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NEFSA's 4th Annual Save Our Fisheries Summer Bash, August 15

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • August 12, 2026

Join hundreds of your neighbors, families, and the commercial fishermen who put seafood on Maine tables every day for a summer evening you won't forget. All proceeds support the work of the New England Fishermen's Stewardship Association to protect American commercial fisheries and the coastal communities that depend on them. At Cook's Lobster & Ale House, Bailey Island, August 15, 2026, 5:30–9:30 pm. Pre-register $30 per ticket, at the door, $35 per ticket, kids under 10 free.

Letter: Relegate fossil fuel to the past

CENTRAL MAINE • August 12, 2026

Fossil fuels helped to build our amazing and complex world. Now, however, their time is up. Here are some of the ways burning fossil fuels affect Mainers. Renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels and their use is increasing. Nevertheless, the world is burning more fossil fuel than ever before. Americans need to face these facts and act now. Let our senators and representatives know we understand what fossil fuels are doing to our world and the we expect them to act to protect our way of life. ~ Nancy Hasenfus, Brunswick

He went looking for sharks in Saco Bay. He found something else instead.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 12, 2026

Great white sharks have been turning up along the southern Maine coast in recent weeks, from Scarborough to Georgetown, and one Saco photographer wanted to see them for himself. Instead, Bob Wiegers found thousands of striped bass slowly circling in what he called a mesmerizing ball. The sight left him wondering whether the bass were reacting to sharks in the area. “It seems clear enough the striped bass are schooling in a defensive posture with sharks in the area, but I’m neither a scientist nor much of a fisherman,” he wrote.

Katahdin Woods and Waters is celebrating 10th anniversary this weekend

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 11, 2026

Katahdin Woods and Waters is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a long list of weekend events including ranger-led paddles, dark sky viewing and Indigenous earring-making demonstrations. The area was designated a national monument in August 2016. Rangers have been adding features to make the monument more accessible to visitors, and this weekend will unveil the new Katahdin Loop Road Overlook, which has been rehabilitated with a new picnic area and shelter. Last year the 7,900-square-foot Tekαkαpimək Contact Station opened. The $31 million center was funded privately through a capital campaign by Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters, a nonprofit philanthropic group. It was donated to the American people and is operated by the National Park Service.

Demand for Maine trails grants remains high in second round of funding

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

For the second year in a row, demand for grants from the Maine Trails Program far exceeds the amount of money available. In 2024, voters overwhelmingly supported a $30 million bond for the design and development of trails for outdoor recreation and active transportation. The state has until 2034 to spend the money and can allocate up to $7.5 million in grants every year. If the high level of interest continues, however, the money will likely be gone by 2029.

Fate of UNE pier project to be considered at Saco River Corridor Commission meeting

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

The question of whether the University of New England’s pier proposal can proceed will be up for debate at a public hearing of the Saco River Corridor Commission at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Saco Community Center. The pier would be located on the Saco River, adjacent to the Arthur P. Girard Marine Science building, and would be used for year-round research and aquaculture projects, the university has said. Some city officials and residents have raised concerns that the project contradicts a previous SRCC decision and could harm residents who hold moorings on the river.

Lakes Region tourism numbers remain steady

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

Tourism numbers in the Lakes Region appear to have remained steady two months into the summer tourist season. Billi “Tux” Burke serves as executive director of the Maine Lakes Chamber, said the Maine Lakes Chamber has undergone a complete rebrand and rebuilding over the past few years and strives to serve as an alternative to mainstream travel recommendation sites. Data in Maine indicate that tourism, and the economic benefits that come from it, has stayed level compared to previous years, if not slightly increasing.

Rare partial solar eclipse visible in Maine skies Wednesday

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

The moon will appear to take a cosmic bite out of the sun on Wednesday afternoon, offering Maine sky watchers a celestial show in their own backyards as about a quarter of the sun goes dark for two hours. It will be the last time that any part of the sun will be eclipsed in Maine skies until 2045. In Bangor, the eclipse begins at 12:54 p.m. and will reach its maximum coverage of about 24% at 1:53 p.m. before ending at about 2:49 p.m. The “bite” visible from Portland will be a little smaller, peaking at 19% obscurity. The timing remains consistent within a minute or two.

Kennebunk officials tell beachgoers: Put down your phone and watch your kids

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

Kennebunk officials are warning parents and caregivers to put their phones down when supervising children at the beach after a child briefly went missing. The child was found safe at Mother’s Beach on Monday afternoon, having wandered into a different area of the beach while their caregiver was distracted. After the child was safely reunited with their caregiver, fire officials said they saw the adult immediately return their attention to their phone. That prompted a “stern warning” about the seriousness of the situation and the adult’s responsibility.

King Introduces Legislation to Reward Offshore Wind Developers Who Stand Up to Trump

ALES PADILLA • October 11, 2026

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Angus King (I-ME) have introduced the Outer Continental 5 Shelf Lease Restoration Act of 2026. The legislation in intended to reward developers who buck Trump Administration demands to abandon their offshore wind leases with access to an expedited route to more development, incentivizing private companies to stand up against the Trump Administration’s efforts to kill the renewable energy sector. “This legislation is a concerted effort to onshore energy jobs while bucking the Administration’s partisan attempt to pick winners in the energy field,” King said.

South Portland launches new home energy program

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

50 South Portland households can assess and make minor repairs to their home energy system with municipal support. Homeowners and renters can apply for free home weatherization assistance to improve energy efficiency, lower their costs and improve sustainability. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. “We want to take a holistic approach to helping people come up with a plan,” said Julie Rosenbach, the sustainability director. “We want to reduce the growing energy costs for people with fixed incomes, low incomes and moderate incomes.” 

Rockland manufacturing plant set to be sold

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • August 11, 2026

International Flavors and Fragrances announced in a news release that it has reached an agreement to sell its food ingredient businesses to CVC Capital Partners, a private market manager. That includes the Rockland plant off Tillson Avenue where carrageenan is produced from seaweed. Carrageenan is used as a thickener and stabilizer in processed foods and personal care products, such as toothpaste. The manufacturing plant has seen a series of new owners over the past decade. CVC manages more than $230 billion in assets across the world. Its corporate office is in Luxembourg.

Why beaches close for piping plovers in Maine and New Hampshire

FOSTERS DAILY DEMOCRAT • August 11, 2026

Piping plovers have restricted nesting requirements that put them in conflict with humans. Their numbers have declined due to the loss of safe nesting habitat. They are now listed as an endangered species in both Maine and New Hampshire and threatened in Massachusetts. According to Kevin Mullan of Maine Audubon’s Coastal Birds Project, “These birds are endangered due to coastal development and disturbance from human activities. Piping plovers need a healthy beach ecosystem to survive. It’s where they nest, rest, and forage. With the popularity of beachfront property and beaches as a place of recreation, there will always be a need to protect their nesting grounds in order to manage that conflict between human use and plovers. The presence of plovers is also a signal of a healthy and diverse beach ecosystem that we should strive to maintain.”

Column: Exploring the Orange River Water Trail

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 11, 2026

Located in Whiting in far-eastern Maine, the Orange River Water Trail is a unique trail system that encompasses Rocky Lake, Orange Lake, Orange River, Reynolds Brook and Little Lake. The trail is offered to the public by a partnership consisting of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Cobscook Shores, Downeast Coastal Conservancy and Downeast Salmon Federation. Much of the shoreline is preserved by the partnership organizations while some areas are privately owned. The preserved lands are largely undeveloped and recreation is encouraged. There are picnic areas, campsites, hiking trails and several boat launches; some require a short hand-carry. ~ Ron Chase

How Aroostook County is growing Maine’s sovereign food movement

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 11, 2026

When Stockholm launched Maine’s first sovereign market in 2024, few knew it would lead to a statewide movement. But Maine’s expanded Food Sovereignty Act, which allows small farmers to sell goods directly to consumers without state licenses, resonated with people. The act aimed to increase food self-sufficiency, encourage local farming and stimulate rural economic development. 

Letter: Time for another vote on Pine Tree Power Company

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 11, 2026

In 2023, we had a ballot initiative to replace Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power with a cooperative option called Pine Tree Power Co. CMP didn’t like that. They spent millions of dollars to build fear, anxiety and doubt over a public takeover of their business. It worked; the ballot initiative was defeated. Three years on and electricity prices have risen significantly. It seems they’ve passed the cost of defeating the bill on to us. And the quality of power is as bad as it’s ever been. The best time to make the change was yesterday. The next best time is now. ~ Gardiner Bryant, Unity

Inescapable: Facing Up to Forever Chemicals

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • August 10, 2026

Invisible and nearly indestructible, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have seeped into the blood of almost every American and permeated the natural world. Inescapable reveals how ordinary people are tackling the toxic impacts from this sprawling class of industrial compounds—long used in consumer products, building supplies, and firefighting foam and still widely produced. Journalist Marina Schauffler recounts how PFAS contamination in Maine, a state known for its bountiful farms, woods, and waters, has upended lives and livelihoods, endangered public health, and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Maine is among states at the forefront of PFAS testing and regulation, but no region is immune from this chemical threat.

White shark dragged lifeguard underwater in Scarborough this weekend, officials say

MAINE PUBLIC • August 10, 2026

A lifeguard had a close call with a white shark at Scarborough Beach State Park over the weekend. Daryen Granata said the lifeguard was swimming back to shore Saturday with his hand strapped to a plastic rescue device. "A white shark grabbed hold of the line, or the torp, and pulled the lifeguard down five or six feet underwater," Granata said. "The lifeguard was able to shed the strap and then he began to swim in." The lifeguard made it back to shore safely. The incident occurred about 50 yards off the beach. There have been a number of white shark sightings in the area within the last week.

Contiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA says

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 10, 2026

The contiguous United States sizzled to its hottest month ever last month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July averaged 76.89 degrees Fahrenheit (24.94 degrees Celsius) across the Lower 48 states, eclipsing the Dust Bowl’s July 1936 by an eighth of a degree.