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Judge orders Trump administration to restore National Park changes at sites that ‘disparaged’ US

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 13, 2026

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to restore sites changed under an executive order calling for the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks to not display elements that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.” The injunction also orders a pause on any additional changes, writing that the plaintiffs have shown that these efforts are meant “to rewrite the Nation’s history with a white-out pen.” The Trump administration must also provide a status report every week describing the progress they’ve made with these changes, the judge wrote. “…this Administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths,” the judge wrote.

Bigelow Preserve’s 50th anniversary a good time to visit

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 13, 2026

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Bigelow Preserve, which was established by citizen referendum on June 8, 1976. It was the first time in U.S. history that a statewide vote was held to create a public parkland. The vote was close; out of the nearly 168,000 ballots cast, 51% voted in favor of the preserve question, while 49% voted against. The Bigelow Preserve protects more than 36,000 acres of this incredibly beautiful and ecologically rich terrain. It’s a recreational treasure that features over 30 miles of trails, miles of pristine lakefront, high elevation ponds, and abundant opportunities for hiking, backpacking, paddling, mountain biking and camping.  

Column: Why you shouldn’t rely on this popular birding tool

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 13, 2026

Merlin is the bird identification app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Download it onto a smartphone, and you’ve got a free bird expert in your pocket. It can identify many birds by sight and sound. It can also misidentify them. Merlin is frequently right and infrequently wrong. It’s a good tool for identifying bird songs, as long as you treat its results as suggestions, not gospel. There’s no substitute for learning bird songs yourself. Nonetheless, I highly recommend Merlin for inexperienced birders, if it’s used as a tool and you understand its limitations. ~ Bob Duchesne

Letter: More investment needed to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 13, 2026

In recent years in Maine, there have been more than 6,000 vehicle collisions annually with deer, which can result in injury and death for both animals and people. In the United States, wildlife-vehicle collisions kill 200 people and injure 26,000 every year, and they result in the death of millions of animals. This doesn’t need to continue. Using wildlife crossings — like bridges, tunnels, and culverts — animals are able to safely cross our roads, reducing animal-vehicle collisions by 80% to 90%, sometimes even more. They are a reliable and economically effective way to prevent unnecessary collisions. Let’s do our part to protect wildlife and save lives. ~ Lee Rusiecki, Freeport

Maine towns fight off invasive flowers as they encroach on popular swimming pond 10

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 13, 2026

In its native ecosystems across the Atlantic, loosestrife proliferates when a disturbance like a flood opens up new ground. But there, weevils eventually knock it back, a species that’s not present in Maine. Elsewhere in the U.S., the flowers have been controlled with the introduction of beetles that prey on it. Catching invasive plant populations early also helps get a handle on how quickly they spread and how common the plants can become. Seeds are easily carried by birds and can travel. The Maine Natural Areas Program produces a guide to identifying invasive species.

$1M grant will help Aroostook pallet maker expand to Houlton

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 12, 2026

Nearly $2 million in federal and private matching funds will help a Mars Hill pallet manufacturer expand to a new facility in Houlton. The Southern Aroostook Development Corporation secured a $1 million grant on Friday through the Northern Border Regional Commission’s Forest Economy Program to support the Houlton Industrial Park project. The grant funds, combined with $800,000 from private donors, will be used by SADC to develop a modern manufacturing facility that it will lease long-term to Mars Hill-based Kearney Pallet.

Portland Foreside power plant loses first round with PUC

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 12, 2026

The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a ruling this week preserving its authority to regulate a proposed cogeneration plant that would power hundreds of homes and businesses on Portland’s eastern waterfront. Portland Foreside Development Co. had requested an advisory ruling that the natural gas-fired plant would be exempt from regulation as a public utility. The plant would generate electricity and heat for several properties in the 10.5-acre mixed-use development, including a 132-unit condominium building, a 200-apartment complex and a 130-room hotel with 38 residences that are planned. The plant would be off the public grid and not linked to Central Maine Power Co.

Plan for $550M data center in Jay on hold, official says

SUN JOURNAL • June 11, 2026

A plan to convert the old Androscoggin paper mill into a data center appears to have hit a snag. Jay town manager Shiloh LaFreniere wrote in an email Thursday night that the group Sentinel Data Centers have said that they do not intend to move forward with the project. That information, according to LaFreniere, came from the JGT2 Redevelopment, which had been planning to partner with Sentinel on the $550 million project. A groundbreaking for the project had tentatively been set for July.

Deer, dog ticks are abundant in Maine right now. Here’s what to do about them.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 11, 2026

Maine residents are seeing a lot of ticks right now — in their backyards, on hikes, but also even in unusual places like crawling on porches or playground equipment. The reason: The two most predominant ticks in Maine, the deer tick and dog tick, are both in the adult stage of their life cycles. “We have multiple species all active right now,” said Griffin Dill, manager of the Tick Lab at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. “It gives the impression that we are inundated with ticks.” Dog ticks have a broader habitat range than deer ticks, and are more noticeable to humans, Dill said. Deer ticks are a public health hazard, transmitting Lyme and other tick-borne diseases to humans. Dog ticks are considered more of a nuisance than a health threat.

Letter: Give cyclists room

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 11, 2026

Maine law requires motorists to allow for at least a 3-foot space when passing a bicycle. If the road is straight and there is no traffic coming from the opposite direction, you can and should cross the center line to comply with the law and for the safety of the bicyclist. However, if there is a curve or hill or traffic, you may have to wait two or three minutes until you can safely pass the bicyclist. ~ Jeffrey Lovit, Addison

6-year pause on new lobster rules is enough

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 11, 2026

In December 2022, at the urging of the Maine delegation, a rider was inserted into the Consolidated Appropriations Act in Congress that halted new North Atlantic right whale entanglement-related federal regulations for the lobster industry until January 2028. With 2028 approaching, Rep. Jared Golden recently supported a bill ( H.R. 8509) that would extend the pause through 2035. This bill is in bad faith, as it both ignores the facts and side steps the Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts. Affected lobstermen could have the option to use on-demand gear if they want to continue fishing within a closed area like lobstermen are already doing in other states. Golden is proposing an unnecessary bill. ~ Bill McWeeny, Maine Coalition for North Atlantic Right Whales, Brooksville

Arrest made in alleged southern Maine ATV dragging

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 10, 2026

Maine Game Wardens on Wednesday night arrested a Waterboro man for allegedly dragging a landowner who tried to stop his ATV. Devin Lafrance, 21, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless operation of an ATV, and failing to stop and identify for a landowner. The landowner stopped the driver and told him that he needed to slow down. But when the landowner tried to take a picture of the ATV, the driver accelerated, hitting the landowner and then dragging him 75 feet before getting away.

Feds want to open Ellsworth and Orland fish hatcheries to hunting

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 10, 2026

Two national fish hatcheries that raise Atlantic salmon in Hancock County could be opened to public hunting for the first time through a proposal to increase hunting and fishing access on federally managed lands. The Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in Orland and the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery in Ellsworth are the only Maine properties on a federal list of more than 100 in 32 states that could be opened to or expanded for fishing or hunting under a Trump administration directive. Visitors to both hatcheries would be able to hunt upland game, big game and some migratory birds. The proposal also lifts hunting restrictions at National Park Service properties. Residents of Tremont will be allowed to hunt deer in Acadia National Park this fall following a local vote aimed at reducing populations.

Mainer rescued after falling from NH cliff face

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 10, 2026

A Mainer was rescued Tuesday after he fell from a New Hampshire cliff face. Eric Johansson, 65, was climbing Cannon Cliff in Franconia about 10 a.m. when a rock dislodged, causing him to fall, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game. Rescuers hiked to the base of the cliff and found him around noon.

Acadia just recorded its slowest offseason since the COVID pandemic

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 10, 2026

The number of visits to Acadia National Park this winter and spring, outside the park’s busy tourist season, was the lowest it has been since before the COVID pandemic representing an 11% drop from the previous offseason. The slow season comes at an uncertain time for the park, which has grappled with federal funding cuts and a wave of policy changes since President Donald Trump was sworn into office in January 2025.

Irving Forest Products in Ashland to expand sawmill operation to double capacity and add jobs

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 10, 2026

Irving Forest Products has announced that it is adding a second sawmill operation in Ashland in Aroostook County. The company says it plans to double production and hire at least 80 more employees. The company applied to the Finance Authority of Maine New Markets Capital Investment Program, which encourages community development entities to find investors willing to invest in low-income areas in exchange for tax credits. Five investors provided $42 million to Irving and received $16.5 million in tax credits in return. The size of the mill is effectively doubling, from 68,500 square feet to 136,500 square feet to accommodate a new, second sawline capable of processing longer logs. Once the second sawline is up and running, the mill will be able to accept an additional 5,000 truckloads per year.

Grant program incentivizes landowners to help make Maine forests more resilient

MAINE PUBLIC • June 10, 2026

A new $9 million state program aims to improve the health of Maine forests and make them less vulnerable to insects, damaging storms and disease. The WoodsWISE Resilience Program offers landowners up to $20,000 in reimbursements for approved methods to thin small trees, replant, or combat invasive plants among other practices. Landowners can receive 60%-90% reimbursement for qualified costs. The program is open to those that own at least 10 acres of forest.

All trails are now open in Baxter State Park

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 10, 2026

You now have full access to Baxter State Park. The park announced that all trails are open effective Wednesday, although it cautioned hikers that spring conditions, including lingering snow and fallen trees, may still be present in parts of Baxter. Baxter State Park recommends that Katahdin hikers pack a map, compass, headlamp or flashlight (and extra batteries), first aid kit, extra food and water, extra clothing, knife, sunscreen, firestarter, whistle, parachute cord, and more. Katahdin’s weather can quickly change, and hikers should be prepared to encounter strong winds and chilly temperatures near the summit, even in summer.

Western Maine camping guide spans Webb Lake to White Mountains

SUN JOURNAL • June 10, 2026

Western Maine is the center of this camping route, beginning in Weld, where Mount Blue State Park and Dummer’s Beach Campground anchor Webb Lake. From there, it moves west to Newry and the Grafton Notch area of Oxford County before branching into nearby New Hampshire, where Crawford Notch, Franconia Notch, Mount Washington and the Appalachian Mountain Club huts extend the route. For campers planning from Western Maine outward, the route begins with beaches and family campgrounds, then climbs toward waterfalls, notches, ridge hikes and backcountry huts. This guide is designed to help campers choose the right base camp for family lake trips, hiking weekends, RV stays, backcountry hut overnights and Mount Washington-area adventures.