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Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News

EPA methane proposal threatens Maine’s public health, climate goals

MAINE BEACON (Maine People's Alliance) • November 12, 2026

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rollback of federal methane regulations but oil and gas sector analysts warned it could pose a significant threat to public health.Methane is considered both a “super pollutant” and a major cause of climate change, trapping 80 times as much heat in the atmosphere in the short term as carbon dioxide. Mary Sasso, attorney for the global science nonprofit Clean Air Task Force, said even states like Maine, which are far from oil and gas wells, would suffer from increased emissions tied to respiratory illnesses, birth defects and cancer.

Birding at Salt Bay Farm, Nov 15

COASTAL RIVERS CONSERVATION TRUST • November 12, 2026

Salt Bay Farm is widely viewed as an excellent destination for birding in spring, but it has a lot to offer in fall as well! Join us as we explore this preserve’s varied habitats looking for sparrows, pipits, finches, and waterfowl. We might even get lucky and find some late stragglers in need of extra motivation to fly south! On the right day, this hotspot can yield over 50 species even in fall. November 15, 8-10:30 am.

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust to hold hik at Salt Bay Farm

TIMES RECORD • November 12, 2026

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust invites community members of all ages to celebrate National Take a Hike Day with a free guided walk at Salt Bay Farm Preserve in Damariscotta from 2-4 p.m on November 17, 2026. Tuesday. Led by naturalist Sarah Gladu, the two-hour excursion will guide participants through rolling fields and along the scenic shores of Great Salt Bay to visit ancient shell mounds. Highlights of the hike include watching for late migratory birds heading south and exploring the salt marsh for signs of mink and other local wildlife.

A Celebration of 50 Years of Fair Art, Nov 13

MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION • November 12, 2026

Celebrate the 50th Common Ground Country Fair poster exhibition on display at the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor on November 13. Tea and coffee at Acadia House, 6 High Street, 3:30–5:00 PM. MOFGA Executive Director Sarah Alexander will be on hand to greet guests. Down the street, at the Jesup Memorial Library, the celebration continues with a curators’ talk from 5:00–6:00 PM. Hear the stories behind five decades of Fair posters and explore the art, ideas, and agricultural traditions that have made the Common Ground Country Fair a beloved part of Maine’s cultural heritage.

Chris’s Pond Set for New Chapter With $20,000 Maine Coast Heritage Trust Grant

BAR HARBOR STORY • November 12, 2026

Tucked behind the bustle of town, Chris’s Pond has long been a place of community, conservation, quiet respite, and joyous skating. Now, a $20,000 grant from the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) will help the town improve access to the historic pond and make it more welcoming to visitors. MCHT had previously granted three acres to the town at the site. This new donation will allow for improvements to parking, public access, and visitor amenities at the public space tucked away in the middle of Southwest Harbor proper.

Conservation Leaders, Business Executives and Acclaimed Chefs Gather for Atlantic Salmon Federation’s 44th New York Gala

WBOC • November 12, 2026

Conservationists, environmental advocates, business leaders, and chefs gathered Wednesday, November 11, at the American Museum of Natural History for the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s (ASF) 44th New York Gala, an evening dedicated to protecting wild Atlantic salmon and restoring the rivers and oceans essential to their survival. Under the theme “Rivers of Change, Oceans of Impact,” the gala honored Alex Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Cox Enterprises, and recognized Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and a pioneering figure in the international salmon conservation movement. The evening featured a reception, silent auction, live auction, dinner, and multimedia presentation highlighting ASF’s conservation work in Maine, Canada, and Greenland. The event raised USD $4.6 million.

Advocacy groups sue AI giants to freeze new models, warning of ‘catastrophic’ risks

ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 12, 2026

A coalition of online safety and consumer advocacy groups on Thursday sued five of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies to halt further development, alleging the tech giants can’t prevent their own creations from causing “catastrophic” harm. Recent incidents of AI agents hacking government websites and companies — including when OpenAI’s ChatGPT hacked into another AI company on its own in July — have accelerated concerns.

MDIFW says Brookfield should pay $120,000 for Ripogenus Dam fish kills

MAINE PUBLIC • November 12, 2026

Maine wildlife officials want a subsidiary of energy giant Brookfield Renewable to pay $120,000 for a series of mass fish strandings caused by malfunctions at the Ripogenus Dam near Baxter State Park. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife proposed the payments to compensate for the hundreds of landlocked salmon and brook trout that were killed when water flows from the dam were abruptly reduced in 2023, 2025 and 2026. The dam on the west branch of the Penobscot River is owned by Brookfield affiliate Great Lakes Hydro America.

Opinion: The climate majority doesn’t know its own strength

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 12, 2026

Americans underestimate public support for major climate policies. Maine shows how quickly climate solutions spread when neighbors talk to neighbors. The state hit its goal of 100,000 new heat pumps two years early. Staying quiet cedes the debate to a determined, well-funded minority. In February, the Trump administration repealed the EPA finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health. Officials will keep treating climate as a losing issue until the majority tells and shows them otherwise. ~ Thomas S. Bateman, professor emeritus of organizational behavior and leadership at University of Virginia, Rockport

These 25 Maine areas could see more investment under federal program

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 12, 2026

State and federal officials this week announced the 25 “tracts” that have been selected as the next federal Qualified Opportunity Zones, a designation designed to help draw private, long-term investment to low-income areas. But parts of the state that could desperately use an infusion of investment, like large swaths of northern and western Maine, were passed over, despite being some of the most rural parts of the state.

Letter: Maine should not object to permitting reform bill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 12, 2026

Mainers pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country, driven largely by our dependence on out-of-state fossil fuels, particularly natural gas. Lowering electricity costs and meeting our climate goals can go hand in hand. Maine has abundant, low-cost clean energy waiting to come online, but transmission and other infrastructure upgrades are needed to deliver it. The New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) is now delivering clean Canadian hydropower to New England, displacing fossil fuel generation. Its completion should be a point of pride. Instead, years of lawsuits and political battles added more than $500 million to its cost — a burden that ultimately falls on ratepayers. ~ Don Parent, Cumberland

This Maine cranberry entrepreneur brought albino berries from wild bogs to home gardens

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 12, 2026

John Harker, of Mt. Vernon, led the introduction of cranberry growing to home gardeners across the country. He was a key player in developing Maine’s small commercial industry and created the first commercially available white cranberry plant from a cutting found on a wild bog on the island of Vinalhaven. His work opened a new agricultural venture to the state for farmers to diversify, brought a new opportunity for home food production across the country and revealed the diversity of one of Maine’s native fruits — even as the state’s commercial market peaked and then declined.

Maine writer pens book on oyster industry renaissance

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 12, 2026

In “Oyster Society” by Virginia Shaffer the focus on this saltwater bivalve mollusk runs deep. Shaffer’s storytelling may focus on the culinary treat that awaits tucked between hard shells, but the brilliance of her story is that of the people this tiny mollusk impacts, the places its presence sustains and the sheer joy brought to many by a fresh oyster. Shaffer lives in Bath with her husband. She is a food writer, certified oyster sommelier, and is the founder of Maine’s first oyster culinary tour company — Lady Oyster Tours & Tastings.

Long-standing Allagash land dispute will go to 2027 federal trial

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 11, 2026

A Maine U.S. District Court jury will settle a long-standing property and boundary dispute next June for an Allagash family that has had “adverse possession” of 80 acres of Irving land since 1936. Joseph P. Kelly, his wife, Manda Kelly, and sister, Cara Merrill, allege in a lawsuit against Allagash Timberlands and other family members that they, as the heirs of John Kelly Sr., have openly worked and possessed the land for 90 years, despite not being the original owners.

New Updates to North Atlantic Right Whale Rules

WORKING WATERFRONT • November 11, 2026

On Thursday, November 5, NOAA Fisheries published an announcement that upcoming Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (TRT) meetings would be delayed until March 2027. The delay comes with the intentionof allowing more time for new science and data to move through the scientific peer review process. These updates to a complicated process will likely result in important and positive implications for Maine’s lobster fishery. This announcement is a welcome sign to Maine industry members that NOAA Fisheries intends to use the best available science and science-backed modeling to determine the risk that U.S. fishing gear poses to the North Atlantic right whale.  

Jay begins solar rule review after voters approve 6-month moratorium

LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • November 11, 2026

The Jay planning board will begin reviewing the town’s solar regulations next week following voter approval of a six-month moratorium. The review comes as state environmental regulators outlined protections already required for large solar projects and identified issues left to municipalities. Voters approved the 180-day moratorium Nov. 3 by a vote of 1,464-723, temporarily restricting new commercial ground-mounted solar development while the town reviews its regulations. The measure comes as Portland-based Walden Renewables pursues Alden Mill Solar, a proposed 150-megawatt project involving about 900 acres of solar panels at multiple locations in Jay.

Opinion: Maine deregulated electricity 26 years ago. Time for a rigorous review.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 11, 2026

In 1997, Maine enacted legislation restructuring the state’s electricity industry. Beginning in March 2000, consumers could choose among competing electricity suppliers, while utilities such as CMP continued to deliver the electricity. The premise was straightforward: Competition would provide more choices and encourage lower prices. More than a quarter-century later, it’s worth asking whether that experiment has delivered the promised benefits. Maine should reconsider whether its current system of residential electricity competition is delivering sufficient benefits to justify its complexity. I hope this becomes a priority of the next Legislature. ~ Bill Webster, Georgetown

Column: Chickadees vs. Humans

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • November 11, 2026

We humans like to think that we are unique in doing things like storing food for an unpredictable future. It’s humbling to realize that many other creatures do it, too. In general, birds have to be non-migratory residents to make food storing (caching) a strategy that can payoff. But not all resident birds store food. Crows, ravens, and jays all store food. So do chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. Some woodpeckers do; the acorn woodpecker from the western U.S. is so named for its habit of storing loads of acorns in drilled holes in trees. But here in Maine the only regularly occurring woodpecker species that routinely stores food is the red-bellied woodpecker. ~ Jeffrey V. Wells and Allison Childs Wells

Working group to study municipal revenue impact as Kennebec River dam decommissioning plans advance

MAINE MONITOR • November 10, 2026

Skowhegan Town Manager Aaron Miller has joined the Municipal Revenue Working Group to evaluate how decommissioning of four hydroelectric dams on the lower Kennebec River will impact local finances. The Kennebec River Restoration Trust created the group as one of six committees studying the effects of removing the dams. The Nature Conservancy formed the trust last year after agreeing to purchase the facilities from Brookfield Renewable Partners. A review of tax records showed that removing the four dams would strip more than $500,000 in annual property tax revenue from Fairfield, Skowhegan, Waterville and Winslow. That estimate excludes taxes paid to Skowhegan by Sappi Ltd. for its 2,500-acre Somerset paper mill. The mill draws water from a river impoundment created by the Shawmut Dam.