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Justin Strasburger named new NRCM Executive Director

NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • April 7, 2026

Justin Strasburger has been named new Executive Director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. He is currently Executive Director of Full Plates Full Potential and he chairs the board of the Maine Association of Nonprofits. He lives in Brunswick and has a strong background in nonprofit leadership, advocacy, and fundraising, and a deep commitment to staff well-being. He starts on April 13.

Letter: Maine must not ignore strengthening storms

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 7, 2026

The January 2024 storms did significant damage to our home in Georgetown, but with timely help from FEMA, flood insurance and a low-interest SBA loan, we were able to recover. Still, it’s hard to ignore storms are getting stronger, and sea levels are rising. Will support from FEMA be there next time? The FEMA budget has been cut, and states will have to pick up the tab. Maine, unfortunately, is not ready to replace their staff or funding. This will put the cost of the next storm on homeowners, towns and local taxpayers. I spent much of my career in Maine as a small business owner, corporate planner and school superintendent. You don’t wait for a crisis and hope things work out. Maine is at that point now. LD 1870, the climate superfund study would take a clear look at the cost of climate damage Maine has experienced. That’s a necessary step. I urge lawmakers to fund this study. ~ Bill Webster, Georgetown

Machiasport Planning Board drafting short‑term rental ordinance as officials weigh town’s future as a ‘vacationland’

MAINE MONITOR • April 6, 2026

The Machiasport Planning Board is drafting an ordinance that would require owners of short‑term rentals to register their properties. The board discussed the measure Thursday as the town looks for ways to keep more of its housing stock in local hands. “We are probably going to become a vacationland,” Planning Board Chair Robert Arseneau said at the monthly meeting. He called driving tourism “the best thing we can do,” while acknowledging the need for regulation.

Gorham residents lament the loss of whip-poor-wills

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 6, 2026

The lonely call of the seldom seen whip-poor-will is fading away and longtime Gorham residents say they haven’t heard one for years in the increasingly suburbanized town. The birds’ population is in a tailspin locally and beyond. The nocturnal birds’ population has plunged 69% since 1970 in eastern North America.

Maine farmers and forestry workers rally for $45M bond ahead of key Senate vote

NEWS CENTER MAINE • April 6, 2026

Farmers, forestry workers, and their supporters gathered at the State House Monday morning to push for a $45 million agriculture and forestry bond as lawmakers prepare for a key Senate vote. The rally followed a narrow procedural vote Friday in which the proposal, LD 2094, failed to advance by a single vote. The motion needed 24 votes to move forward to a full Senate debate.

Earth Day 2026 in Portland, April 18

CITY OF PORTLAND • April 6, 2026

The City of Portland is hosting a free, family-friendly Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 18 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM at Deering Oaks Park by the Bandstand! Come learn about local climate initiatives, recreational opportunities, sustainable living tips, celebrate nature, and more.

Disastrous canoe trip a reminder to always do your homework

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April6x, 2026

On Saturday, April 20, 1974, two canoes, each with two men, ages 22 to 26, launched in the Sandy River in Farmington. The impulsive plan, conceived two nights earlier over pitchers of beer, involved paddling to Mercer, about 30 miles downstream. My brothers Robert and Don paddled one canoe. George Joseph (no relation to my family) and Rusty Cyr paddled the second. “Eyeing the whitewater,” remembered George, “Rusty turned in the bow, grinned, and yelled, ‘Here we go!’ Within seconds our canoe was swamped.” Years later, as a high school English teacher, Don used the harrowing experience to teach students the importance of planning. “We hadn’t done our homework, such as scout the river from shore,” he told his students. “Preparation is the key to success.” ~ Ron Joseph

Column: To overcome the sins of the past, Maine needs to support Wabanaki rights

SUN JOURNAL • April 6, 2026

On Sept. 14, 1690, a military leader named Benjamin Church led his men along the Androscoggin as part of a colonial effort to control the territory. His report said the expedition “killed six or seven” and took 11 other natives prisoner, leaving behind only “two old squaws” in the ruins to tell the story of what had transpired there. Church was allowed to sell any native captives taken into slavery. It appears about 80 of them were hauled off in chains during King Philip’s War, most sent to die on the sugar plantations of the Caribbean. It’s encouraging that so many candidates for governor see that while we can’t undo the crimes of the past, we can create a new relationship based on mutual understanding that acknowledges the dignity of people who have been mistreated and ignored for generations.~ Steve Collins

The Case for Mountain Lions in Maine

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • April 6, 2026

I am certain that I saw a mountain lion in 2014 in Montville. There are few wildlife questions in Maine that stir as much quiet conviction, and quiet skepticism, as the enduring belief that mountain lions, long thought gone from the state, still move through its forests. Officially, the matter is settled. The last confirmed mountain lion in Maine was killed in 1938. In 2018, federal authorities declared the eastern cougar extinct. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife maintains there is no evidence of a breeding population within the state. And yet, across decades, and continuing into recent years, Mainers have continued to report seeing them.

2 aggressive invasive fish are both living in a Maine river

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 6, 2026

Northern Maine has a problem. Northern pike, a voracious invasive fish that kills native species, are moving down from Canada into the St. John River and nearby bodies of water. The St. John River is already teeming with muskellunge, an invasive fish better known as muskie. In a first for Maine, the northern part of the state suddenly finds itself home to two types of aggressive invasive fish. What this might mean for the waters supporting both types of pike is a complete unknown, but it isn’t good news for any native fish remaining there, according to Maine regional biologist Frank Frost.

Column: Maine could become the only state without Sunday hunting

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 6, 2026

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey wants to eliminate the state’s more than 200-year-old Sunday hunting ban. If it passes, Maine could become the only state in the country without Sunday hunting. If such a thing could happen in a state where advancing hunting opportunities — and practically anything to do with hunting — is a political dead horse, maybe there’s hope here in Maine as well. Deer densities in central and western parts of the commonwealth range from 18 to 30 deer per square mile, and as high as 30 to 50 per square mile in the east. Those large numbers are having a negative impact on plant life and other wildlife, and have helped spread ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Deer-vehicle collisions have also increased. ~ Al Raychard

The secretive plan for a Maine data center collapsed in 6 days

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 6, 2026

Lewiston city councilors were caught off guard after receiving the detailed proposal for a $300 million center inside the downtown Bates Mill only about a month before a meeting when they needed to vote on the project. After two closed-door meetings, they released details to the public just six days before a pivotal vote in December. The idea drew instant backlash, and the council unanimously voted it down. AI data centers have caused a wave of bipartisan public opposition because of their massive power and water consumption. Some $64 billion worth of proposed projects have been blocked or delayed over the past two years across the nation. The proposal in Lewiston was for a relatively small system, but news about environmental impacts of the large data centers elsewhere spooked residents. “Developers need to stop planning these data centers in secret and then complaining about how much they’ve invested in the process once the public finally becomes aware of it and pushes back,” said Lewiston City Councilor Scott Harriman.

You say you’ll go camping in Maine this summer. Here’s why you won’t.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 5, 2026

Camping is something that brings my partner and me and our dog much joy. Yet during the daily hustle and bustle, we often forget to book a campsite or gather our gear for work-free days ahead. Before we know it, the summer is over and we haven’t gone on half of the outdoor adventures we wish we had. Time has a tendency to slip by, especially when we wish it wouldn’t. So what’s one to do? Use a calendar. Plan ahead. Placing things on a calendar allows us to stay organized and not forget things, but it’s also a way of saying “this is a priority.” Just be sure to leave a few days open for lazy evenings on the porch.

Column: Let’s never take Maine’s night skies for granted

CENTRAL MAINE • April 5, 2026

Light pollution is a problem. ALAN — artificial light at night — can make it harder for humans to see the stars, an ancient calling skyward that fills a hole in most of our souls. But it’s even worse for nocturnal animals and most importantly insects. Researchers have documented a drastic drop in insect populations— both in size and diversity. (DEI: Diversity, Equity, Insects.) Insect populations are vital to the health of the overall ecosystem. They’re vital to pollination, to the food web (the Lion King’s “circle of life”), to plants and animals alike. Individual choices can make a difference. Only use lights when you need them. You want your outdoor lights to be less than 3,000 kelvins, pointed downward and shielded. Pick lights that emit orange or yellow glow, rather than bright blue-white. How lucky in Maine we are to still have the night sky. Let’s keep it that way. ~ Victoria Hugo-Vidal

Here are 7 scenic overlooks in the Rangeley region you don’t want to miss

RANGELEY HIGHLANDER • April 5, 2026

The Rangeley region hosts some of the most spectacular overlooks the state has to offer, with multiple turnoffs along most of the routes leading into the area.
• Height of Land. Striking view of Mooselookmeguntic Lake and rolling hills and mountains beyond.
• Flagstaff Village and Bigelow Mountain view. Overlook north of Stratton with Bigelow Mountain and Flagstaff Lake as backdrop. Signs about the history of Flagstaff Village submerged under the lake.
• Shelton Noyes Overlook. View of Rangeley Lake, Saddleback Mountain, Bald Mountain, Oquossoc Village and Rangeley all from one turnoff.
• Whip Willow Farm Scenic Overlook. Two minutes from Rangeley’s downtown with a view of Rangeley Lake and Bald Mountain.
• Sandy River Scenic Turnoff. On Route 4 in Madrid, a spot to take a quiet, tree-covered walk along the Sandy River.
• Coos Canyon Rest Area. In Byron between Rumford and Rangeley. Views of the Swift River and cliffs carved into the banks over millions of years.
• Quill Hill. Off Route 16 in Dallas Plantation. A unique, 360-degree view of the region.

Column: We hiked to one of Maine’s hardest to reach summits

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 4, 2026

On the third day of our six-day Baxter State Park expedition in 2023, eight of us awoke in the midst of a stormy Northeaster. Four of us decided to attempt a snowshoe climb from the bunkhouse at South Branch Pond to the top of 2,085-foot Barrel Ridge, At about 2.5 miles, the trail rose to an open escarpment that provided a foggy view of our destination. Proceeding through a sparse conifer forest, we climbed to the top of the exposed rounded summit that provided glimpses of Grand Lake Matagamon in the distance. The following day, five of us would make an attempt to complete the famed Traveler Loop in the opposite direction over Peak of the Ridges. From a massive boulder-pile that is the true summit, the views were breathtaking. The 7-mile round-trip journey took more than eight hours. ~ Ron Chase

Column: Why Did the Frog Cross the Road?

DAILY BULLDOG • April 4, 2026

In spring, when temperatures rise above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and usher in gentle rains, a plethora of life emerges from the forest. Last year, I went out on such a night to catch the spring migration of amphibians. Cold damp air sank through my rain gear as I donned my reflective vest. Normally, these conditions would have kept me indoors, where it was warm and dry. But this night was supposed to be a “Big Night,” with amphibians moving en masse from their hibernation grounds to bodies of water to begin mating. I paused as soon as I heard a faint but high-pitched call coming from the trees. It was a spring peeper. I was not the only one who could feel the rain coming; the frogs could feel it too. If you go outside on a rainy night this spring, be on the lookout for amphibians. They are embarking on the most dangerous journey of their lives, and we can help them reach their destinations safely.~ Julia Janson