The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
Thank you for reading Maine Environmental News. Each year, we post thousands of news summaries, notices, and links related to important environmental issues from across the state (and beyond). If you find this service useful, you can help us continue to provide it by making a donation. Just click on the button below and contribute whatever you can afford. Thanks again for your generous support!
Sincerely,
Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News
MAINE AUDUBON • March 1, 2026
The third edition of Maine Amphibians and Reptiles explores the lives of 38 fascinating species—from tiny newts to rarely seen sea turtles—found across Maine and the Northeast. Built on 25 years of research, with expanded photos, regional studies, and engaging writing, it’s perfect for scientists and curious readers alike. Join some of the contributors to this fascinating book for a talk followed by a book sale and signing at the Falmouth Memorial Library. Light refreshments will be provided. At Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Rd, Falmouth, ME, March 11, 5:30pm.
MAINE AUDUBON • April 1, 2026
Curious about what critters live in your local streams and freshwater marshes? Learn about Maine Marsh and Stream Explorers, a collaborative community science project between Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This program trains volunteers to survey for macroinvertebrates, or large aquatic insects, in streams and freshwater marshes statewide. April 22, 7 pm, online, preregister.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 27, 2026
In the construction business, we deal in realities every day. We know what it takes to build a home, repair a bridge, or expand a local business. We track material costs closely, manage tight timelines, and adjust when prices shift. One factor touches every part of that work: energy. That’s why proposals like Maine’s Climate Superfund bill, LD 1870, raise serious concerns. There is no question that Maine should take steps to strengthen its infrastructure and prepare for the impacts of climate change. Building more resilient communities is something we all support. But how we approach that goal matters just as much as the goal itself. If we want Maine to remain a place where people can afford to live, work, and invest, we need policies that support both sustainability and economic strength. That means focusing on solutions that expand energy options, encourage innovation, and keep costs in check. ~ Larry Grondin, R.J. Grondin & Sons, Gorham, and Associated Builders and Contractors
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 27, 2026
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s revised public benefit determination to expand the Juniper Ridge Landfill (JRL) once again fails to fully consider the well-being of Penobscot Nation and Old Town residents, arguing that public health is worth sacrificing for the sake of having somewhere to dump Maine’s garbage. The technology for removing PFAS from leachate is complicated, largely experimental, and varies in effectiveness. What will happen if PFAS treatment doesn’t work? The DEP has failed to accept accountability for the ongoing harm caused by JRL by continuing to push for expansion. The proposed solutions included in the revised public benefit determination amount to an admission that JRL has been violating the rights of our communities for years. We deserve a Department of Environmental Protection that takes our health and environment seriously. ~ Daisy Goodman, Old Town
NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • March 26, 2026
Lisa Pohlmann, NRCM’s CEO from 2011-2022, passed away on Sunday, March 22. Lisa joined the NRCM team in 2000 as a member of the Board of Directors, later serving as board president and then Deputy Director under Brownie Carson. She brought to her leadership of the Natural Resources Council of Maine a deep passion for the environment and a strong history of advocacy for the people of Maine. She believed strongly in the power of connection—whether visiting members in their homes across Maine, speaking at the State House, or standing alongside community leaders and elected officials. Lisa had a rare ability to inspire action and bring people together, always grounding her work in both compassion and conviction. In 2015, Lisa received one of the first “Women in Conservation” awards from the National Wildlife Federation.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 26 2026
A West Bath woman allegedly set fire to a barn that housed goats on her property earlier this month. Grace Burnham, 38, has been charged with arson, failure to report or control a dangerous fire, and animal cruelty. The March 14 fire destroyed the barn, but no animals were harmed. Burnham was arrested Tuesday at her home in connection with the blaze and taken to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.
MAINE MORNING STAR • March 26, 2026
Dozens of farmers who gathered at the State House on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to put a $50 million agriculture bond on the ballot. Holly Noyes said the funding is critical to the future of their family’s longstanding dairy farm in Albion. “Our family’s been farming since the 50s, and this bill they’re going to talk about is really important to us,” said Noyes, who currently runs the operation. In 2018, a storm destroyed several buildings on the farm, and the family was unable to secure financial support to rebuild. The bond proposal would allow farmers to access low-interest loans and other programs designed to help recover from those kinds of losses. “Maine’s agricultural sector faces unprecedented challenges that require investment,” Rep. Bill Pluecker said. “Between shifting federal funding, climate changes like this past summer’s drought — both leave farmers struggling with losses. Farmers are facing a shifting landscape unlike anything we’ve seen in the past.”
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 26, 2026
Data centers use enormous amounts of electricity. The “large language” models being used are not the only ways to implement AI, but are certainly among the most wasteful of energy. The Trump administration’s irrational energy policies notwithstanding, we must still replace the fossil fuel burning used for heating, and especially transportation, if we’re to keep global warming within bounds. Conservation is still the best way to protect humanity’s place on the planet, and AI data centers work in direct opposition to what should be our joint survival strategy. A one-year cooling off period is simply good insurance in what is clearly an overheated market. ~ Douglas Rooks
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 26, 2026
Paper mills have long been considered dangerous workplaces. The state’s remaining mills have been investigated dozens of times for injuries and safety hazards. But deaths in the industry are rare, especially in Maine, and many questions remain about the circumstances of the gas leak. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration could take months to say if the company is at fault. Paul Cyr, a retired investigator who was one of OSHA’s national experts in forest products industries, said his experience suggests the one at Woodland Pulp was very likely predictable and preventable. “This type of incident should never happen in the United States of America today,” he said. Woodland Pulp, meanwhile, has finished its own investigation, said company spokesman Scott Beal, but has not shared its findings publicly.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 26, 2026
Maine is currently served by one passenger rail service: Amtrak’s Downeaster, managed by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority between Boston and Brunswick. Extending the Downeaster further north to Augusta or to Orono could provide benefits beyond serving as merely a transportation option. A study commissioned by the Maine Rail Group and conducted and published by the Rail Passengers Association reported that extending two round trips of the Downeaster could deliver $61.7 million in economic benefits to the state and projected that the extended service would attract 260,000 additional riders in the first year of operation. With service improvements underway and new equipment coming online, now is the time for the Downeaster to be extended to better serve the people of Maine. ~ Michael Johnson, Bucksport
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 26, 2026
Bryan and Pam Wells bought what they would come to call Wells Demonstration Forest in 2004. The land had been clear-cut, with all the valuable timber taken by logging companies with little regard for best ecological practices. Pam Wells had spent her life dreaming of being a forester, but sexism in the forestry field discouraged her when she was at UMaine in the late 1970s. When she and Bryan bought the woodlot in 2004, it was a chance to build a model for forest restoration that students and the community could learn from. The couple was named the Maine Forest Service’s Tree Farmers of the Year for 2017. Today, the forest has a thriving ecosystem, with an array of mammals and birds making the land their home, and Sunkhaze Stream — the Wells’ forest abuts Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge — running clean through it. A conservation easement on the forest is in the process of being purchased by the Forest Society of Maine, permanently protecting it from development. Pam died in June 2025 after a years-long battle with primary progressive aphasia.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 26, 2026
An extensive downtown Walkable Houlton sidewalk project will finally start on April 20. Funded by Maine’s Department of Transportation, the $1.27 million project includes the reconstruction of sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. Everything is designed to meet all American with Disabilities Act standards.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 26, 2026
Every winter, I read about hikers who died on snowy mountains not far from my home. As an avid hiker, I think long and hard about these tragedies, searching for a way that things could have unfolded differently. What could have saved the person? Wearing ice cleats? Packing an extra jacket? Carrying a map? Hiking with a friend? This line of thinking recently led me to ponder a crucial skill: fire building. On a cold winter night, having the means and knowledge to build a small campfire just might save your life.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 25, 2026
Plastic bags will no longer be permitted in the composting bins in South Portland. Beginning on April 1, Garbage to Garden, a compost company based in Portland that handles South Portland’s collection, will pick up food waste from the five free compost drop-off locations in the city and distribute it directly to local farms. The compost needs to comply with Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s standards for organic farms and gardens, so no plastics are allowed.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 25, 2026
‘100 Years of Route One: A Centennial Road Trip’ by Bob Krist of Boothbay Harbor features sites and stories from Kittery to Fort Kent. It was officially designated as Route 1 in 1926 as part of the country’s new numbered highway system. The road basically follows the entire Maine coast from New Hampshire to Canada, then turns north and ends at the top of Aroostook County. Once early highways like Route 1 made it easy to drive along the coast to rural parts of Maine, roadside attractions started popping up for the amusement and comfort of motorists. The film will air on Maine Public TV Thursday at 9 p.m. The film will also air Friday at 1 a.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. After those showings, it will stream on PBS Passport and at mainepublic.org.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 25, 2026
A massive spill of firefighting foam at a former naval air station has revealed the dual threat of forever chemicals in Casco Bay, highlighting the contrast between persistent everyday pollution and the sudden shock of industrial accidents. A study released Wednesday found persistent, low-level contamination throughout the bay, but concentrations of these harmful manmade chemicals spiked after the August 2024 spill of 51,000 gallons of firefighting foam filled with forever chemicals at Brunswick Landing. The two-year study by Friends of Casco Bay and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay collected 456 water samples from 76 locations and sediment from 45 sites across the Casco Bay watershed. Using chemical “fingerprinting” to isolate the foam’s unique signature, Bigelow Lab was able to track the spilled PFAS as they drifted up to 10 miles from Brunswick Landing, lingering in the waters long after the initial accident.
MAINE PUBLIC • March 25, 2026
The Maine Legislature is considering a pared back version of a bill initially proposed to set up a "climate superfund" to hold big oil corporations responsible for damage from fossil fuel pollution. Instead of starting a superfund program, the bill now directs the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to calculate the dollar value of costs to Maine from greenhouse gas emissions over a period of about 20 years. State Sen. Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough, told lawmakers on the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee that avoiding a potential lawsuit motivated backing off from a full climate superfund program, at least for now. New York and Vermont are both defending their own superfund laws from court challenges.
MIDCOAST VILLAGER • March 24, 2026
Route 17 from Meadow Street to Route 90 in Rockport will be closed most of Wednesday due to an overturned tanker carrying liquid nitrogen. The crash occurred shortly after 6:30 a.m., slightly east of the intersection with Route 90. The 18-wheeler was on its way to Fisher Engineering in Rockland when it went off the road and onto its side.
THE COUNTY • March 23, 2026
Southern Aroostook planners are pulling out all the stops to make towns off Interstate 95, like Island Falls, Patten and Houlton, more than just visitor pitstops en route to more northern Maine outdoor recreation locations. The southern Aroostook and northern Penobscot regions are fast becoming an outdoor hub for entrepreneurs looking to tap into the region’s four-season draw. Surrounded by motorsports trails, hiking and biking trails, rivers, lakes and secluded hideaways, the area has significant potential to transform sleepy rural locations into destination stops, planners said. Drawing on last season’s dramatic 50% growth in Aroostook tourism and the unprecedented success of the 2024 total solar eclipse, planners want to continue that momentum.
