Help Keep the News Coming

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

Kennebunk Fire and Rescue clean up oil spill after boat turnover

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 14, 2026

Kennebunk Fire and Rescue urged people to avoid swimming in the area of Strawberry Island after a small boat crashed Tuesday morning and spilled oil. The fire department said that it was working with Maine Department of Environmental Protection to clean up the spill from a 60 gallon fuel tank. It urged people to stay out of the water for “at least the next two tide cycles.” After an investigation, Kennebunk Fire and Rescue discovered the boat was tied to a sinking incident late Monday.

New owners aim to turn a Bangor-area ski hill into a year-round destination

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 13, 2026

The new owners of Hermon Mountain are turning the seasonal ski area into a four-season operation, adding a restaurant, a disc golf course and a concert and event lineup. Casee and Dave Hart and Amy and Tim McClary bought the mountain for $2.1 million on April 30. By adding paying customers in spring, summer and fall, the new owners are trying to smooth out revenue through the months the lifts sit idle.

UMaine is applying to receive up to $1 million for agricultural research infrastructure

MAINE PUBLIC • July 12, 2026

The University of Maine could receive up to $1 million in federal funding for agricultural research infrastructure. The funding is part of a new partnership between the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Education to encourage land-grant universities to address deferred maintenance and to accelerate modernization of agricultural research facilities. UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said, "It's about helping rural farms be sustained.

Opinion: The hidden costs of military ‘exercises’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 13, 2026

The noise from events such as the recent Great State of Maine Air Show in Brunswick can be dismissed as a nuisance, but the environmental, financial and cultural impact cannot. The U.S. military is exempt from regulatory standards. The documentary “Earth’s Greatest Enemy” explores toxic contamination at military sites and global environmental damage, including deforestation, ocean pollution, toxic battlefields, and the military carbon footprint. ~ Peter S. Morgan Jr., U.S. Coast Guard veteran, Raymond

Column: Scarborough Marsh a unique paddling experience

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 13, 2026

For paddlers looking for a unique, scenic kayak or canoe trip, Scarborough Marsh in southern Maine is a good choice. The 3,100-acre estuary is the largest salt marsh in Maine. Passage through the marsh seems a maze as it twists and turns. At different times, paddlers can be facing any direction on the compass. A very entertaining day of paddling in a truly exceptional setting. ~ Ron Chase

Woman dies after bystanders pull her from Hancock County pond

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 13, 2026

Deborah Wedge, 67, was on the water on Beech Hill Pond off Salisbury Cove Road about 4:21 p.m. when she likely suffered an unknown “medical event,” according to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Bystanders rescued her from the water and performed CPR until first responders arrived, the sheriff’s office said early Monday morning. But Wedge died at the scene.

3 tips to judge black bear size before your hunt this fall

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 13, 2026

One of the biggest challenges new bear hunters face is estimating the size of a black bear as it slips into view during the waning hours of daylight. Here are the top three proven tips I have given my hunting clients. If the bear has ears that pop up and appear wide and rounded, that’s a small bear. Big ears, little bear. Little ears, big bear. If it appears the bear is dragging its belly on the ground, you may have a bear of a lifetime in front of you. Long legs on a bear typically indicate an immature bear. ~ John Floyd

Can’t get a slot to see the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain? Try these other Acadia sites instead

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 12, 2026

While Cadillac Mountain is the most popular spot to watch the sunrise in Acadia National Park,  it’s not the only place where visitors can enjoy an enchanting daybreak. For the visitors who either can’t secure a Cadillac reservation or are less enticed by the swarms of onlookers, there are still quite a few spots to catch a glorious sunrise in Acadia.
• Egg Rock Overlook
• Schoodic Point
• Otter Cliffs
• Champlain Mountain
• Seawall picnic area

Five-acre brush fire in Otisfield contained after 15 departments respond

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 12, 2026

Crews have contained a fire in Otisfield that broke out in the woods Sunday. Otisfield Fire Department Deputy Chief Ryan Fox said a call came in just after 11 a.m. reporting a brush fire off Bolsters Mills Road. When crews arrived at the scene, the fire had spread about 2 acres, but quickly grew to 5 acres. Otisfield Fire Department called for additional engines. A total of 15 fire departments responded to the scene.

UMaine is applying to receive up to $1 million for agricultural research infrastructure

MAINE PUBLIC • July 12, 2026

The University of Maine could receive up to $1 million in federal funding for agricultural research infrastructure. The funding is part of a new partnership between the U.S. departments of Agriculture and Education to encourage land-grant universities to address deferred maintenance and to accelerate modernization of agricultural research facilities. UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said, "It's about helping rural farms be sustained.

Rooftop solar eases New England's electric demand in heat wave

MAINE PUBLIC • July 12, 2026

Solar panels mounted on rooftops across New England significantly eased overall demand for electricity from the regional grid during an intense heat wave in early July, according to a new analysis. Jamie Dickerson, senior of climate and clean energy programs at the Acadia Center, said distributed solar generation helped New England electric customers save at least $130 million in wholesale energy costs during the heat event between June 28 and July 4.

They could be lurking right outside your door. Tips on avoiding ticks in your yard from Maine experts

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • July 12, 2026

Maine residents are in the midst of this year’s tick season and experts say the tiny menaces could be as close as your front or back yard. Last week, the Androscoggin Valley Soil and Water Conservation District held a workshop at the Auburn Public Library on a variety of ways to reduce ticks in your yard. The state’s current data suggests it’s shaping up to be a normal tick season. For tick-proofing landscaping tips, go to the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension’s resource page at extension.umaine.edu.

Column: How 30 minutes can help one of Maine’s most iconic birds

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 11, 2026

The good news: Maine’s loon population is doing well overall. A total of 3,174 loons were reported across southern Maine lakes last year, including 568 chicks. The population has more than doubled since the first official Loon Count in 1983. More than 1,800 volunteers count loons on 400 lakes and ponds across southern Maine. This year’s loon count is next Saturday, July 18. Traditionally, surveys covered only southern lakes because northern lakes didn’t have enough resident volunteers to cover the necessary territory. Nonetheless, Maine Audubon is working to expand the range of surveyed lakes north. It’s too late to sign up to survey a remote lake this year. But maybe next year. ~ Bob Duchesne

8 must-try Maine hikes if you love waterfalls

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 11, 2026

Here are eight Maine hikes where gorgeous waterfalls await your arrival.
• Moxie Falls, near The Forks
• Niagara Falls in Baxter State Park
• Ledge Falls in Baxter State Park
• Orin Falls in Katahdin Woods and Waters
• Gulf Hagas near Brownville
• Mariaville Falls in Mariaville
• Peter’s Brook Trail in Blue Hill
• Little Wilson Falls, near Elliottsville

Column: Appalachian Mountain Club celebrates 150 years with relay from Virginia to Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 11, 2026

Founded in 1876 by a group of scientists, educators and outdoor enthusiasts, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization in the United States. The original goal of the club was to explore, map and protect the mountains of New England, with particular focus on New Hampshire’s White Mountains. One hundred fifty years later, AMC remains dedicated to fostering the protection, enjoyment and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters and trails in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Over 90,000 members — including nearly 6,000 in Maine — across 11 chapters comprise the club’s vibrant and passionate outdoor community.  ~ Carey Kish

Explore the wonders of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway

NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • July 10, 2026

Have you had the chance to explore the wonders of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway? Luke Frankel, NRCM’s Woods, Waters, & Wildlife Director and Staff Scientist, recently headed up there for a five-day canoe trip with friends.

Japanese knotweed giving you fits? Here’s how you can kill it

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 10, 2026

apanese knotweed is among the world’s most invasive, resilient plant species. In Maine, it has spread “everywhere,” said Abigail Edenfield, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust’s environmental steward from Maine Conservation Corps. Travelers brought the plant from eastern Asia to North America in the late 19th century to adorn domestic gardens. The species is highly damaging to Maine’s natural ecosystems. Enter Mainers, who are working to remove the unwelcome plants not only from their own gardens and yards, but also from their communities more broadly.

Maine's old growth forests are disappearing. This program could help save them

MAINE PUBLIC • July 10, 2026

After centuries of farming and logging, only pockets of large, old trees remain in Maine, especially in southern Maine. "If northern Maine has 3% or 3.5% of the landscape in this, than there is less than 1% in southern Maine," said Brian Milakovsky, a senior forester with the New England Forestry Foundation. He said old woods are critical for biodiversity. And they serve an outsized role in trapping climate-warming carbon dioxide. Preserving those trees is a challenge in Maine, where most forests are private. The foundation is using a $4.3 million U.S. Forest Service grant to offer landowners partial value of their timber to defer logging trees. That should give groups time to conserve the parcels through purchase or easement. Or to let carbon credit markets develop that would pay landowners for the carbon storage potential of their living old trees.

Letter: ‘Secret beach’ is overrun by visitors who will stop at nothing

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 10, 2026

Some years ago, the Press Herald published an article about “secret beaches.” Since then, Cliff House Beach attendance has soared. Cliff House Beach is a small beach with sand only at low tide. People have to cross a field of rocks and boulders to access any sand. The article identified it as a public beach. That may be, but it is in a neighborhood that traffic has absolutely flooded into. I have two areas of concern: safety and preserving the beach ecosystem. ~ Brenda Daly-Weiss, Cape Elizabeth