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Maine towns push to swap turf lawns for wild native habitats

SUN JOURNAL • August 27, 2026

Portland is the latest Maine community to encourage residents to replace manicured turf grass with native habitats. By rewilding suburban and urban yards, communities aim to protect vital coastal watersheds, foster disappearing pollinators and boost human well-being. For decades, the chemically treated lawn stood as the ultimate symbol of American suburban conformity, according to Andrew Tufts, manager of Maine Audubon’s Bringing Nature Home program. Today, entomologists like Doug Tallamy urge landowners to plant native species to save collapsing insect and bird populations.

UNE pier project receives 2-year extension

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

The long-debated University of New England research pier proposal on Wednesday night received an extension from the Saco River Corridor Commission. The university now has another two years to complete the project, which the commission first approved in 2024. The pier, which would be located on the Saco River adjacent to the Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center on UNE’s Biddeford campus, is intended to allow for year-round research and aquaculture projects. Since its approval by the SRCC and the Biddeford Planning Board in 2024, the project has faced major backlash, including from residents arguing their moorings on the river would be impacted by the pier.

In Rumford, one of Maine’s remaining paper mills races to survive amid industry changes

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2026

The mill has shaped this rural town’s economy for 125 years. In that time, it has brought good-paying jobs, and been a force in the state’s vital forest products economy. Along with Sappi in Skowhegan, it is one of the bright spots among Maine’s remaining mills, which have endured years of decline as the paper industry changed. It’s a sign that the problems facing the paper mills in Maine may only be temporary, according to workers, company officials and industry experts. The biggest factor facing pulp and paper mills in Maine is the digitalization of the world.

After 40 years of outfitting river trips, a mainstay of the Allagash is retiring

MAINE PUBLIC • August 26, 2026

Just about anyone who's spent time on northern Maine's Allagash River has heard of Norm. As the owner of Pelletier's Campground in St. Francis, near Fort Kent, Norm L'Italien has outfitted and shuttled paddlers for 40 years, and has a reputation for his deep knowledge of the river and wealth of stories. But, now in his 70s, he says the demands of the job are taking a toll, and that this season will be his last. L'Italien said he's looking forward to spending more time with the grandkids, traveling to see his Army buddies and, finally, paddling a portion of the iconic river he's helped so many others experience.

How Falmouth Land Trust has expanded its reach, 3 ways

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 26, 2026

The Falmouth Land Trust hit a hot streak this summer, acquiring three new properties in as many months. The land trust closed on wooded wetland near Highland Lake called Babbidge Woods in May, land near Hadlock Community Forest in June and a parcel along the Presumpscot River in July. Getting three new properties in this rapid succession is unprecedented for the land trust. Each property was acquired differently, illustrating the many routes landowners can take to forever preserve their land.

Maine lobstermen warn of ‘devastating’ consequences from Canadian trade war

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • August 26, 2026

The Maine Lobstermen’s Association warned Wednesday that the trade war that started when President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian products could be devastating to lobster harvesters and coastal communities. The association said, “The impact would be felt immediately on Maine’s docks. Lobstermen are already facing historically high operating costs, an increasingly difficult business environment, and razor-thin margins. If prices fall far enough, many simply will not be able to afford to fish.” Patrice McCarron, MLA’s executive director, added: “Maine lobstermen should not become collateral damage in a broader trade dispute.”

Fourth person in Maine this year tests positive for Powassan virus

MAINE PUBLIC • August 26, 2026

An individual in Penobscot County has tested positive for the Powassan virus. That's the fourth person in the state to develop the disease so far this year, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The other cases were reported in York, Lincoln, and Penobscot Counties in June. Powassan is transmitted through the bite of deer ticks, and infections can be severe, even fatal.

How you can help shape the future of the North Woods

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 26, 2026

The Unorganized Territories (UT) is a region that encompasses all unorganized and de-organized townships in Maine, covering more than half of the state’s area and falling under the guidance of the Land Use Planning Commission. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) is the overarching document that guides planning, zoning, and permitting in the UT over 10-year time periods. The commission has begun the process of updating the 2010 CLUP. As the UT faces increased pressure from climate change, economic shifts, and development, it is critical to have a strong guiding document in place to retain and defend this globally unique landscape. ~ Frances Killea, Natural Resources Council of Maine

Kids on Trails event held in Jay as organizers urge families to hike together

LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • August 26, 2026

Children and families explored the trails at French Falls during a Kids on Trails event organized by the Western Maine Kids on Trails Community Group in partnership with MaineHealth Franklin’s Healthy Community Coalition. The free event Aug. 13 gave participants a chance to learn about the recreation area, walk its trails and take part in outdoor-themed activities while organizers previewed a book expected to be published later this fall. The book, “Kids on Trails,” will provide information about family-friendly trails in western Maine and help them safely plan and carry out walks, hikes and day trips with children.

Bear baiting is a family affair in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 26, 2026

Aiden McIver is getting ready for bear season with his wife, Jocelyn, and their children, Saylor, 7, and Levi, 3. McIver operates S&L Guide Service in the Greenville area and hopes to take his daughter bear hunting on youth day this weekend.

Maine DEP sues company over cleanup of contaminated Orrington site

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 25, 2026

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is suing the owners of a site in Orrington, alleging they’ve failed to properly clean up contamination. Mallinckrodt operated a chemical manufacturing plant along the Penobscot River between 1967 and 1982. While under Mallinckrodt, the site discharged between six and 12 metric tons of mercury. The plant shut down in 2000 when then-owner HoltraChem Manufacturing Co. declared bankruptcy. In 2022, a judge ordered Mallinckrodt to pay at least $187 million to clean up the region. Since 2013, Mallinckrodt US LLC has been owned by Covidien, subsequently acquired by Medtronic. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals became an independent company via a spinoff from Covidien in 2013. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals recently merged with Endo, then split into Keenova and Par Health.

Young humpback whale calf found in Maine river was severely emaciated

WMTW-TV8 • August 25, 2026

The Marine Mammals of Maine stranding hotline received a report of a deceased humpback whale in the New Meadows River in Phippsburg on Friday afternoon. MMoME performed a full internal and external evaluation that found the 20-foot female calf was emaciated and had very little muscle or fat and few stomach contents. The findings showed that the whale was between 6 and 9 months old and still maternally dependent. MMoME said that samples they collected will be sent for histopathology and that there were no other gross necropsy findings. "This was an incredibly sad case, but we are grateful for the opportunity to document her life and passing," said MMoME in a social media post.

Family of 3 people who drowned in Maine lake sue pontoon boat manufacturer and dealer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 25, 2026

The family of three people who drowned when a recalled pontoon boat capsized in Maine is suing the manufacturer and dealer. The 2024 Sea-Doo Switch, an 18-foot pontoon boat, had a known safety issue and capsized on Aug. 30, 2025, in Flagstaff Lake. Three people were trapped under the flipped boat and drowned. The Sea-Doo Switch was one of thousands of boats recalled by parent company Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc. months before the fatal capsizing. There was a risk of the boat nosediving into the water, causing it to flip end over end on its bow. The recall came after multiple people were injured and one person died in capsizing events.

Maine bicyclist sues federal government after being hit by USPS vehicle

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 25, 2026

Marha Stover was riding an electric bicycle on June 27, 2024, on Atlantic Highway in Warren. She was hit when USPS employee made a right turn onto Camden Road without doing a “proper lookout.” Her collarbone was fractured and surgically repaired with plates. Her lawsuit alleging negligence was filed in the U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor on Monday. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, in part for Stover’s injuries.

After years of delays, commission advances northern Maine transmission and wind project

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 25, 2026

The Maine Public Utilities Commission will finally move forward with plans for a new transmission line to northern Maine and an 800 megawatt wind project. At a regular meeting Tuesday, commissioners selected Avangrid, the parent company of Central Maine Power, to build the transmission line and Clearway Energy Group to build the onshore wind project. The bid selection marks a major milestone for the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program, which has struggled to move projects forward. 

Maine nonprofit launches $20M fund to help farmers adapt to climate change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 25, 2026

Orchard managers, sustainability advocates and state officials gathered Tuesday to celebrate a big financial pivot for regional climate-friendly agriculture: the Northeast Farmers Fund. What makes this climate-friendly farming program different than those that came before? The source of the funding. Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and Environment, a farming nonprofit based in Freeport, is bankrolling the $20 million Northeast Farmers Fund with corporate donations, starting with a $500,000 contribution from Hannaford Supermarkets. As big as it is, the fund will not fill the massive funding void created last year when the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled Wolfe’s Neck Center’s five-year, $35 million climate-smart farming grant. But it’s a very good start, said Dave Herring, Wolfe’s Neck Center’s executive director.

As Canada trade war rages, could Maine electricity prices spike?

CENTRAL MAINE • August 25, 2026

Canadian leaders said this week they are considering cutting off or hiking taxes on electricity exports to the U.S. in retaliation for a new round of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The move, which would be unprecedented, could drive up electricity prices for Maine customers starting next year and would mark a new front in the ongoing trade war between the two longtime allies. Trump’s new tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods deepened the trade war between the two countries in the past week and placed Maine’s highly integrated cross-border economy on the front line.

Advisory group asking for public input on future of data centers in Maine

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 25, 2026

The Maine Data Center Advisory Council will hold two virtual listening sessions with the public in the coming weeks. Gov. Janet Mills created the group with an executive order this spring, and tasked members with evaluating issues related to large-scale data centers and providing strategic input on policies to address the potential benefits and drawbacks of data centers. The first listening session will be held Thursday at 1 p.m., and the second will be Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m.

Take in the views from these western Maine lookout towers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 25, 2026

While Maine’s days of fire towers may have ended decades ago, mountains across the state still hold the lookouts for hikers with the energy to seek them out. Here are five mountains you can hike across western Maine to get your quest started:
• Bald Mountain — Oquossoc
• Mount Blue — Weld
• Snow Mountain — northern Franklin County
• Old Speck — northern Oxford County
• Flagstaff Mountain — northwest Somerset County