Edmund S. Muskie Foundation

The foundation was active until 2010. ³ Its president was Leon G. Billings, ⁴ a former aide to Sen. Muskie. ⁵

Background

Senator Edmund S. Muskie (D-ME) was the principal proponent of the Clean Air Act of 1970, passed to control air pollution from motor vehicles and industry, and the Clean Water Act of 1972, enacted to regulate municipal and industrial wastewater discharges. Both laws have been referred to as pillars of environmental lawmaking. ^{6 7}

The Edmund S. Muskie Foundation (ESMF) was conceived shortly after Sen. Muskie’s death. Its purpose was “to honor and continue his lifelong commitment to preserving the environment and fostering civic responsibility.” ⁸ In 1996, the U.S. Congress appropriated $3 million as an endowment for the foundation. ⁹ The organization received IRS approval in 1997. ¹

ESMF was active through 2009. Its final grant was $1,010,000 to the University of Southern Maine. In 2010, it relocated its offices from Delaware to Maine, began operating under a new administration, and claimed to be “working to develop a long-range philanthropic plan.” ³

Although it continues to be registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), it is not required to submit a tax return. ¹⁰ Its contact address is care of Curtis Thaxter LLC, an independent law firm in Portland, Maine. ^{1 11}

Activities

ESMF’s grants supported three projects: the Archives, scholarships, and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. The Edmund S. Muskie Archives at Bates College houses Senator Muskie’s papers. ESMG funded an online legislative record, speech index, and a collection of 440 oral histories. ¹²

ESMF supported scholarships, an annual environmental lecture, and a PhD program focused on civic dialogue at the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine. The School was named in honor of the Senator. ^{13 14}

In 1999, the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators was “formalized as a project” by ESMF which funded it until 2007 when the caucus incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The Caucus was founded in 1996 by Leon Billings, the president of ESMF, who was a Maryland state delegate. He established an informal bipartisan network of state legislators dedicated to “pro-environment” efforts such as wildlife preservation, weather-dependent energy, and efforts to combat air and water pollution. ¹⁵

NCEL monitored “efforts to weaken existing laws or enact anti-environment proposals” alerting members of those activities in order to combat them through “defensive messaging and strategies.” Of particular concern were sharing best practices and offering resources to legislators in the form of remote legislative staff. ⁵

Funding

ESMF raised funds from 1997 through 2009. It received contributions from “approximately eighteen different sources, including public charities, private foundations, and individuals.” These included the Tides Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Turner Foundation, and the Beldon Fund, all left-of-center grantmaking institution. The $3 million Congressional endowment was invested. ³

People

Leon G. Billings was the founding President of ESMG. He served as a Maryland state delegate and as an aide to Senator Muskie, becoming the chief U.S. Senate staffer responsible for writing the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. He founded the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and was active in the organization for 20 years. ^{5 16}