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Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News

Opinion: Will we succeed in saving the right whale?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 24, 2026

To celebrate the United States’ first 250 years, a time capsule was buried in Philadelphia on July 4, to be opened in another 250 years. Maine contributed seven items, a vertebra from a North Atlantic right whale among them. Maine State Museum Director Bernard Fishman proposed including the vertebra. He wanted the capsule to ask the future: “Did we — did you — save the right whales?” Only about 380 right whales are left, and only 70 are reproductive females. Fishing gear and ship strikes are the leading causes of death. Fortunately, technologies exist the fishing industry could use to ensure right whales have a future. However, since 2022, a pause has blocked new rules to reduce entanglements. A bill in the Senate co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Golden would extend the pause on new federal right whale protections to 2035. Call or write to Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and urge them to oppose Golden’s bill. ~ Cindy Lowry

Column: Some interesting insects to look for before winter

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October x, 2026

Ectothermic (relying on external sources of heat) invertebrates don’t fare too well in freezing temperatures, but there are a few interesting ones to be on the lookout for. The non-native Asian lady beetles in the fall look for warm places to spend the winter. They are especially fond of entering human dwellings for a warmer reprieve. The other insect you’ll find sneaking inside is the western conifer seed bug, often mistaken for a “stinkbug” because of the pungent smell it produces after being disturbed. Most of our butterflies and moths are soon to be gone. Not an insect, but an arachnid worth mentioning is the dreaded eastern black-legged tick. Leave your leaves on the ground. They provide important nutrients for the soil and shelter for many beloved animals, from wood frogs to woolly bear caterpillars. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Letter: Solar farm development will be good for Jay

SUN JOURNAL • October 24, 2026

E.S. Boulos has been the electrical contractor on Walden Renewables’ Leeds and Mousam River solar projects here in Maine and on the Nutes Solar project in New Hampshire. Across those jobs, Walden has been a genuinely good partner: clear plans, realistic schedules, quick decisions when issues came up and commitments kept every time. The proposed Alden Mill solar project would extend that partnership to Jay. It is the kind of project built by experienced teams, with real benefits for the host town. I hope the community will support it. ~ Scott Marquis, E.S. Boulos Company, Westbrook

Judge allows lawsuit against Maine salmon firm to proceed

QUODDY TIDES • October 24, 2026

A judge has ruled that the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) can move forward with its lawsuit in Maine against Cooke Aquaculture, one of the world’s largest salmon producers, for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act. The Canadian company has 13 active sites in Maine, including in Cobscook Bay and Machias Bay, where the company grows millions of salmon. CLF alleges that Cooke is violating the state’s effluent limitations through unlawful discharges. Most of Cooke’s salmon cage sites are located in coastal communities where lobstermen and fishermen depend on clean and unpolluted water for their livelihoods.

Column: Rare bird in Maine sparks frenzy, echoes past birding crazes

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2026

Stop the presses. A grey heron has been identified in Cape Elizabeth. Hundreds of birders have already rushed to view it in its adopted farm field. If it lingers, more people will go. The grey heron is strikingly similar to our great blue heron. They are common and widespread throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, but very rarely seen in North America. That makes sense. The Atlantic Ocean is a nearly insurmountable barrier. Birds that swim might make the jump. Northern birds occasionally leapfrog from Europe to Iceland to Greenland to Newfoundland. It’s exceedingly rare for a wading bird to make the crossing. ~ Bob Duchesne

8 places to hike in Maine where there’s no hunting

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2026

As deer hunting season gets into full swing in Maine, many people are looking for places to hike and bike that are off limits to hunting, simply to avoid even the possibility of a mistake or conflict. Wear orange.
• Fernald’s Neck Preserve in Lincolnville
• Holbrook Island Sanctuary State Park in Brooksville
• Salt Pond Preserve in Hancock
• Rolland F. Perry City Forest in Bangor
• Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden
• Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island
• Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
• Baxter State Park near Millinocket

Letter: Matt Dunlap is the best choice for sportsmen

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2026

Maine’s outdoor heritage is one of our greatest treasures. As a sportsman, I want our elected officials to preserve the outdoors and advocate for hunters and fishermen. That’s why I support Matt Dunlap for Congress. Matt Dunlap served as the executive director of the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) and expanded membership. He also received an A+ rating from SAM. As a state representative, Matt served as House chair on the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, where he wrote the bill for lifetime hunting licenses and fought for an expanded season for bow hunting. ~ Roger Corrow, Bangor

Trump administration to exempt Canadian products used by Maine farmers from tariffs

MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2026

The Trump administration is creating tariff exemptions for Canadian products important to some agricultural sectors in Maine, according to Sen. Susan Collins. The exemptions announced on Friday will apply to nine categories of products, some of which are important to blueberry and apple growers, potato farmers and seaweed producers in Maine. But the announcement immediately became fodder for Maine's closely watched U.S. Senate race as Democrats accused Collins of seeking to mitigate economic damage that she helped to cause.

Crayola among companies failing to disclose toxins in kids products

MAINE PUBLIC • October 23, 2026

Crayon maker Crayola is among manufacturers of products for children that failed to tell Maine regulators their goods contained toxic chemicals as required by state law, according to Portland-based nonprofit Defend Our Health. Defend our Health Executive Director Emily Carey Perez de Alejo said Crayola did not disclose that some of its art supplies including markers and finger paint used formaldehyde as a preservative.

Man rescued after getting stuck in mud by Newport’s Sebasticook Lake

CENTRAL MAINE • October 23, 2026

A duck hunter was rescued from deep mud by Sebasticook Lake in Newport on Friday afternoon. Newport Fire Chief Jeff Chretien said the man walked out on the lake bed to retrieve a duck he had shot when he became stuck. The man was stuck for about an hour, Chretien estimated. There were no injuries — “just pride,” he said.

Orland campground owner fined $8K over substandard waste piping

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 23, 2026

The owners of an Orland campground have been ordered this month to pay $8,000 in fines over 20 campsites that violated town development ordinances. The owners of Wanderin’ Moose Campground, which sits on the shore of Toddy Pond in Hancock County, have been in a multi-year dispute with the town of Orland after adding 20 unsanctioned campsites that were not part of their original approved site plan. The town alleged that the campground violated local laws about cutting down shoreland-adjacent trees and installing professionally-graded sanitary waste piping and electrical hook ups.

Opinion: Maine’s working waters are not dumping grounds for foreign corporations

SUN JOURNAL • October 23, 2026

Before leases are renewed or industrial salmon farming expands, we call on the commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources and the next governor and Maine Legislature to enforce stronger accountability, transparency and public input. The burden should not fall on coastal residents to prove harm after the fact. Companies operating in public waters should face strong monitoring, clear reporting and real enforcement from the start, with that information easily accessible so communities can see what is being discharged, what regulators are tracking and how they are responding. Protections for our waters only matter if they are enforced. ~ Rock Alley, Jonesport lobsterman and president of Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation; Jason Faulkingham, lobsterman from Beals

Farmington hears solar savings pitch, weighs other options

SUN JOURNAL • October 23, 2026

The Select Board took no action Oct. 13 on a proposal by a community solar company, renewing concerns about municipal involvement in promoting a private company’s services. Solar Simplified, of Chicago, Illinois, presented a potential partnership offering eligible Central Maine Power customers a 15% discount on applied solar credits without installing solar panels or changing electricity providers. The company would also contribute $100 to the town for each enrolled household or business. Selectman Randall Gauvin questioned whether participating in the company’s outreach campaign would amount to a municipal endorsement of a private business.

E-bikes now rival motorcycles for speed. State and city laws haven’t caught up.

MAINE MORNING STAR • October 23, 2026

A string of high-profile deaths and injuries involving electric scooters and bikes is spurring states and cities across the country to crack down on them. As technology improves, e-scooters and e-bikes capable of motorcycle-like speeds have become cheaper and more popular. Some models — and the ability to modify them with aftermarket upgrades — are blurring the lines between bicycles, scooters and motor vehicles. State and local regulations, many of which were originally written to manage the glut of low-speed rideshare scooters nearly a decade ago, haven’t kept pace, some experts say, and they’ve left city officials scrambling to do more.

At Acadia, a missing Wabanaki marker and the fight over what national parks should tell

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 23, 2026

There is one sign the other 4 million-plus tourists who visit Acadia National Park annually can no longer see at the summit of Cadillac Mountain: a marker explaining the mountain’s sacred significance to the Wabanaki people in the region. “Today, visitors from everywhere find meaning on the mountain,” it said. It was among 30 markers removed from Acadia under a Trump administration campaign to strip national parks of materials deemed disparaging to American history. When park staff took down the summit sign at the orders of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, they also unraveled some of the trust that took decades to build between Acadia National Park and the Wabanaki people. Other signs removed from Cadillac’s summit addressed issues of climate change.

With Gorham farm for sale, owner, employees reflect on 5 years

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 23, 2026

Erica Gottshalk and her husband, Will, announced Sunday that they will sell the 38-acre farm about nine months after a fire destroyed their family’s 1858 house on the property, prompting an outpouring of community support. They have put it on the market for nearly $1.7 million after five years of ownership. Losing her home was not the primary reason she decided to move on, Gottshalk said. She said she has accomplished what she set out to do when she took over in 2021 — transforming the farm into a community space —but it has become too challenging to manage alone.

Saco seeking community input as city creates open space plan

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 23, 2026

The city of Saco is embarking on an effort to create an open space plan — and wants residents to weigh in.Working in tandem with the Saco Conservation Commission, the plan will guide how Saco cares for, connects and expands the outdoor places that contribute to the community’s environment and quality of life. A public interactive listening session next week will provide an opportunity for community members to learn more about the plan and share their ideas, priorities, concerns and experiences. The session will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Deering Room at Dyer Public Library.

Maine Forest Products special section

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 23, 2026

In Maine’s forest products industry, no two days are the same.

The renovated Maine State Museum opens Saturday. Here’s what’s new.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 22, 2026

Six years after shutting its doors for renovations, the Maine State Museum is ready to welcome the public back to its upgraded facility and showcase the state’s history through brand-new exhibits. The two skeletons are surrounded by interactive and educational displays that provide information about the lives of humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine. The exhibit also features the jaw and flipper bones of a right whale, an endangered species, that died from entanglement. “These are important ecological stories,” Museum Director Bernard Fishman said. Visitors can learn about Cornelia Thurza “Fly Rod” Crosby, the first registered Maine Guide, and stories from Maine’s history, like the first registered snowmobile in the state and a Lombard Log Hauler, a vehicle invented and manufactured in Maine for hauling logs.