among Eliot's Environmental & Energy priorities:

1. Rebuilding the DEP to meet today's environmental challenges
2. Reduce carbon emissions from transportation
3. Develop renewable energy sources
4. Create a Maine Energy Finance Authority
5. Make government work better
6. Leverage Maine's natural assets
(Details for each of these areas are included in the policy statement)

*Details around each of the priorities are included in the press kit.
####


PO BOX 17766 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE


Energy & the Environment
Eliots Remarks
Bangor, May 6
th
, 2014

This is the right place for me to release the latest in our series of policy initiatives, the one
focusing on Energy and the Environment, because its home.

As a young man in my 20s, I was privileged to work with Maine Senator Ed Muskie on two
of this nations foundational environmental laws, the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.

As we worked to craft the Clean Water Act and get it passed, we knew that we were doing
something important for America, but also something good for Maine. Senator Muskie grew up in
Rumford, on the Androscoggin River; I grew up here on the Penobscot, and I remember when the
first salmon caught in the Bangor Salmon Pool was presented with great ceremony to the
President of the United States.

Our environmental laws stand as a testament to Ed Muskies foresight, courage and
perseverance, but among his most enduring legacies here in Maine is his insistence that we need
not sacrifice jobs for a clean and healthy environment, that we dont need to choose between
payrolls and pickerel.

Maine can be a place of boundless opportunity but only if we both protect and capitalize
on our states natural beauty, minimize environmental threats to the health of our citizens, and
build our renewable energy generation portfolio.

We can extend Ed Muskies legacy and once again make Maine a great place to live and a
great place to make a living.

Here are some of the ways my Administration will pursue these extraordinary
opportunities:



PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

FIRST, we will rebuild and strengthen Maines Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP), restoring its integrity and funding and providing the department with the staffing levels,
competence, expertise and leadership that it needs to discharge its responsibilities. As an
independent, I will be able to select the most qualified individuals for key positions of
responsibility, regardless of political affiliation, and support them in their work to protect Maines
public health and environment.

SECOND, we will reduce carbon emissions from transportation. Maines transportation
sector is our largest single source of both liquid fuels consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,
so powering cars and trucks with lower-carbon alternatives such as cleaner conventional fuels,
electricity from solar or other renewable energy sources and sustainably produced biofuels will
preserve our health, protect our environment and strengthen our economy.

THIRD, we will develop renewable energy sources. Reducing Maines dependence on
fossil fuels and reducing energy costs are critical goals for Maines future. That is why my
Administration will re-double Maines efforts at conservation and energy efficiency, get more
natural gas into Maine towns and cities and spur development of energy storage technologies and
distributed energy generation from onshore and offshore wind, biomass, biofuels, geothermal,
tidal and solar resources.

FOURTH, we will create a Maine Energy Finance Authority. Maine should be making
sound public investments in the energy sector in order to both restore economic activity across
Maine and spur the wider development of renewable, distributed generation.

FIFTH, we will make government work better and reform the regulatory process. If we are
going to promote private sector innovation and investment in Maines energy, then a fair,
predictable and efficient regulatory process must support those efforts.

FINALLY, we will leverage Maines natural assets.

To pay for all the things we want and need to do in Maine protect our natural resources,
maintain our parks and recreation areas, invest in education, develop new energy sources we
must have economic growth that is fully consistent with our environmental goals.


PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

A fundamental responsibility of Maines next governor will be accelerating economic
activity in Maine counties where it has lagged for decades, where prosperity has vanished and
towns have lost population.
The very same resources that have sustained and supported many of Maines traditional
industries the North Woods, our rivers and the Gulf of Maine, the western mountains, and our
arable lands and abundant water supplies also sustain and support Maines dominant tourist
economy and can fuel new economic growth in that sector and others.
The Katahdin Region is a perfect example of a place where boundless prospects hide
behind the challenges facing the Regions traditional economy. In recent decades the Katahdin
Region has suffered from dramatic job loss, industrial flight and a precipitous decline in
homeowner property values. I remember when Stearns High School in Millinocket the Magic
City was a Class A basketball powerhouse that won the New England championship; Stearns
teams today compete in Class D.
Nothing would make me happier than seeing the Cate Street folks keep their promises to
the taxpayers of Maine and to the people of the Katahdin Region. I have my fingers crossed.
I hope that they restart the mill in East Millinocket and develop the Thermogen project in
Millinocket, putting hundreds of good people back to work.
I hope that they make good on their debts and pay the millions of dollars in overdue
property taxes to the Towns of Millinocket and East Millinocket, and that they pay the many, many
thousands of dollars that they owe to vendors in the area.
I have my fingers crossed, but I also am deeply worried.
Even in the best case, the people of the Katahdin Region deserve more than a recovered
employment base; they deserve a truly growing economy. And the elected officials who have
brought Cate Street to Maine had better have a Plan B in place if their hopes and mine are dashed.
Nowhere in Maine do the potential benefits of renewable energy and the rich promise of a
flourishing natural environment come together with more possibility and potential than in the
Katahdin Region.


PO BOX 177662 PORTLAND, MAINE 04112 207.358.7000 AUTHORIZED BY THE CANDIDATE AND PAID FOR BY CUTLER FOR MAINE

When I was in Millinocket last month, I promised the people of the Katahdin Region that
when I am governor I will personally apply my skills and experience to help the Region, and I will
start doing that the first week I am in office.
Together with the people and communities of the Katahdin Region, we will craft an
economic development plan that capitalizes on the areas natural riches, while protecting and
celebrating its recreational wonders; that harnesses available low-cost energy from the
hydroelectric dams on the mighty Penobscot River to spark new centers of manufacturing and
new economic activity; and that advances the Regions enormous tourism and recreational
potential through branded development, including the possibility of a new state or national park
and recreation area.
Challenges and opportunities that mirror those found in the Katahdin Region exist
throughout rural Maine. In the Katahdin Region and throughout the State of Maine we need to
stop looking for our future in the rearview mirror.
With an open mind, a willingness to innovate, and with our gaze fixed on the road ahead,
the Cutler Administration will lead Mainers in efforts to balance preservation and use, to protect
Maines natural resources and to harness Maines competitive advantages in pursuit of a more
prosperous future.
Op-Ed: Sen. Ed Muskie believed in Eliot Cutler. You
should, too
cutlerformaine.com/oped_muskie
By Edmund S. Muskie Jr.
On the 100th anniversary of his birth, I ask you to remember what my f ather stood f or and what he
accomplished. Examine the records of all the candidates f or governor this year. Only one measures
up to the leadership standards Dad set, and thats Eliot Cutler.
My f ather would have turned 100 years old this week. He has been gone f or 18 years now, but his
place in Maine and America as a leader and statesman is as secure as ever. I am proud to bear his
name and proud that his centennial has sparked a renewed appreciation f or all that he accomplished.
Of course, no one accomplishes all the things my f ather did without the help and support of other
talented people. Sen. Ed Muskie had many trusted aides and advisors over the years, outstanding
people like George Mitchell, Don Nicoll, Leon Billings and Eliot Cutler. I know that he would be pleased
that Eliot, a person f or whom he had the greatest respect, is seeking to be Maines governor.
I have known Eliot all my lif e. He worked side by side with my f ather on two of the most important
laws in our nations recent history the landmark Clean Air and Clean Water acts. These laws have
had f ar-reaching impacts on all of our lives, protecting public health and the quality of our natural
environment.
Beyond his work on the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, Eliots environmental record over his entire
lif e and career has been exemplary. My f ather recommended to President Jimmy Carter that he
appoint Eliot to be associate director of the White House Of f ice of Management and Budget
because Dad trusted Eliots environmental commitment and believed in his leadership abilities.
At the agency, Eliot oversaw policies and billion-dollar budgets f or the nations principal natural
resources, environmental, energy and science agencies, strengthening the Environmental Protection
Agency, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlif e Service and the Forest Service.
Eliot went on to establish what became the nations second largest environmental law f irm, where he
f orced the f ederal government to clean up nuclear waste, lent his f irms expertise at no charge to
reopening the Kennebec River to f ish running upstream to spawn and f igured out environmentally
sound ways to build desperately needed new roads and airports in state af ter state around the
country.
As many people in Maine can still recall, my f ather was never shy about saying what he believed, and
blind partisan loyalty was never his path. Were he alive today, I believe he would proudly support Eliot
f or governor.
For purely partisan reasons, some environmental groups have decided to support Michael Michaud,
the Democratic Party candidate f or governor this year, not because of his environmental record but
rather in spite of it.
They are supporting a candidate who voted to eliminate f ood saf ety warnings, f or continued
taxpayer subsidies f or the oil industry, and against a right to know law that enables the public to
f ind out about hazardous substances in their community. They are standing behind someone whose
record over two decades in the Maine Legislature was so abysmal, according to the Maine League of
Conservation Voters, that he voted right on environmental issues barely half the time. My f ather
would be amazed and distressed.
On the 100th anniversary of his birth, I ask you to remember what my f ather stood f or and what he
accomplished. Examine the records of all the candidates f or governor this year. Only one measures
up to the leadership standards Dad set, and thats Eliot Cutler.
Sen. Muskie believed in Eliot. So do I, and so should you.
Bangor Daily News, 3/27/14
Hoddy Hildreth: Eliot Cutler is only candidate for
governor with deep environmental ties
cutlerformaine.com/eliot_cutler_is_only_candidate_f or_governor_with_deep_environmental_ties
By Hoddy Hildreth
...[Eliot Cutler] remains guided by Muskies legacy that not only can we have both jobs and a healthy
environment, but that, in f act, we must have both."
FULL LETTER (via Bangor Daily News):
I am supporting independent Eliot Cutler in the race to be Maines next governor because he is the
only one of the three announced candidates with deep environmental ties and the in-depth
experience to be ef f ective. While lacking the legislative record of a prof essional politician, f or f our
decades he has consistently demonstrated leadership and independence on a whole range of
environmental issues.
Cutlers career began with Ed Muskie and work on creating the landmark Clean Air and Clean Water
Acts to clean the dirty rivers and air they both grew up with here in Maine. He understands that
pickerels vs. payrolls was a f alse choice, and he remains guided by Muskies legacy that not only
can we have both jobs and a healthy environment, but that, in f act, we must have both.
On Muskies recommendation, Cutler moved on to the executive branch, where he was responsible
f or supervising the policies and budgets f or the nations natural resource agencies the
departments of interior, agriculture, and energy; the Environmental Protection Agency; the National
Park Service and the Forest Service.
His work in restoring key agencies such as the National Park Service, the Forest Service and EPA to
healthy budget and personnel levels af ter their resources had been slashed by the Nixon
Administration will serve him well in restoring the budgets and personnel levels of Maines natural
resource agencies that have been slashed by the LePage administration over the last three years.
He helped to build Americas f irst renewable and energy conservation programs, managed the
process to classif y the Alaska public lands as national parks, national f orests and wilderness areas,
and undertook other initiatives to sustain and protect Americas natural resources. Again, work
experience directly related to critical issues that Maine will f ace in the next decade with respect to our
natural resources.
In the private sector, Cutler f ounded a very successf ul law f irm and personally represented scores of
cities, counties and states in disputes and disagreements over big inf rastructure projects like
airports and highways. He worked f or solutions that were both environmentally and economically
sound.
His law f irm was also committed to giving back to the community, including providing pro bono legal
services that led to the removal of the Edwards Dam f rom the Kennebec River, the f irst successf ul
dam removal case in the United States. In short, Cutler has experience and a demonstrable record of
accomplishment on the environment unmatched by any other candidate in this race. Cutler is no tree
hugger but a pragmatic problem solver.
It is clear is that Gov. Paul LePage has a terrible environmental record, and the environmental
community should be united in the ef f ort to limit him to one term. It is also clear that Democratic
candidate Mike Michaud is a nice guy. But thats not nearly enough to make him the best candidate f or
governor. And as f ar as environmental records go, Michauds actions when he was a Maine legislator
are nothing to crow about. According to the Maine Conservation Voters, which keeps track of such
things, Michaud voted f or the environment on important issues only 55 percent of the time during the
15 years he was in the Maine Legislature. This is a f ailing grade by any measure.
In spite of this record, one environmental group has already endorsed Michaud, and others are
f eeling pressured to make an endorsement now, even though there is nearly a year to go bef ore the
election. This would be a mistake. The public has heard very little f rom either Michaud or Cutler on
their positions on current environmental issues, f ar too little on which to base a thoughtf ul
endorsement. If environmental groups are going to choose between Cutler and Michaud on
environmental grounds, rather than on partisan political grounds, the choice is pretty clear.
It is also clear that a split vote resulting in another LePage victory where less than 40 percent of
Maine votes f or him must be avoided. But that does not mean that Maines environmental community
should make endorsements on a hunch rather than a thorough examination af ter hearing f rom and
seeing the candidates in action. Rather, they should be f ocused on using their political muscle to
teach the value of Maines environment and work to get the best candidate elected rather than giving
up and settling f or second best a year bef ore the election.
Horace Hoddy Hildreth Jr. of Falmouth is the former president and chairman of Diversified
Communications and has served on a number of non-profit boards, including Maine Conservation
Voters, Maine Audubon Society, College of the Atlantic, Maine Outdoor Heritage Trust, The Nature
Conservancy, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the Maine Community Foundation and the Davis
Conservation Foundation. He currently serves on the board of The Island Institute.