The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
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Sincerely,
Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News
MAINE MONITOR • December 27, 2025
Downtown Machias has experienced nine floods at the 100-year level in the past seven years. Ben Edwards, a member of the Upper Machias Bay Master Plan Leadership Committee and vice chair of the Machias Select Board, shared the information during a community meeting earlier this month. Conditions are expected to become more challenging as climate change accelerates, polar ice caps melt, sea levels rise and storms grow more frequent and intense, according to Judy Colby-George, a member of the leadership committee. The meeting, part of a community series, drew about 80 people and was scheduled to focus on downtown flooding in Machias. The next meeting on the Upper Machias Bay Master Plan is scheduled for Jan. 12, and formal recommendations for how to proceed are to be presented to the leadership committee at a public meeting set for Feb. 23.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 26, 2025
This fall I attended two energy conferences. I came away pessimistic about Maine’s energy future. Maine has a state energy plan that builds on efforts to reduce our dependence on imported petroleum and shift to an economy powered largely by renewable electricity resources. It complements the state’s climate action plan. The problem is, both strategies depend on cleaner electricity being affordable. But electricity is becoming more expensive, with prices nearly doubling in Maine over the past decade. The greatest source of pessimism comes from the sabotage of offshore wind. In his quest to kill green energy, President Trump has hobbled a multi-billion dollar industry. It was New England’s next big source of energy. One man has upended an industry. Trump also is killing incentives that helped people weatherize their homes, and buy more efficient appliances and vehicles. That leaves New England on its own. ~ Tux Turkel
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 27, 2025
Maine is the only state in the U.S. that still has wild populations of Atlantic salmon. The Sheepscot — a modest, 58-mile-long coastal river — is one of a handful of rivers in Maine that still support naturally spawning Atlantic salmon. Despite its smaller size, the Sheepscot plays a vital role in the path to Atlantic salmon recovery in Maine. The Sheepscot is one of only seven U.S. rivers with a genetically distinct population of Atlantic salmon. These fish are uniquely adapted to the local conditions in the river. The survival of this population is critical to preserving the genetic diversity of the species, and therefore, its recovery. Midcoast Conservancy and its partners are working on land conservation and river restoration projects throughout the Sheepscot watershed to help recover this iconic and ecologically important species. This work not only benefits salmon, but other native species and the rich biodiversity of the ecosystem. ~ Melissa Cote, Sheepscot River watershed manager at Midcoast Conservancy
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 27, 2025
I offer only two New Year’s Resolutions for birders in 2026, and they are completely opposite. For less experienced birders: resolve to use every tech tool available. Of course, the fastest and easiest way to get experience is to steal it from someone else. Going out with experts is the time-honored way to learn more quickly. For more experienced birders: resolve to use no tools at all. Bird naked once in a while. ~ Bob Duchesne
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 27, 2025
The University of Maine is working on 10 major capital projects on its campus that will be completed in 2026. The Sustainable Aquaculture Workforce Innovation Center will be a new space for one of the top marine science programs in the country. The space, which will be completed in time for the fall semester, will be used to research sustainable economic development, food security, and climate and community resilience. The building will have several 8-foot tanks and an area for lobster research. Other projects that will finish next year include renovating a PFAS laboratory, funding blueberry research in Jonesboro and building a sawmill training facility.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 27, 2025
Every winter, there are harrowing examples of people in Maine and elsewhere who have broken through the ice, sometimes with deadly results. That’s why Josh Gerritsen, a Rockport-based documentary filmmaker and an avid ice skater on Maine ponds, recently took it upon himself to coach a small group of onlookers how to safely escape the water when it’s mostly frozen over, should they ever fall through. Assess the ice strength, depth and density; know how to identify weak points; and avoid going solo. Help a victim, including by shouting encouragement, extending an object such as a rope or ladder for them to grab or wrap around themself, using a boat to assist and going for professional help: preach, reach, throw, row, go. if you’re the one who goes in, stay calm, spread your arms out on the unbroken ice and kick hard to lift your body onto it, so you can then roll to safety.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 27, 2025
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife provides winter fishing reports with notes on ice conditions and safety guidelines, as well as an ice safety web page with recommendations on checking ice thickness. The Lake Stewards of Maine maintain an ice-in and ice-out map that tracks when lakes freeze over and thaw, based on volunteer observations. Community‑reported ice measurements are available in the Ice Thickness in Maine Facebook group. For the most current location-specific conditions, people traveling from farther away can contact an IFW regional office during the week to speak with a biologist or warden familiar with local waters and how ice usually forms there.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 26, 2025
In Stonington, nonprofits build workforce housing, conduct research that helps its lobster industry, conserve its land and provide arts programming. It’s an example of how much of the responsibility for providing such services is shifting to outside organizations. Gaps are being stretched by abrupt changes in federal priorities. Since January, nonprofits have seen funding abruptly cut, grants canceled and research projects terminated by the Trump administration. That’s taken a toll. Housing is needed for Stonington’s lobster industry, the busiest in Maine. Lobster dealers often house their own employees in order to keep a workforce. Other aspects of the industry are researched and supported by the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, another local nonprofit that aims to keep fisheries sustainable and economically viable. Grants it received during the Biden administration were canceled earlier this year by Trump.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 26, 2025
Here I’ve listed eight Maine trails that travel through lovely forests that remain rich green year round, being that they’re mostly composed of various evergreen trees. These forests are also filled with mosses and lichens, which retain their color regardless of the time of year. And what’s more, these dense forests will shelter you from the cold winter wind, offering a getaway during an otherwise typically hectic time of year.
1. Prentiss Woods in Bangor
2. Johnson Brook Trail in Milford
3. Ingersoll Point Preserve in Addison
4. Simon Trail in Lamoine
5. Backwoods Mountain in Brooksville
6. Little Moose Mountain near Greenville
7. Thorne Head Preserve in Bath
8. Horserace Brook Trail near Millinocket
MAINE MONITOR • December 26, 2025
There was plenty of big environmental news this year: new clean energy legislation, an extreme drought that led to Maine’s worst August for wildfires in 20 years, federal funding cuts and more. Here’s a look back:
• Federal policy shifts, funding cuts
• New clean energy goals and rising electricity prices
• Maine’s changing forests, challenges for loggers and paper mills
• Dam safety reforms and fish passage changes
SUN JOURNAL • December 26, 2025
Evan Miller hiked the 2,653-mile trial from the Mexican border in California to Canada earlier this year and learned a lot about himself along the way. A 2022 graduate of Greely High and a Cumberland native, Miller grew up hiking in the White Mountains. He considers himself fortunate to grow up here, where the outdoors can be such an integral piece of life. Miller’s advice to anybody contemplating a similar mental detour from the fistfight that is modern life is simple. Relax.
MAINE MORNING STAR • December 26, 2025
High visitation has taken a toll on the unique and fragile alpine ecosystem atop the Northeast’s highest peak, where erosion, trampling, and invasive species are challenging the ability of native plants to thrive. according to a preliminary summit assessment. The report points to gaps in knowledge about possible chemical contamination legacies at the sites of former buildings on the summit, proposed safety and durability improvements for existing buildings, and suggested ways to improve visitor and staff experiences while protecting the integrity of the mountain itself. The ecosystem found on Mount Washington’s summit is rare. But invasive species, erosion, trampling, and climate change-driven shifts in weather patterns are limiting the success of native plant communities and wildlife at the summit.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 26, 2025
In his Nov. 30 op-ed “Setting the record straight on Brunswick foam spill,” Steve Levesque, former executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, wrote he is “saddened and disappointed” by the response of local officials to the August 2024 AFFF firefighting foam spill at Brunswick Landing. There are many others who are sad and disappointed about this environmental disaster and the response to it:
● Those who advised MRRA to insist the Navy remove the AFFF fire suppression systems.
● Safety inspectors who advised MRRA in 2023 to address issues with the Hangar 4 fire suppression system before it failed.
● The responders to the 2024 spill who worked without masks/ventilators and other protection.
● The residents, employees and patrons of Brunswick Landing businesses and educational institutions who are anxious about their exposure to toxins.
● Neighbors who have incurred hundreds of dollars in expenses testing their wells, installing filtration systems, or connecting to the municipal water system.
● Neighbors who wonder if the aquifers from which they draw water are also affected.
● Residents near the extensive “post-spill” soil piles who wonder if the dust that blows off and the rain water that washes through them might contain toxins.
● Pet owners who live on or visit the Landing and wonder if their pets’ health might be affected.
● The shellfish harvesters who have experienced closures of clam flats in Harpswell Cove, and other marine fishery interests who wonder about the safety of their harvests.
● People who visit nearby lands and waters who wonder if it is safe to walk, ski, bike, boat, swim, fish and hunt in these habitats.
~ Ralph Keyes lives near Brunswick Landing
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 26, 2025
The Maine Public Utilities Commission’s recent rejection of Central Maine Power’s major rate increase request was a rare victory for ratepayers. But CMP is expected to file another rate case soon; understanding the regulatory context in which those decisions are made matters for Mainers, who are facing some of the nation’s fastest-rising electric rates. The time for action is now. Rapidly rising electric bills are discouraging electrification, slowing decarbonization and hitting vulnerable households and small businesses hardest. Public confidence is low, fueling political polarization and misdirected blame on clean energy. Meanwhile, CMP and Avangrid continue to report rising profits. Our regulators and utility laws are crucial to our shared future. Let’s make them as strong and as sensible as we can — and answerable to all of us, not just a few powerful interests. ~ Isabelle Winstead, legal and policy fellow for Our Power, a Maine nonprofit pushing for energy decisions made by and for the people of Maine
RANGELEY HIGHLANDER • December 26, 2025
Area birders participated in the 126th Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 14, marking the 50th running of the Farmington Circle as part of the nation’s longest-running community science bird project. Nineteen participants surveyed birds across New Vineyard, Industry, downtown Farmington, New Sharon, West Farmington, East Wilton, Temple, Fairbanks and Strong. Together, they logged about 45 hours and recorded 41 species.
SUN JOURNAL • December 26, 2025
The High Peaks Alliance is preparing for a leadership transition as founding board member and current board President Lloyd Griscom steps down at the end of December, passing the role to longtime board member and Vice President John Rogers. Griscom helped launch the Alliance to ensure that local voices guided the future of Maine’s High Peaks, one of the state’s largest and most intact wild landscapes. Over his tenure, he played a central role in building trust among hunters, hikers, ATV riders, landowners, and conservation partners, turning early conflicts into long-term collaborations that balanced public access with habitat conservation. Looking ahead, the Alliance also announced the launch of the High Peaks Naturalist Series, a free monthly program of guided walks and talks led by certified Maine Master Naturalists. The series will begin in January 2026.
SUN JOURNAL • December 25, 2025
Maine Huts & Trails is launching a series of free, guided winter outdoor programs beginning Jan. 3, offering community members and visitors a chance to explore the organization’s trail network with expert guidance and an emphasis on accessibility and safety. The rotating schedule includes guided snowshoe outings, cross-country ski trips for a range of ability levels, family-friendly nature explorations and fat bike rides. All programs take place on sections of the Maine Huts trail system, which includes a 25-mile groomed linear trail and additional ungroomed side trails. Programs are open to the public at no cost, though participants are asked to bring their own equipment.
MAINE PUBLIC • December 24, 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning of a Salmonella outbreak that may be linked to contaminated oysters. As of Tuesday, 64 people in 22 states, including one in Maine, have been infected. But the CDC said there are likely more cases linked to the outbreak. Of the 44 cases with information available, 20 patients were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The CDC said many reported eating raw oysters. The agency is working to identify the source of the oysters.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 24, 2025
What’s recyclable in one Maine community may not be in the next, leaving the most well-intentioned residents feeling uncertain. But there are ways to trim the waste. Some coastal communities use discarded trees to prevent coastal erosion and stabilize shorelines. The Maine DEP suggests rural residents toss them in the backyard to enrich the soil and create wildlife habitat. Farms with goats are often happy to accept untreated trees as a winter snack. There are responsible ways to recycle old or broken lights. Staples stores throughout Maine have take-back programs that accept holiday lights. Scrunch wrapping paper into a tight ball. If it stays wrinkled and compressed, it is recyclable. If it bounces back, it contains non-paper materials like plastic or foil and must go in the trash. Standard alkaline batteries are not a fire risk and can be placed in the household trash. All rechargeable batteries must be taken to a designated take-back facility.
