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.
FRIENDS OF CASCO BAY • March 19, 2026
Friends of Casco Bay is proud to partner once again with the Ocean Currents class at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) for an exhibit of student work inspired by Casco Bay. This exhibit, on display in the Congress Street windows at MECA&D in Portland from April 7 to April 18, showcases how those experiences took shape in their creative work — offering fresh perspectives on the waters that define our region and inviting viewers to see Casco Bay through a new lens. A reception to celebrate the artists, artworks, and Casco Bay will be held on April 8, 2026, at 5:30 pm in the lobby at MECA&D.
UNITED NATIONS • March 19, 2026
Forests and economies is the theme of the 2026 International Day of Forests, March 21, celebrating the essential roles of forests in driving economic prosperity. These roles go well beyond income and jobs from forest production and the trade of renewable raw materials and foods: forests also sustain family and community agriculture, enhance agricultural productivity, and safeguard healthy watersheds.
REWILDING • March 19, 2026
World Rewilding Day is a key moment to demonstrate the global presence, relevance, and momentum of the rewilding movement, showing the world what rewilding looks like in action.By taking part, as an organisation or a citizen, you contribute to a powerful, unified narrative: one where hope is grounded in evidence, and a thriving future is already being built. When we show up together, our impact is amplified,
and our movement becomes impossible to ignore.
SEACOAST ONLINE • March 19, 2026
As the Marginal Way in Ogunquit marks its 100th anniversary, the Marginal Way Preservation Fund is celebrating the milestone with major investments aimed at protecting the beloved coastal path for generations to come. The fund has contributed more than $1 million toward storm‑related repairs and long‑term preservation efforts, and its endowment has reached $4.5 million for the first time — a milestone leaders say strengthens its ability to safeguard the National Register of Historic Places site well into the next century.
MAINE MORNING STAR • March 19, 2026
The Maine Department of Transportation’s project to address flooding on Route 127 could provide a model for encouraging climate readiness, public safety, and the health of marshes damaged by roads, but Arrowsic and Georgetown officials are concerned that the department’s plans fall short of those goals. The $5 million project plans to increase the height of about a half-mile of road and replace two culverts before its scheduled completion in December 2029. Maine DOT asserts that its methods for calculating changes to the road’s height and culvert sizes are based on sound consideration of multiple factors. But the department’s proposal omits specific provisions for marsh resilience and less flood-prone road heights that Arrowsic officials have asked for since May 2024.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 19, 2026
A long-vacant riverfront industrial property just upriver from Bucksport’s former paper mill site is getting some official attention that may be a sign someone wants to put it back to use. Sprague International Properties recently applied to the state to transfer and modify a lease on submerged lands where a pier extends from the parcel into the Penobscot River, the first major sign of life there in years, according to a town official. It would reduce the lease footprint of the existing 50-by-50-foot pier. The former oil terminal north of the town center off River Road, known as Sprague North and called the “coal pocket” locally, was once a delivery port for coal and sulfur, then stored home heating fuels in large tanks until 1995. It has been vacant for decades and long eyed for various economic development projects.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 19, 2026
The Maine Department of Transportation is moving ahead with plans for a ferry that is less climate-friendly than some Islesboro residents had hoped. The agency is now recommending a hybrid vessel that primarily relies on diesel and will only use 20% less fuel than the current ferry on the route, the 40-year old M/V Margaret Chase Smith. Some Islesboro residents are disappointed that the agency has missed an opportunity to make deeper emissions cuts even as the need to address climate change is more urgent than ever. The island’s fishermen and aquaculture growers are already being affected by warming oceans and acidification, both of which are linked to climate change, making it urgent to address emissions.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 19, 2026
More than a year after a company led by Donald Trump Jr. bought a prime northern Maine hunting plot, it is preparing a private nature preserve and a hunting camp. The president’s son and his company, Trump Timberland and Wildlife Management, bought 3,900 acres in Crystal and Island Falls in November 2024. Trump Jr. is an avid hunter who shot a moose in the area on a guided hunt two years earlier. There has been relatively little activity on the property. But roads have been cleaned up and fences erected to lay the groundwork for what Trump Jr. hopes to turn into a wildlife preserve and hunting ground over the next two to five years. The company is in early talks with a nonprofit about a possible conservation easement. Eventually, it’ll be open by invitation for hunting. “No shiny gold Trump tower is going up anytime soon,” said Anthony Fratianne, the co-president of Trump Timberland.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 18, 2026
Acadia officials are starting construction on a new trail that will prevent pedestrians from needing to walk on a busy roadway at the park’s highest peak. The trail will give visitors a dedicated walkway between the east and west parking lots along Cadillac Summit Road, one of the Acadia National Park’s busiest roads. The project is part of a broader push to invest more in pedestrian accessibility at Acadia.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 18, 2026
I know firsthand the pressure our groundfish fleet faces. Recently, we were on the brink of a premature and unnecessary shutdown. Regulations to increase the haddock allowable catch by 50% were supposed to be implemented last May, but due to bureaucratic delays, those crucial fish remained off-limits. Despite months of assurances from NOAA Fisheries, the rule stalled. We reached out to her staff on a Tuesday morning; by Wednesday afternoon, the rule was published and our season was saved. ~ John Mitchell, Bass Harbor
LINCOLN COUNTY NEWS • August 18, 2025
After almost 50 years of farming and forestry, the owners of Hidden Valley Farm in Whitefield are looking for someone new to take over. Bambi Jones and David “Tracy” Moskovitz, owners of the 1,200 acres, said they are looking to either gift the property to an appropriate nonprofit or sell it and donate the proceeds to benefit conservation efforts. The couple has received around about half a dozen proposals, but are still accepting more. They plan to make a decision by this summer. “We’re just really interested in how, especially conservation organizations, can do a more effective job of fulfilling their missions,” Moskovitz said. “We want to help spur that along.”
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 18, 2026
An ice jam is raising flood risk on the Piscataquis River. The ice jam happened on the river in Maxfield on Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.It’s already caused flooding on North Howland Road, and further flooding is possible.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 18, 2026
Town Manager Jesse Dunbar told the Tremont Select Board this week that the latest draft of the town’s deer hunting season proposal has received unofficial approval by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife officials. According to Nathan Webb, wildlife division director of IFW, the present ban on deer hunting was implemented by the 85th Maine Legislature. Reference to a closed season on deer on Mount Desert Island first appeared in 1931. All other animals that can be legally hunted in Maine can also currently be hunted on MDI. Tremont’s Select Board has been refining plans to hold a special deer hunt as a way to reduce the number of deer-involved car crashes, destruction of private property through deer grazing, and instances of Lyme disease in humans.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 18, 2026
On the morning of March 10, two men hauled a 9-foot sculpture of a lobster off a pickup truck parked in New York City’s Financial District. People started speculating about its intent. It appears the crustacean emblem of Maine is emerging as a symbol in the AI sector, initiated by its use as the logo of OpenClaw, software that operates as a personal assistant capable of completing tasks like sending emails, ordering groceries, booking flights and even writing code for itself. “ClawCons” are being held around the world to bring together OpenClaw users, including one in New York City this month that featured a spread of free lobster tails. “Raising lobster” is the term used for training the AI agents, and other platforms developed as offshoots of OpenClaw, such as QClaw and MaxClaw, are perpetuating the theme.
SUN JOURNAL • March 17, 2026
The proposed $95 million expansion and modernization of the Coburn Gore border station will have no significant impact on the natural or human environment, clearing the way for construction to begin in the summer of 2028, a federal study said. The study found modernization will provide a long-term beneficial effect on the local electric supply through improved capacity and geothermal energy, reducing the overall demand.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 17, 2026
The foreclosure auction for a Kennebunkport camping resort was postponed indefinitely after the company that owns it filed for bankruptcy. The foreclosure auction of Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport was set for March 5, but the event was “postponed until further notice due to a bankruptcy filing,” according to the Portland-based Keenan Auction Company. This is the latest financial hiccup for Tim Harrington, who is also facing liens and legal complaints over unpaid contractor services for work done at the Asticou Hotel on Mount Desert Island, which he also owns. That hotel re-opened last year after a $28 million renovation.
MAINE PUBLIC • March 17, 2026
Greg Hunton has been driving a snow groomer at Sunday River for 25 years, so he knows his way around the sprawling ski resort in Newry. The mountain is making new investments to increase snowmaking efficiency and use less water and energy. As a warming climate makes New England winters less cold and snowy, snowmaking has become an essential tool to give skiers the amount of snow they expect on the slopes. Last year, Sunday River used aircraft equipped with LiDAR to map out the topography of the mountain, almost down to the inch. Now when the two LiDAR-equipped cats go out, their scans show the difference between the trail surface and the base map, thereby giving the snow depth. Sunday River has committed to a sustainability "Forever Project" to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, reduce waste, and improve efficiencies.
