The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
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
SUN JOURNAL • May 5, 2026
A year and a half ago, Christy Crocker, director of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council, was working with an enthusiastic school district to help test for radon in its building when all of a sudden, administrators called it off. She understood that for the small district, it likely wasn’t a priority. Something that can’t be seen, smelled or tasted doesn’t feel real, Crocker said, and school districts facing numerous financial pressures have to pick their battles. Maine passed a law in 2019 encouraging schools to test for radon. In March, Maine released the first progress report detailing five years of school testing data. Elevated radon levels existed in at least one room in nearly a quarter of buildings tested. In some, levels were much higher than the point where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends taking action. However, only 12% of all Maine schools, have been tested.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 5, 2026
Maine has a problem. Our people want to live in the modern world and not take part in building it. Give us more EVs, but don’t mine any minerals here — the children of Democratic Republic of the Congo are good at that. Remove all the hydro dams instead of building fish ladders, we can just buy our power from other states or countries — or burn more natural gas. Bring broadband to remote counties with taxpayer money but, please, don’t build any data centers — NIMBY all the way. we should diversify and grow our economy. We can’t run a state based on the annual lobster catch and the vacation industry. ~ Zak Harding, Wells
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 4, 2026
The price of Maine’s baby eels has hit a 16-year low for a statewide average of $286 per pound this month, the lowest such average since global demand made prices for Maine’s eels soar in 2011. The average price per pound in Maine is roughly $600 lower than last year, when it was $891 per pound. The state’s fishery for baby eels — also known as elvers or glass eels — peaked in 2018 at $2,366 per pound, according to historical data recorded by the department. The majority of American baby eels caught in Maine waters are shipped live to eastern Asia, where they’re kept in aquaculture ponds until they’re fully grown and then sold for seafood.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 4, 2026
A pair of nesting ospreys were electrocuted in Camden after Central Maine Power removed a long-used nesting platform from a utility pole, prompting outrage among residents. Ospreys have been nesting on a platform above power lines near the Camden Rockport Middle School for years. “There’s nothing worse than thinking, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to see the osprey chicks hatch and fly, and instead to see two dead parents,’” said Alison McKellar, a Camden Select Board member. Osprey are protected under federal law. While they have been classified as threatened or endangered in other states in the Northeast, they have never been listed in Maine. CMP has installed more than 30 osprey platforms across its service area.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 4, 2026
On Memorial Day 1960, my 8-year-old twin brother Don and I sat on the pigpen fence, having just completed our barn chores on our grandparents’ dairy farm in Mercer. Awaiting Grammy Lue’s brass-horn breakfast call, we rocked back and forth until the fence collapsed. Smeared with slop, we raced into the farmhouse and yelled, “Grammy, the pigs have escaped.” To ease the tension, Don chimed in, “But Mr. Chubby (our 250-pound boar) is no longer bunged up.” After days of constipation, Chubby took care of business in Grampa’s potato patch. Henrietta — the matriarch of our Barred Rocks — was busy digging for grubs when the pigs stampeded by. Panic-stricken, she laid an egg on the lawn. ~ Ron Joseph
MAINE PUBLIC • May 4, 2026
The Trump Administration said it supports a proposal by Democratic Maine Congressman Jared Golden to push back new federal protections for North Atlantic Right Whales to 2035. A moratorium on new federal rules around right whales is already in place until 2028 due to concerns from lobsterman who say certain regulations for the endangered species would cripple the fishing industry. Rachel Rilee, oceans policy specialist with the Center for Biological Diversity, cited NOAA data saying cases of whales getting tangled in fishing gear are on the rise. "Another seven years would absolutely result in more entanglements and more death for the right whale, which is only going to make it harder to make gains in conservation,” she said.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 4, 2026
Almost 180-acres is for sale with five existing housing lots and potential for more. The property off the Crooked Road is owned by Christopher Bettencourt and Denise Carey Bettencourt. It was called the Brigadoon Subdivision when the town approved the five housing lots in 2024. The property is one of the largest parcels available in Bar Harbor. With portions of the site within 5-kilometers of the habitat of an endangered species of bat, the Bettencourts rethought the project to avoid wetland alterations. Because of the bats and other considerations, the original subdivision plan was scaled back in 2024. According to the April 23 listing by Lamacchia Realty, Inc., “Its proximity to conserved lands further enhances a sense of seclusion amidst the island’s natural beauty.”
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 4, 2026
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, as I am, then Matt Dunlap is our candidate for the 2nd Congressional District. I believe no one has done more to develop and support popular recreational activities including snowmobiling, boating, hiking, hunting, and fishing. ~ Bucky Owen, Orono
MAINE MORNING STAR • May 4, 2026
Maine lawmakers closed out the 132nd Legislature last week after months spent confronting the fallout of drastic federal policy changes and funding uncertainty. A $45 million bond for agricultural and forestry programs seemed to gain momentum, managing to reach the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate, but ultimately failed in the House. Lawmakers declined to advance a proposed climate superfund, after other states that passed similar policies have been sued by the Trump administration. Instead, lawmakers backed a study to assess how much money greenhouse gas emissions have cost the state. A measure that made it into law adds additional requirements around the testing of PFAS in water. It requires landlords for residential buildings supplied by well water to test for PFAS, and if a homeowner is selling their property, they must disclose if the well water has tested positive for PFAS contamination. But another bill that would have allocated $1 million towards PFAS testing failed to secure funding.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 4, 2026
A drive through western Maine offers a mix of waterfalls, including:
• Cascade Stream Gorge Falls, Carrabassett Valley
• Falls at Frenchman’s Hole, Township E
• Dunn Falls, Andover
• Smalls Falls, Rangeley
• Screw Auger Falls, Grafton Notch Township
• Mother Walker Falls, Grafton Notch Township
• Step Falls, Newry
• Coos Canyon, Byron
• Snow Falls Gorge, West Paris
• Rattlesnake Pool, Stow
• The Cataracts, Andover
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 3, 2026
Right now, pools are filled with amphibian egg masses. Frog and salamander eggs can look similar at a glance. This short video shows what to look for.
CENTRAL MAINE • May 3, 2026
Outdoor recreation is a cornerstone of Maine’s economy. Each year, millions of visitors come to experience our parks, trails, waterways and working forests — supporting roughly 32,000 jobs and generating $3.9 billion in economic activity. In 2020, Congress created the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund. This landmark legislation provided five years of dedicated funding to address long-overdue repairs on federal lands. Here in Maine, the LRF delivered $54 million for critical repairs to our public lands. Now, with that funding having expired, Congress is considering the America the Beautiful Act, introduced by Maine’s own Sen. Angus King. By passing this legislation, Congress can ensure that Maine’s treasured public lands remain safe, accessible and vibrant. If we want future generations to experience Maine as we know it today, we need to invest in it now. ~ David Heidrich, Augusta
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 2, 2026
The Legislature has called for a survey to collect information from assessors regarding their experiences administering the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law. Forest owners: To ensure that this survey is something more than a witch hunt, talk to your assessor about your land, what you do there, how it benefits your neighbors, and how your woods support the small businesses that make up Maine’s forest products industry. Don’t let this survey become the first step in the elimination of Maine’s Tree Growth Tax Law. ~ Bill Streever, Pembroke
MAINE MORNING STAR • May 2, 2026
The U.S. Forest Service is reorganizing. The federal agency will move their headquarters from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City, closing over 50 research stations in 31 states, and will restructure management to rely on states more. All these changes are coming while state GOP leaders and the Trump administration are pushing for the sale or transfer of federal public lands.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 2, 2026
Tourism is deeply embedded in Maine’s character, from more than 3,000 miles of coastline and waterfront that define our coastal communities, to our pristine lakes, rugged mountains and distinctive small towns. It is a cornerstone of who we are and a vital driver of economic prosperity across the state. Tourism is not a secondary industry in Maine. It is one of the foundational pillars of our economic strength. In 2024 alone, tourism generated $15.9 billion in total economic impact, supporting 115,900 jobs and delivering $5.4 billion in wages to Maine workers. Congress is considering S.3623, the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill, which would impose new mandates on the credit card system that could potentially harm rewards programs. When visitation declines, Maine’s communities will feel the consequences. ~ Kerri Bickford, former Maine state representative, Topsham
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 2, 2026
Walking through Portland — particularly along Washington Avenue — I have been increasingly discouraged. What should be clean city streets are instead marred by overflowing litter, dog waste bags, broken glass and ignored garbage by businesses and home owners. We need a new approach to civic pride. During a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I was struck by how immaculate the city remained thanks to a team of “ambassadors” funded through a local merchant association. Portland should consider two paths: • Shared responsibility: Require property owners to take active ownership of the sidewalk and curb immediately in front of their businesses. • A dedicated workforce: Enact a modest fee to fund a professional “ambassador” program for consistent maintenance. ~ Clean sidewalks are the foundation of a thriving city. It is time we stop accepting the status quo. ~ Michael Harris, Portland
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 2, 2026
Commercial fishing in Maine is breaking the people who sustain it. Four out of five fishermen report overuse injuries — torn shoulders, damaged knees, chronic back pain — from work that hasn’t fundamentally changed in generations. Most don’t retire from the job. Their bodies give out first. We know how to reduce that damage. What’s missing is consistent federal support. This isn’t an abstract policy debate — it’s being decided right now in the federal budget process. Programs like Sea Grant do more than fund research. They support the training, safety systems and local partnerships that keep fishermen on the water longer and in better health. Fishing communities cannot rebuild their workforce or protect their health one budget fight at a time. If Maine wants a future on the water, Congress needs to fund it — deliberately and as policy. ~ Chris Payne, Cumberland, graduate student, University of New England
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 2, 2026
I haven’t seen a chipmunk in my yard since November. Perhaps there’s a particularly talented short-tailed weasel haunting my neighborhood. They prowl my yard in some winters, but I usually see them or their tracks when they’re around. I fear that the reason I haven’t seen a weasel this year is for the same reason I haven’t seen a chipmunk. Rat poison. The poisons-du-jour are known as second-generation rodenticides, or SGARs. They are anticoagulants. A critter that ingests the poison dies from internal bleeding. The poisons are contained in bait stations sized for rodents, too small for pets or other animals to enter. The problem is that any predator that later eats the rodent gets poisoned by proxy. SGARs are working their way up the food chain. ~ Bob Duchesne
MAINE MONITOR • May 1, 2026
Washington County farmers face mounting economic uncertainty, but they will not see a proposal for relief funds on the November ballot. Lawmakers made several attempts to revive L.D. 2094, a bill that would have directed a $45 million bond into existing grant and low‑interest loan programs for farmers and the forestry sector. The legislative session ended in mid‑April with the bond proposal stalled between the House and Senate, without a consensus. “Farmers aren’t looking for a handout,” Shelley Megquier, policy and research director at Maine Farmland Trust, said. “It’s heartbreaking, but not devastating,” she added, referring to the lack of funding secured for agriculture during a time when economic futures are historically unstable from drought and tariff price hikes, among other concerns.
