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
MAINE AUDUBON • March 1, 2026
The third edition of Maine Amphibians and Reptiles explores the lives of 38 fascinating species—from tiny newts to rarely seen sea turtles—found across Maine and the Northeast. Built on 25 years of research, with expanded photos, regional studies, and engaging writing, it’s perfect for scientists and curious readers alike. Join some of the contributors to this fascinating book for a talk followed by a book sale and signing at the Falmouth Memorial Library. Light refreshments will be provided. At Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Rd, Falmouth, ME, March 11, 5:30pm.
MAINE AUDUBON • April 1, 2026
Curious about what critters live in your local streams and freshwater marshes? Learn about Maine Marsh and Stream Explorers, a collaborative community science project between Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This program trains volunteers to survey for macroinvertebrates, or large aquatic insects, in streams and freshwater marshes statewide. April 22, 7 pm, online, preregister.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 19, 2026
With ATV access at every corner of town, Houlton will soon see police patrolling the trails. A new $10,500 state enforcement grant will pay officers to monitor use, reduce resident complaints and educate riders about safety and respect for landowners. Landowners in the state open up more than 10 million acres of working farms and forests for outdoor recreation and “access is a privilege, not a right,” according to Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. All it takes is one ATV rider going through a farmer’s newly planted field to close a trail. The ATV trail system completely surrounds this Aroostook County town of 6,000. Additionally, nearly every local street is a designated trail access road from trailhead to trailhead.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026
A new bridge over the Stroudwater River is a critical milestone in a plan to connect the Fore River Sanctuary and the Stroudwater River Trail. The bridge waited on the ground next to the river for years while the nonprofit Portland Trails completed fundraising and permitting for the project. Now, it stretches across the water with accessible ramps on each bank. It won’t officially open until later this spring — signs warn “Please Use Bridge At Your Own Risk” — but it is traversable. “It’s a major link,” said Jon Kachmar, executive director of Portland Trails. “It will really connect the city in a way that it’s never been connected before.”
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026
A deep winter chill across the Maine woods has kept maple trees dormant longer than usual this year, forcing producers into a high-stakes race against time as the sap finally begins to flow. Southern Maine farmers plan for a mid-February start, but a stubborn winter has held trees in a deep sleep until March. The delay has some worried about the length of their harvest window before the spring warmth causes trees to bud, which ends their season.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026
While spring may not have arrived just yet, if you don’t mind getting a little mud on your shoes, you can start to enjoy Scarborough’s many hiking trails now that the snow and ice are melting. I put a call out on social media asking for readers’ favorite hiking trails in Scarborough.
• Fuller Farm Preserve. On the 224 acres, there are 4 miles of trails, including boardwalks, dirt lanes, natural trail beds and wetlands, according to the Scarborough Land Trust.
• Broadturn Farm. With 434 acres and 2.6 miles of trails, Broadturn Farm is Scarborough Land Trust’s largest property.
• Warren Woods. There are 1.4 miles of trails at the Elaine Stimson Warren Woods, which is located on Payne Road.
• Eastern Trail. The Easter Trail is a 65-mile long multi-use trail spanning from South Portland to Kittery — with some gaps.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026
A fifth-generation Vinalhaven lobsterman is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal regulation requiring commercial lobster boats to be monitored by GPS trackers 24 hours a day. Frank Thompson is challenging a 2023 regulation that requires all federally licensed lobster vessels in the Northeast to install trackers that transmit the ship’s location to the government at least once per minute. Thompson argues the continuous, warrantless surveillance is a violation of his Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Fishing regulators say the data improves understanding of the lobster population and can inform future rules.
AUDUBON • March x, 2026
Over the last 52 years, Audubon’s Seabird Institute, based in Maine, has pioneered ways to encourage seabirds like puffins, terns, storm-petrels, and more, to recolonize historic nesting islands. Many of their techniques revolve around the idea of social attraction, which often involves using decoys, mirrors, and playback of seabird recordings to trick birds into thinking that an abandoned colony is a popular place. Deceptive? Maybe, but also very effective. With the techniques they developed, the Seabird Institute has restored nesting seabird species that occurred in Maine prior to European colonization, reversing island- and state-wide extirpations that occurred decades and centuries earlier. To disseminate this information to seabird managers around the world, the institute established the Herz Fellowship.
TIMES RECORD • March 20, 2026
Searchers will be out on Brunswick trails this weekend looking for Rebecca Dorr, who has been missing since late January. The town’s Parks and Recreation Department announced Friday that trails at the Town Commons will be closed Saturday and Sunday as the Maine Warden Service and other search-and-rescue crews relaunch their search. The search for Dorr had previously been suspended due to snow and cold temperatures. Dorr is impacted by mental health issues.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026
Buoyed by high quality of life and job market strength, Portland cracked the top 10 in a recent national study that ranked small cities for career opportunities. The market study from CoworkingCafe, which looked at nearly 300 cities with populations under 250,000, cited Portland as one of the northeast’s most livable and well-rounded cities.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026
In the coming weeks, the Maine Legislature will consider whether to renew its investment in Land for Maine’s Future (LMF), a statewide initiative that has helped communities protect the landscapes that define Maine. This decision offers an opportunity to reflect on a simple truth: Investing in land is also an investment in the health, resilience and prosperity of our communities. The program has helped safeguard drinking water sources, protect the natural resources and working landscapes that fuel our economy and ensure that Mainers of all ages, abilities, interests and backgrounds enjoy access to the outdoors. Today, however, LMF has largely exhausted its available funding. Without renewed support from the Legislature, opportunities to protect the lands that matter most to Maine communities will be lost. ~ Aaron Dority, Frenchman Bay Conservancy, and Amelia Nadio, York Land Trust
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 20, 2026
The blueberry barren on Northport’s Bird Hill is a favorite local spot to hike, stargaze, hunt, paint, watch birds and take senior photos. In the fall and winter, the blueberry plants turn shades of crimson and maroon, and the ledgy hilltop offers arresting views of the Camden hills. But by July, this spot could be home to an RV resort. A Massachusetts couple is under contract to buy the property from Jasper Wyman & Son, the state’s largest blueberry producer. They plan to eventually build up to 80 RV sites, clusters of geodesic domes for glamping, and spaces for wellness retreats. A group of Northport residents are trying to stop the development. On Monday, they will present a petition, signed by more than 200 people so far, to the Select Board expressing opposition to the resort. They are also asking the board to put before voters a 180-day moratorium on commercial and large-scale housing development.
TIMES RECORD • March 19, 2026
A community forum will connect farmers, people who work in food security and Midcoast residents to discuss how federal funding cuts are affecting Maine farms next week in Topsham. Community Conversation: Food, Farms, and Families will be held at the Topsham Public Library from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, featuring panelists from Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Center for Economic Policy, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and Full Plates Full Potential.
FRIENDS OF CASCO BAY • March 19, 2026
Friends of Casco Bay is proud to partner once again with the Ocean Currents class at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) for an exhibit of student work inspired by Casco Bay. This exhibit, on display in the Congress Street windows at MECA&D in Portland from April 7 to April 18, showcases how those experiences took shape in their creative work — offering fresh perspectives on the waters that define our region and inviting viewers to see Casco Bay through a new lens. A reception to celebrate the artists, artworks, and Casco Bay will be held on April 8, 2026, at 5:30 pm in the lobby at MECA&D.
SUN JOURNAL • March 19, 2026
The Auburn City Council on Monday took steps toward protecting the city’s best farmland from development. On first reading, councilors adopted ordinance amendments preventing solar arrays and other types of construction projects on farmlands in the agriculture and resource protection zoning district. Current ordinance language allows solar arrays and single-family houses to be constructed on prime farmland or farmland of statewide significance in the agriculture zone. It was an issue previously raised by councilors and then kicked over to the planning board.
UNITED NATIONS • March 19, 2026
Forests and economies is the theme of the 2026 International Day of Forests, March 21, celebrating the essential roles of forests in driving economic prosperity. These roles go well beyond income and jobs from forest production and the trade of renewable raw materials and foods: forests also sustain family and community agriculture, enhance agricultural productivity, and safeguard healthy watersheds.
REWILDING • March 19, 2026
World Rewilding Day is a key moment to demonstrate the global presence, relevance, and momentum of the rewilding movement, showing the world what rewilding looks like in action.By taking part, as an organisation or a citizen, you contribute to a powerful, unified narrative: one where hope is grounded in evidence, and a thriving future is already being built. When we show up together, our impact is amplified,
and our movement becomes impossible to ignore.
SEACOAST ONLINE • March 19, 2026
As the Marginal Way in Ogunquit marks its 100th anniversary, the Marginal Way Preservation Fund is celebrating the milestone with major investments aimed at protecting the beloved coastal path for generations to come. The fund has contributed more than $1 million toward storm‑related repairs and long‑term preservation efforts, and its endowment has reached $4.5 million for the first time — a milestone leaders say strengthens its ability to safeguard the National Register of Historic Places site well into the next century.
MAINE MORNING STAR • March 19, 2026
The Maine Department of Transportation’s project to address flooding on Route 127 could provide a model for encouraging climate readiness, public safety, and the health of marshes damaged by roads, but Arrowsic and Georgetown officials are concerned that the department’s plans fall short of those goals. The $5 million project plans to increase the height of about a half-mile of road and replace two culverts before its scheduled completion in December 2029. Maine DOT asserts that its methods for calculating changes to the road’s height and culvert sizes are based on sound consideration of multiple factors. But the department’s proposal omits specific provisions for marsh resilience and less flood-prone road heights that Arrowsic officials have asked for since May 2024.
