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Editor, Maine Environmental News

Wabanaki advocates are opposing repeal of ash quarantine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 4, 2026

State officials have proposed ending a ban on the transport of firewood and ash products across much of Maine — a restriction meant to slow the spread of an invasive, tree-killing beetle — because they say people are not following the rules. That’s prompted pushback from a number of Wabanaki tribes, their members and researchers concerned about the impacts on brown ash, a culturally significant species to the Indigenous nations in Maine. Since the emerald ash borer was discovered in Maine in 2018, tribal members have found themselves in a race against the beetle. They’re not willing to give up now. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry says the quarantine, intended to silo two growing infestations in the northern and southern parts of Maine, is no longer effective.

Rangeley outing club fosters community on the trails

RANGELEY HIGHLANDER • August 5, 2026

Each week, around a dozen members of Trails for Rangeley Area Coalition circle up in Rangeley, discuss the coming hike, apply bug spray and sunscreen and take off to a trailhead. Each week brings a different outing. Some days bring paddlers out on Rangeley Lake; others see hikers in the alpine zone of Saddleback Mountain. Throughout the summer season, the coalition, also called TRAC, meets for twice-weekly hikes, paddles and bike rides across the region. What started as a trail conservation club has grown into one seeking to promote recreation, socialization and education.

Thirsty for drought info? Quench your thirst with this central Maine guide

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 5, 2026

With central Maine in the midst of a drought, officials say there are ways residents can help conserve water to ensure it’ll still flow when they turn on their taps:
• Fix household leaks, such as from toilets, faucets and showers.
• Limit outdoor watering to essential uses only, and avoid watering during the day when evaporation is highest.
• Plant native or drought-resistant plants.
• Run full loads in dishwashers and washing machines.

Anger over stolen lobsters underscores Maine’s complicated relationship with tourism

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2026

In late July, Lindsay McDaniels, who makes a living hauling traps off Mount Desert Island, reported 30 hardshell and jumbo lobsters missing from her stash at a dock in Northeast Harbor. The marina’s surveillance footage showed two men walking off with her lobsters, which McDaniels had planned to sell for between $300 and $500 that same day. “It appears they are from away,” McDaniels wrote. The theft is an example of the sometimes tense relationship that locals have with summertime tourism, which brings millions of visitors and seasonal residents to the island to enjoy Acadia National Park and its surrounding beauty. Amid that beauty are communities of hard-working locals who live on the island year-round, many of whom rely on the working waterfront.

Opinion: We can reclaim control of the climate change fight

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2026

On Feb. 12, the Trump administration repealed the scientific finding that authorized the federal government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Quiet actions like this one strip away tools we’ll need for the next crisis. The repeal joined dozens of similar moves: agencies gutted, international commitments abandoned, clean-energy tax credits rolled back. Together, they explain why so many of us feel like we’ve lost control of the climate fight. That feeling doesn’t have to be permanent. Climate agency is the necessary solution to the biggest problem we’ll face for the rest of our lives. We already have plenty of it — scientific knowledge, technical solutions, and a clear understanding of what to do differently. What we’re not doing is closing the gap between knowing and doing. We are not helpless. The raw capacity to act — civic engagement, legal and political tools, consumer and investor influence, citizen and business leadership — is available but underused. We haven’t turned enough of that capacity into assertive power. ~ Tom Bateman, Rockport, professor emeritus, University of Virginia

Watch what it’s like to visit Maine’s largest puffin colony

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2026

For bird lovers, few Maine experiences are more difficult to book than a trip to Machias Seal Island. The following video was filmed by R. Riley Smith during her Aug. 1 visit. It offers a close-up look at puffins and other seabirds from the island’s observation blinds.

Maine blueberry farmers hopeful for 2026 after ‘devastating’ losses last year

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2026

A change in the weather could still create a bad turn as the Down East blueberry harvest continues this month. Maine farmers provide almost all of the country’s domestic supply of wild blueberries, which play a big role in the region’s economy. Still, numerous growers said things are looking better on the barrens than they did last year. They’re hoping the weather cooperates while still trying to recover from 2025 — and in some cases, reconsider how they operate amid years of economic and climate headwinds.

Unusual whale sightings in Maine draw onlookers to shores of Penobscot Bay

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 4, 2026

On Sunday at a lobster bake and art show in Northport’s Bayside enclave, more than a hundred people were treated to a special show: a humpback whale swimming back and forth just offshore for an hour. It was one of dozens of close-to-shore humpback sightings in Penobscot Bay that have been a source of wonder and delight for Mainers and visitors over the last month. Whales are commonly found in Maine waters, but typically are seen farther offshore.

Share your wild turkey sightings

DAILY BULLDOG • August 4, 2026

Maine’s Wild Turkey August Production Survey invites community scientists to play a direct role in monitoring our state’s wild turkey population. Each summer, Maine’s wild turkey hens are busy raising the next generation of birds. By reporting your sightings and observations, you’ll help our biologists monitor annual reproduction rates, track population trends, and make informed management decisions that support healthy, sustainable turkey populations for generations to come. The information collected helps ensure there are abundant opportunities for both wildlife watchers and hunters to enjoy Maine’s wild turkeys.

Gulf of Maine Research Institute is helping Hannaford assess its climate risk

MAINE PUBLIC • July 4, 2026

Hannaford Supermarkets is embarking on a pilot project with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute to map the vulnerabilities of two of its coastal stores to climate change. It's the first time Hannaford has evaluated how sea level rise and coastal flooding will affect its operations and ability to serve the community.

‘The Maine Outdoors’ radio show ends abruptly after 30 years

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 4, 2026

“The Maine Outdoors,” an outdoors radio show hosted by former Bangor Daily News Managing Editor V. Paul Reynolds, will not continue on WVOM after three decades on the air. The show will be replaced by a national radio show. Sunday’s taping was the final broadcast of the show that became an institution for many outdoorsy Mainers and left Reynolds, the 86-year-old host, saddened because he won’t have a way to properly end the show, he said. “I’m not angry. I’m just sad and disappointed,” Reynolds, whose weekly columns are published in the BDN and other Maine outlets, said. “I’m heavy-hearted that the show is coming to such a screeching halt.”

Video: 2 sharks spotted near Pine Point Beach in Scarborough

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 4, 2026

Two great white sharks were spotted near Pine Point Beach in Scarborough on Tuesday. The two juvenile great white sharks were roughly 6-8 feet in length, the Scarborough Police Department stated in a public safety advisory. The reported sightings took place off the southern tip of Prouts Neck and near the mouth of the Scarborough River. The town’s public safety departments shared a video of the sighting in a social media post, saying the footage was taken by Brogan Hurst.

Brunswick limits rural housing developments

TIMES RECORD • August 4, 2026

The Brunswick Town Council Monday night voted to limit housing developments in the town’s designated rural zone to 20 units per year. Affordable housing developments, accessory dwelling units and family gift lots are exempt from the requirement. Rural Brunswick has been growing, said Julie Erdman, Brunswick’s planning and development director. As many as 49 new dwelling units annually have been built in the rural zone in recent years. The measure is intended to protect environmental resources, prevent overdevelopment and focus growth in the town’s designated growth zones.

Auburn councilors to decide licensing issues for auto scrap yard in flood zone

SUN JOURNAL • August 4, 2026

Auburn is looking to clear up discrepancies with a local automobile scrap yard and towing company’s business license. The scrap yard at 940 Washington St. is completely in a flood zone. Vehicles are stored close to the Little Androscoggin River, which wraps around three sides of the property. It’s home to Don’s No Preference Towing and Morris Auto Parts. An auto repair shop and a used vehicle sales lot are also on the site. Though the city has regulations that would bar similar businesses from operating on a similar property, the business there is “grandfathered” and licensed under nonconforming land use provisions.

Volunteers Wanted for Invasive Species Removal

Join others on Saturday, August 8, to help pull invasive bittersweet and honeysuckle at Viles Arboretum in Augusta. We will be pulling the bittersweet by hand and using small handsaws to cut down honeysuckle bushes. We provide the tools.

Be Part of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights' Dream at Viles Arboretum

Be a part of the magic of the production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights' Dream at the Viles Arboretum in Augusta. We're seeking up to six fun and energetic individuals for each if the six performances to help us manage our unique production on the trail at Viles Arboretum on August 21-30, 2026. Located in Maine's capital city, Viles Arboretum is a 224-acre botanical garden and nature preserve where visitors can experience the beauty and diversity of Maine's landscapes. Admission is always free, and the Arboretum is open every day from sunrise to sunset.

Editorial: Wacky wolf claims persist

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • August 4, 2026

In a column in the Bangor Daily News on August 4, hunting advocate V. Paul Reynolds says that Gerry Lavigne, of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, claims “wolves were illegally released, most likely by wolf reintroduction advocates.” Reynolds also says that “a thriving wolf population could literally extirpate white-tailed deer in Maine’s North Woods.” First, the claim accusing wolf restoration advocates is without any evidence. It is blame by unsupported inuendo. Second, the claim that wolves could wipe out the deer herd in northern Maine is scientifically unsubstantiated. Wolf restorations in the West have had the opposite effect, making the elk herd more resilient by culling the weakest. Hunter bias does not equal good science.

Column: These people are threatening Maine’s fish and game

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 4, 2026

Five of the eight gray wolves examined in the Northeast over the past quarter-century have been positively identified as domesticated wolves, according to Gerry Lavigne, a field biologist for the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. Those wolves were illegally released, most likely by wolf reintroduction advocates, Lavigne said. Why did the feds not try to apprehend and prosecute those who released the wolves? A thriving wolf population could literally extirpate white-tailed deer in Maine’s North Woods. ~ V. Paul Reynolds

Aroostook town prepares to host Maine’s largest muskie derby

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 4, 2026

The annual Fort Kent International Muskie Derby, which brings hundreds of anglers and spectators to northern Maine, starts Friday. Anglers can fish from Friday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 9. Now in its 23rd year, the derby draws participants from across the state and beyond. This year, fishers can win a possible purse of $35,000. The fishing area involves more than 225 river miles, including the St. John, Allagash River to Allagash Falls and the Big Black, St. Francis and Little Black rivers, as well as six lakes or ponds that contain muskie. Last year Jim Campbell received the $2,000 prize for a 21.05-pound fish that was 42 5/8 inches long.