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Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News

Fact brief: Are fake spiderweb decorations dangerous to birds and other animals?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 22, 2026

Yes. Fake spiderweb decorations can entangle birds and other wildlife, sometimes causing serious injuries or death. Animals caught in the synthetic fibers may be unable to free themselves, leaving them vulnerable to predators, exhaustion and starvation. Experts recommend only using artificial webs indoors. Outdoor displays should avoid flight paths, trees and shrubs.

Access nature with these 5 new accessible Maine trails

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 22, 2026

Many Mainers like to spend time outdoors on the state’s thousands of trails. Increasingly, more of these trails are being built so that people using wheelchairs, pushing strollers, and with other mobility devices or disabilities can use them, too. Here are five accessible trails that opened within the past year for you to explore.
• All Persons Trail, Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth
• Alewive Access Trail, West Kennebunk
• Universal Access Trail, Windham Community Forest
• Andy’s Trail, Woodward Point, Brunswick
• All-persons trail, Castner Brook Community Forest, Damariscotta

Federal fuel relief offered to Maine farmers and fishermen

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 21, 2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching an $8 billion fuel relief program that offers a one-time cash payment to help food producers manage the strain of high diesel prices and rising operating expenses. The Harvest Relief program breaks ground as the first federal bailout to extend emergency fuel aid to fishermen as well as farmers, according to USDA. It comes at a time when the dock price of lobster remains static.

Maine’s Youth Deer Hunting Days to be held this week

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 21, 2026

Licensed junior hunters are allowed to harvest a deer on Friday or Saturday, an opportunity to try their luck before the firearms season opens for adults. For 20-plus years, the state offered a single Youth Deer Hunting Day. In 2023, Maine expanded that program to two days. Any child under 16 years old can get a junior license and must be accompanied on Youth Deer Hunting Days by an adult who meets certain licensing or safety criteria.

Maine proposes change to moose hunting near Moosehead Lake

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 21, 2026

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will seek to expand moose hunting in September near Jackman, but not near Greenville. The proposal is an attempt to balance the interests of hunters with the growth of fall tourism near Moosehead Lake. Sporting camps and hunting guides said expanded hunting in that region would be good for their businesses, spread out their clients in the woods and reduce impacts for private landowners. Hospitality businesses and guides who lead moose watching tours said an added week of hunting in September would curtail their businesses during peak foliage. Jennifer Whitlow, owner of Blair Hill Inn in Greenville, has been a vocal opponent of a September hunt near Greenville because moose watching tours are the top activity for her guests.

Opinion: Before Maine looks for an economic ‘secret sauce,’ it should look inward

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 21, 2026

At a recent Maine Blue Week in Portland revolved around one idea: an “ocean cluster” informed by the experiences of others in Massachusetts, Alaska and elsewhere. Borrowing a model is harder than it looks. So what might Maine do instead? Treat its blue economy strategy the way a Bigelow scientist or a startup founder treats a promising hypothesis. Run small experiments. Measure the results. Take the data seriously (even when it’s unwelcome), and adjust. Hard-won local knowledge will likely serve the state better than imitating somewhere else’s pathway. ~ John Surdyk, Waterville

Opinion: Soaring diesel costs have Northeast’s loggers running on fumes

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 20, 2026

The mood across the Northeast’s logging industry is grim. Soaring diesel prices could be the final blow for many companies already on the brink of closing. “Nothing was improving,” said a central Maine logging company owner who recently shut down after 10 years in business. Diesel costs finally forced the decision. “It doesn’t seem like it’s going to get any better anytime soon.” So far, little has been done at the federal or state level to ease the burden. Major mills in New York and New Brunswick have announced closures. Loggers need relief from soaring diesel costs soon, and lasting solutions must also address the underlying economic pressures threatening their businesses, because right now too many are simply running on fumes. ~ Dana Doran, Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

UNE begins clearing trees as part of pier project

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 20, 2026

The first step in the University of New England’s research pier project is underway after the Biddeford Code Enforcement office approved a permit last week for the university to begin tree clearing. The university was authorized to remove 49 trees to create an access road to the pier, Biddeford spokesperson Danica Lamontagne said. The university is authorized to clear trees, but not to remove stumps, Lamontagne added. That permit is separate from the pier construction approval. The permit from the city also requires UNE to replant 50 trees and 28 shrubs, Lamontagne said. Despite express approval from the city, some residents are still concerned that by beginning tree removal, UNE is not following legal procedure.

Portland officials urged to advocate for residents affected by CMP transmission project

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 19, 2026

Mayor Mark Dion will prepare and submit testimony to the Maine Public Utilities Commission in response to growing public concern over a Central Maine Power proposal to upgrade its electric grid in North Deering. Public outcry over the project has snowballed over the last few weeks as residents have learned about the project. Last week, the town of Falmouth passed a resolution opposing the project, asking regulators to consider alternatives.

Interest in trapping grows in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 19, 2026

In recent years, the state has seen a surge of interest. In 2020, Maine had 4,381 licensed trappers, according to department data. By 2025, that number had increased to 5,345. New trappers are less interested in selling fur for profit than they were in decades past. In general, they want a trapping license in order to be more self-sufficient, whether they plan to harvest meat for their family or manage pests and predators on their properties. “The No. 1 choice was to expand on their hunting and outdoor activities and broaden their outdoor skills.”

Column: Celebrate bats, our unsung heroes of the night

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 18, 2026

Oct. 24 marks the beginning of International Bat Appreciation Week, which was founded by a coalition of conservation organizations and government agencies across North America. It taps into this moment when bats are already on our minds to help educate the public about these incredible and ecologically important animals. Maine is home to eight species of bats. Yet they face serious threats. Chief among them is white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease first documented in Maine in 2011. Habitat loss adds to the pressure on these populations, making the preservation of natural lands paramount. How can you help these ecologically valuable creatures? Put up a bat house, plant a native, pollinator-friendly garden and avoid disturbing hibernating bats by steering clear of caves and mines in the winter. And share what you’ve learned about bats to help correct misinformation. ~ Ethan Gilardi, Biodiversity Research Institute

Old Orchard Beach park removes more than 500 trees to fight invasive insect

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 16, 2026

Guild Park looks jarringly bare from the road, a noticeable clearing catching the eye. Until recently, the park was chock full of trees, with a vast canopy that gave way to little sunlight. But in the past few years, an invasive insect moved in, and more than 500 trees were recently removed in an effort to keep its impact on the forest at bay. The hemlock woolly adelgid has likely been plaguing the trees for years, attacking the sap and needles of a tree until it dies. Guild Park was designated as a conservation easement and has been acting as a park since the late 1800s.

Maine Wildness is the name of the state’s new women’s soccer team

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2026

The name was announced and was immediately greeted by an extended and hearty ovation. The Maine Wildness, the newly named amateur women’s soccer club that will be a sister team to the Portland Hearts of Pine, is already a hit. And so is the club’s logo, a blend of new imagery with a clear connection to the Hearts. Club personnel spent hours and hours going over 300-plus names and then shaping the asymmetrical crest logo that pays homage to Maine’s wilderness with stylized imagery of Katahdin, flowing waters and wildflowers. Wildness, according to a club press release, connects the physical characteristics of Maine and “the trailblazing spirit” of Maine women.

State studying if electrifying operations at Maine cruise and cargo ports could reduce air pollution

MAINE PUBLIC • October 15, 2026

The Maine Department of Transportation and its partners are studying whether electrifying cruise and cargo ships could reduce air pollution at Maine ports. The group is collecting emissions inventories in Portland, Searsport, Eastport, and Rockland using a $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Ports Program.

Bipartisan permitting bill in Congress could speed energy projects, but draws green critics

MAINE MORNING STAR • October 15, 2026

Suddenly there’s hope for cutting the reams of red tape that can make getting new energy projects a seemingly endless slog. Top Republican and Democratic senators have unveiled a 417-page bill to overhaul the approval process, a pathway for what’s known as “permitting reform.” Reformers will have to fight environmental groups, who tend to appreciate today’s detailed, often lengthy process for reviewing energy projects. They worry that streamlining reviews will make it easier for energy-gulping and air-and-water-polluting projects to proceed. It’s a battle that is likely to continue for months and perhaps even years.

Opinion: A blueprint for disaster for Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2026

Once again, the notorious, dangerous and ultra-conservative Maine Policy Institute has gone out of its way to attempt to undermine the safety and security and well-being of Maine families. Its newest approach is described in 2026 Maine Policy Blueprint. Its proposals will threaten the lives of children and families while undermining communities and, ultimately, the state. It suggests reforms in every sector, including Environmental: End “state-level hostility toward fossil fuel and nuclear power” while removing regulatory and permitting barriers; end vehicle inspection mandates; repeal all emissions reductions goals as well as nuclear referendum requirements; reduce funding for water quality by 15%; ban subsidies on EV sales. ~ Luisa S. Deprez, Ph.D., professor emerita of sociology and social policy at the University of Southern Maine

Gorham group asks court to overturn town’s approval of Amazon facility

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2026

A group of Gorham residents is asking Cumberland County Superior Court to overturn the planning board’s approval of Amazon’s proposed 146,280-square-foot distribution center. The appeal, filed by citizens group Gorham United, alleges that the planning board failed to apply some of Gorham’s land use ordinances in its Sept. 14 approval of Amazon’s project. The group argued the megaretailer’s application did not present full evidence the project would comply with town standards governing traffic, public safety, wetlands and stormwater.

Letter: Who protects the farmers?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2026

Regarding an Oct. 7 news report (“Maine’s top court rejects eviction appeal by Midcoast farmers”), the farmers’ appeal was reportedly lost because it was found they had “failed to pay rent and grow crops as they had once agreed.” Crops, for most non-farmers, usually means fruits and vegetables. Not all soils in Maine are suitable for growing fruits and vegetables. The Maine Farmland Trust ought to carefully review its policies regarding farmers on leased land; the situation that happened in Harpswell will happen again. It is one thing to protect farmland. Who protects the farmers? No farmers, no food. ~ Jeanne Johnson, Juniper Edge Farm, Brunswick

Cumberland to add 24 acres to Twin Brook park

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 14, 2026

Cumberland will purchase a 24-acre parcel abutting Twin Brook Recreation Area, expanding the town-owned park’s size by about 10%. Town Manager Matt Sturgis said that the land’s owners approached the town to see if their property could be added to the park and preserved for the public to enjoy. The parcel consists primarily of woods, rolling hills and streams, said Sturgis, adding variety to the recreation area’s many fields.