State Rep. Ayotte to serve on environmental affairs committee

AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree has named Rep. Bernard Ayotte (R-Caswell) to an influential committee on environmental affairs at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The appointment, which takes effect immediately, will bring Rep. Ayotte into contact with state legislators from around the nation to share approaches and solutions to common environmental issues.     “I’m honored by this appointment and by the opportunity to represent Maine at the national level,” said Rep. Ayotte, a second-term legislator. “The NCSL is an outstanding organization, and its Environment Committee serves as a forum for legislators to share information about options being considered in other states. The best ideas don’t always come from the federal government. I think the most innovative solutions often come from the states.”
Rep. Ayotte serves on the Natural Resources Committee in the Maine Legislature, where he deals with a range of environmental matters. Those issues include air and water quality, natural resource protection, shore land zoning and disposal of solid, hazardous and biomedical wastes. The committee also has jurisdiction over hydropower and dams, energy facilities, mining and general environmental policy.