The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
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Sincerely,
Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 12, 2026
Maine’s K-12 students discard an estimated 8.4 million pounds of food annually, according to Susanne Lee, a faculty fellow at the University of Maine’s Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. While that represents just 1% of the state’s annual food waste, Lee said it creates a “triple bottom line” of economic, environmental and social damage. The results of a pilot program to reduce cafeteria food waste at Sebago and the other schools were encouraging. Now a toolkit has been developed for any and all K-12 schools. It could be an important resource as Maine tackles statewide food waste reduction goals set by legislation that passed last year.
WILDLANDS, WOODLANDS, FARMLANDS & COMMUNITIES • January 12, 2026
In September of 2025, more than 200 people gathered at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf campus for the Northeastern Old Growth Conference to celebrate old-growth forests. The conference theme, “Wildlands and Old-Growth Forests: A Vision for the Future,” set the stage for the gathering co-hosted by Middlebury College and the University of Vermont. It was a celebration of old-growth forests and a call to protect them, enhance them, and encourage places for them to develop and thrive in the future. In this issue, we feature some of the high points of the conference, and we offer further exploration of old growth insights by a few of the speakers, as well as some other voices. ~ The Editors of From the Ground Up
SUN JOURNAL • January 12, 2026
Skijoring is a fast-growing sport in which one person on skis is pulled behind one, or sometimes two, animals. On the snow, skijoring can look deceptively simple. A skier takes hold of a tow line and lets an animal provide extra pull. But Maine skijorers say the sport is far more deliberate than it appears, whether a dog is leaning into a harness on a groomed Nordic trail or a horse and rider are towing a skier through gates and jumps at a fairground. Dogs that succeed in skijoring are active, enjoy running, tolerate cold conditions and can learn to stay out front with tension on the line. In Franklin County and surrounding western and central Maine communities, skijoring has developed less as a spectacle and more as a practice-based winter sport, shaped by trail access, snow conditions and the realities of shared land use.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 12, 2026
Our children grieve as their friends are being disappeared by violent, masked thugs. Our communities are terrorized. Our neighbors live in fear that they or their parents will be next. Through my work, I talk every day with spiritual leaders seeking faithful responses to the climate crisis, and I find that they are also persistent supporters of immigrants’ rights. Migrants only sometimes cite climate concerns as a primary reason for their emigration, but in a time of accelerating global climate devastation a climate-related cause is almost always a part of the root cause for displacement. Those who have contributed the least to human-caused climate change almost always experience the worst impacts and bear the biggest burden. ~ Rev. Dr. Allen Ewing-Merrill, The BTS Center, Portland
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 10, 2026
Maine’s North Woods range across the state from border to border, encompassing 12 million acres of ecologically-rich wildlife habitat, incredible natural scenery and a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities. A spectacular subset of this terrain is the sprawling expanse surrounding Moosehead Lake, which has been the domain of an indefatigable hiker named Christopher Keene since, well, around the advent of dirt. Over the past 20 years, Keene’s venerable guide, “North Woods Walks: A Collection of Hikes in Northern Maine,” has not only introduced countless trampers to the wonders of this vast forested region but entertained them as well with plenty of wry humor, nuggets of history and some pretty darn good around-the-campfire woodsy tales. The seventh edition of this invaluable trail companion, published last year, features 43 fantastic hikes totaling some 220 miles. ~ Carey Kish
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 11, 2026
Emotions run high when fishing regulations are challenged in court. A recent lawsuit targeting Maine’s fly-fishing-only regulations has sparked exactly that reaction. These rules are not about denying access; they are about matching human use to ecological capacity so fisheries remain viable over time. Climate change only raises the stakes, as warmer summers and lower late-season flows increasingly push cold-water fisheries to their limits. Healthy trout streams also safeguard drinking water, support wildlife and sustain rural economies through guiding and outdoor tourism. Conservation investments ripple far beyond the streambank. Lawsuits short-circuit the management system that has served Maine well for decades. ~ Steve Heinz, Cumberland, a member of the Maine Council of Trout Unlimited
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 11, 2026
Maine’s heating season has begun under colder-than-usual conditions. Early indicators suggest fuel delivery and energy assistance are holding steady, though demand for free firewood appears to be on the uptick. Temperatures across much of Maine have run below normal for about the past month, a stretch marked by increased fuel use.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 11, 2026
As winter settles in and spring edges closer, many Maine residents continue to head outdoors with a four-legged companion at their side. Dogs can be ideal hiking partners; eager, adaptable and happy to be outside, but colder temperatures, changing trail conditions and shared-use paths mean hikers need to plan carefully. Before stepping onto the trail, take one minute to check the basics:
• Inspect paws and nails for cracks, ice buildup or soreness
• Check collar or harness fit and leash clip
• Pack waste bags, water and a small snack
• Note weather conditions and available daylight
That quick check can prevent most common problems before they start.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 11, 2026
The Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby in St. Agatha has been a fixture for the past two decades, and its 21st edition is slated Jan. 24 and 25. This year’s derby promises the largest bounty ever, with prizes worth more than $75,000, including a $26,500 cash purse. But the anticipation of prizes isn’t what hooks many of the stalwarts who return year after year. Gathering on the lake with friends and family, mixing tradition and camaraderie — that’s the strongest pull. Mike Thibodeau of Frenchville, who caught the derby’s largest cusk at more than 12 pounds last year, is a hardcore cusk fisherman. He travels fairly lightweight, with a portable cabin that is easy to move around, an auger, stove and heater. “We have everything we need to make it through the weekend,” he said.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 10, 2026
There are few things that frustrate Maine deer hunters more than the eastern coyote. Hatred toward wild canine species stems from settlers who brought their beliefs about wolves to North America — the only place coyotes are found. One Maine hunter said, “If I see a coyote, I’m coyote hunting.” Coyotes’ existence throughout the state puts them at odds with deer hunters, who frequently blame the coyotes for killing deer they want. But the data is [sic] not clear enough to support these fears, as the state struggles year after year to achieve its deer harvest goals and insists coyotes are critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Biologists believe there are between 10,000 and 12,000 coyotes in Maine, but admit that’s a rough estimate. And while the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife concedes that coyotes kill deer, it doesn’t consider coyotes a threat to game populations, especially given the abundance of deer in southern and central Maine.
DAILY BULLDOG • January 10, 2026
On an early winter walk with my three-year-old in a local town forest, we heard our steps crunch on the frozen ground. The dirt of the trail had been pushed up on delicate columns of ice that looked like a pale sugar candy. “Why is it like ribbon candy?” he asked. We were crunching through a forest of needle ice. These needle-thin columns of ice extrude from the ground in rows and ribbons when the soil type and weather conditions are just right. ~ Rachel Sargent Mirus
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 10, 2026
There are few things cuter than a fuzzy, warm baby chick. But close interaction or cuddling with that same chick or its adult poultry parents can be a real health risk for humans. So, turning a chicken into an indoor house pet is not a good idea. They can carry bacteria very harmful to humans including salmonella and Campylobacter. Both of those bacteria affect millions of people in the United States every year, and both can be fatal in extreme cases.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 10, 2026
Daggett Rock is thought to be Maine’s largest “glacial erratic,” which is simply a fragment of rock that a glacier plucked from an outcropping in one location and deposited in another. The makeup of an erratic is usually different from the underlying bedrock that it rests on. Located on a wooded hill in Phillips, a small town in western Maine, Daggett Rock is thought to have originated from the nearby Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley. It’s approximately 80 feet long, 30 feet wide and 25 feet high, and it may weigh as much as 8,000 tons. The wide trail leading to Daggett Rock is 0.3 mile long and travels gradually uphill most of the way. Overall you’ll climb about 230 feet.
CENTRAL MAINE • January 10, 2026
Those opposed to the planned sale of four Kennebec River hydroelectric dams to a conservation group that intends to decommission or remove them are doubling down, as initial steps to facilitate the transaction have begun to play out in regulatory filings. A slew of businesses, interest groups, elected officials and area residents registered their opposition in recent weeks. Their comments came in response to Brookfield Renewable’s request to transfer federal licenses for three of the four dams to new holding companies in preparation for their sale to The Nature Conservancy. They joined lawyers for Sappi North America, the paper company that runs the Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, who accused Brookfield and The Nature Conservancy of trying to bypass regulatory measures in an attempt to quickly close their deal.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 10, 2026
A report from the Portland Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee contains some surprising findings. In the six years following installation of parking-protected bike lanes on Park Avenue:
• All injury crashes, including motorists, were reduced by 44.9%, from 98 to 54.
• Bicycle crashes increased by 11%, from 9 to 10, including one fatality.
• Pedestrian crashes at intersections increased 233%, from 3 to 10.
It seems that the general guiding principle of reducing the road width (known as a “road diet”) is sound when it comes to slowing down cars and reducing serious crashes, but in this case, deficiencies in the design have actually been harmful to bicyclists and pedestrians. Separated bicycle facilities may be the right solution for some streets but infrastructure must be designed to create a seamless network of safe connections for all. ~ Zack Barowitz and Winston Lumpkins IV
DAILY BULLDOG • January 9, 2026
WinterKids is proud to announce that “For the Joy of Winter: 25 Years of WinterKids” will air on Maine Public Television as part of the Maine Public Film Series on Thursday, January 22 at 9:00 p.m., with encore showings on January 23 at 1:00 a.m., January 24 at 2:00 p.m., and January 25 at 4:00 p.m. The documentary follows WinterKids’ 25-year journey from a small grassroots idea to a statewide movement helping 16,000 children (annually) discover the joy and lifelong benefits of outdoor winter activity. What began as one simple vision has grown into a vibrant community of thousands, all connected by a shared love of learning, playing, and growing outside together.
MAINE MONITOR • January 9, 2026
National wildlife refuges have played an important role in American conservation efforts for over a century. Late last month, as many people were winding down for the holidays, the Trump administration quietly announced a “comprehensive review” of both the National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Fish Hatchery System. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Brian Nesvik ordered top agency officials to “look for refuges or hatcheries established for a purpose that no longer aligns with the mission” of the agency, and for “opportunities to achieve efficiencies in the areas of governance, oversight, and span of control.” The directive was not announced publicly by the agency, and few details have been released. Advocates fear the administration is trying to eliminate or significantly scale back wildlife preservation sites.
MAINE PUBLIC • January 9, 2026
A superior court judge has ruled in favor of the Penobscot Nation in an appeal over the expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill. The court ordered the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to redo a study that determined there was a public benefit associated with expansion. Justice Bruce Mallonee found that the DEP did not complete fact finding critical to its public benefit determination for the expansion of Juniper Ridge, the state-owned landfill in Old Town. He's now ordered the department to consider the cumulative environmental burdens placed on the Penobscot Nation and on the tribe's intimate relationship with the Penobscot River. By not considering those factors originally, the DEP failed to properly apply environmental justice standards required under Maine law. The Penobscot Nation and Conservation Law Foundation had appealed the DEP's public benefit finding.
E&E NEWS • January 9, 2026
The Forest Service will gather dozens of forest supervisors from around the country next week in Washington. The agency said it’s a training session to promote the Trump administration’s goals on active forest management and expanding timber production, which the reshuffling is intended to make more achievable.
