l to r: Bill Plouffe, Horace A. "Hoddy" Hildreth Jr., Mary Evans, Maine Audubon Executive Director Kevin Carley, John Tatko.

2008 Wildlife Conservationist of the Year, William L. Plouffe

This award is given to an individual or group who has made a significant contribution to wildlife
conservation in Maine. Whether in the areas of advocacy/policy, research/science, education,
program development or business development, the work should have significant, positive longterm
implications for wildlife in Maine.

Wednesday June 18, 2008 -Maine Audubon is honored to present this year’s Wildlife Conservation Award to William L. Plouffe of Freeport.

Bill is the only attorney we know who has climbed New England’s “four thousand footers”—all 67 mountains with peaks towering 4,000 feet or above. That’s not why he’s receiving this award, of course, but it’s related.

Bill’s passion for Maine’s mountains helped fuel his five years of work helping Maine Audubon and other conservation organizations convince Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) that the fragile habitats of Redington and Black Nubble mountains are not appropriate places to site wind turbines.

This remarkable team included the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Because of the insight and professional expertise Bill lent us, we were far better equipped to work for wind power in Maine that generates clean energy without harming wildlife and protecting other important values.

It proved highly challenging to explain that Maine doesn’t need to choose between wind power and wildlife conservation—we can have both.

In the end, LURC commissioners agreed with our assessment. They voted twice against permitting a wind power project in these rare, high-elevation mountains.

As he guided us, Bill—who has been part of the firm Drummond Woodsum since 1984—showed that he is a masterful legal strategist.

He was equally impressive as a thoughtful professional who never let personal beliefs cloud his professional judgment or his demeanor at LURC hearings.

Of the many wonderful abilities and qualities Bill Plouffe brought to this victory for Maine, here are just a few:

• his ability to synthesize copious amounts of technical information and transform it into a coherent and winning legal strategy;

• his ability to work with and coach volunteers, nonprofit staff, and technical experts to prepare compelling testimony;

• his polite but poignant questioning style during the hearings;

• his perseverance through multiple project versions and hearings; and

• his gracious insistence that LURC Commissioners adhere to appropriate standards of conduct.

 

Because of Bill Plouffe, the people of Maine can rest assured that our western high mountains stretching from Saddleback to Bigelow Mountains will remain one of the
state’s pre-eminent mountain areas.

Within this region lie 10 of the state’s 14 peaks above 4,000 feet. Outside of Baxter State Park, this is the state’s largest highelevation roadless area, including extensive alpine vegetation.

This is one of the most remote and spectacular stretches of the entire Appalachian Trail, a part of the nation’s National Park system. Every hiker through that region owes Bill Plouffe a deep dept of thanks.

Maine Audubon recognizes Bill both for his individual achievements and as a leader of the Redington/Black Nubble team, many of whom are in attendance this evening.

We are very proud to name Bill Plouffe our 2008 Wildlife Conservationist of the Year.

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