New England Grassroots Environment Fund

Group Resources

Shapleigh Town Ordinance on Water Rights
POWWR’s Launch Press Release
Open Letter to Shapleigh’s Selectmen
Video: ‘Why a Rights-Based Ordinance is Needed’
Video: Attorney Thomas Linzey on Local Rights Ordinances

Group Details

Protect Our Water and Wildlife Resources’ mission is to protect the forests, fields, water and wildlife resources in Western York County, Maine. POWWR’s primary goals are: 1) To encourage citizens and elected officials in the Town of Shapleigh, Maine to reject any initial testing by Nestle to determine the quality, amount, location of aquifers and extent of groundwater; 2) To encourage citizens and/or elected officials in the town of Shapleigh, Maine to reject and further pursuit of a permanent large-scale water extraction contract in that Town if the evaluations in Goal #1 are positive for the extractor.

The group organized in 2008 as a response to Nestle Corporation’s interest in the area’s water resources.

POWWR, located in Limerick (ME), received it latest NEGEF grant in July 2008 to control and/or prevent Nestle/Poland Spring Waters or any comparable organization for any and all large scale extraction of ground water from towns in the Western are of York County, Maine; to encourage all towns in the area to develop strong groundwater ordinances to control extraction; and to join together with other conservation minded groups, whether public or private, in defining, protecting and preserving the flora, fauna, earth and waters of this area.