Non-Target Catches

THE MAINE SPORTSMAN • June 2026

Non-target catches are one of the problems a trapper has to deal with. The capture of a Canda lynx must be reported to a game warden or biologist prior to removing the animal from the trap, unless a Department official cannot be reached in time to prevent injury to the lynx.

Help Keep the News Coming

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

The 10 hikes across Maine that will get you from your couch to Katahdin this year

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 25, 2026

The clock is ticking and you’ve got to get ready for the big Katahdin climb, but you don’t know where to start. Not to worry. You’ve got all summer to go from the couch to Katahdin, but it’ll take a little discipline and some regular hiking to improve your physical fitness, which will increase your safety measure and maximize enjoyment of your day on the peak. To train for tackling lofty Katahdin you’ll want to start small — a local hill, for example — and slowly but surely work your way up to higher mountains, longer miles and larger elevation gains. 
• Bradbury Mountain
• Bauneg Beg Mountain
• Great Pond Mountain
• Round Top Mountain
• Cadillac Mountain
• Mt. Zircon
• Caribou Mountain
• Little Jackson Mountain
• Old Speck

The websites and essential lists to know before you hike

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 25, 2026

There is a lot of advice online for where to hike, what to bring and how to maximize your time outdoors on the trails. Here is Carey Kish’s list of some sites to familiarize yourself with before hitting the trails, to ensure you hike safely, have a good time and respect nature. A few websites for Maine trails: mainetrailfinder.com, mainebyfoot.com.If you follow our couch-to-Katahdin guide to hiking, here are two sites to consult with information on Baxter State Park: Baxter State Park, baxterstatepark.org, Friends of Baxter State Park, friendsofbaxter.org. According to the National Park Service, here are 10 items they consider the essentials for safe hiking in case of minor injuries or changes in weather. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has advice on how to safely and ethically hike and explore the outdoors in a way that has minimal impact on nature.

Maine man creates a 45-acre pasture to feed his ‘millions and millions’ of bees

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 24, 2026

The nectar started flowing in Sangerville about three weeks ago, and the honeybees are busy. On a tour this week of his hives on a hill at Nubik Ranch, Paul Borowski noted the millions of bees were already better organized than they had been in April as they came and went, carrying pollen. He’s cultivated the pasture to support his commercial beekeeping operation, which includes producing honey for sale and beehive colonies and queens that he raises and sells to other beekeepers.

As the weather warms, Maine rescue workers emphasize hiker safety

Clean energy groups encourage public financing for electric transmission

MAINE PUBLIC • May 24, 2026

A new analysis from two pro-clean energy groups suggests that publicly financing high-voltage power lines in New England could save electric customers more than $9 billion over the next few decades. Jamie Dickerson, senior director of climate and clean energy programs at the Acadia Center, said New England's transmission system is old and needs significant investment, with nearly $12 billion already in the development pipeline. ISO-New England estimates up to $26 billion in transmission investment will be needed over the next 25 years. Funding those expected projects with private debt and equity adds significant cost to electric customers. Shifting financing to government bonds, public-private partnerships and other methods could realize big savings compared to profit-driven financing.

CAT ferry reservations are up 30% at start of 2026 season

MAINE PUBLIC • May 24, 2026

The high-speed CAT ferry is back sailing again between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.Bay Ferries Ltd., which operates the service, said pre-season reservations are up nearly 30% as compared to last year. As of mid-May, about 17,770 passengers have made reservations, for an increase of roughly 4,000 bookings. Bay Ferries said the increase is primarily driven by strong interest from Americans wanting to travel to Nova Scotia.

Following the alewives: Gardiner students wade into science on Cobbossee Stream

CENTRAL MAINE • May 24, 2026

Alewives, a species of river herring, migrate by the millions from salt water to fresh water every spring along the East Coast including Maine to spawn. On Tuesday, Gardiner Area High School freshman were scraping off scales and sliding them into an envelope science teacher Elissa Carter held so the scales collected from each fish could become part of a 10-year set of data on alewife migration on the river that flows from Cobbossee Lake through Pleasant Pond and into the Kennebec River. The scales are used to determine the age of the fish. But instead of the fish being able to continue upstream to spawn, that’s as far as they’ll be able to go, before they likely die. They are stymied by dams.

This 1,500-mile running of the bees brings 21 million workers to Maine’s blueberry barrens

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2026

After spending the winter in Florida, millions of bees from Maya’s Apiary join the snowbirds journeying to Maine, to pollinate the state’s wild blueberry crop. Wild blueberries are the only crop in Maine that depend on non-resident honeybees. The state has native wild bees, which are perfectly capable of pollinating the low-bush berries as they have for millennia. But over the last 50 years, the state’s wild blueberry growers have increasingly relied on traveling honeybees working in tandem with the native pollinators for much higher yields. “In most fields, there are not enough background native bees to fully turn every one of those wild berry blossoms into a fruit, which, of course, is our producers’ goal,” said Eric Venturini, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. “A bee has to hit every one of those blossoms.”

Column: I climbed Katahdin 3 times. Here’s what I remember most.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 24, 2026

My most memorable hikes without a fishing rod took place in Baxter State Park. I started camping and fishing the park’s remote trout ponds right after high school, many of which called for easy, generally flat hikes of various lengths to access. During those visits I was well aware of Mount Katahdin, which dominates the southern end of the park, and whenever I caught a glimpse of Baxter Peak I swore I would climb it one day. I eventually did. Looking back, I found the trek across the Knife Edge thrilling. Some might call it exhilarating. I’m not sure I would go that far, but I’m glad I did it, if for no other reason than to check it off my bucket list and take in the views, which are stunning under a bluebird sky. I’ve climbed Maine’s highest mountain three times, am grateful for the gift that is Katahdin and believe every Mainer capable of doing so should make the climb at least once. ~ Al Raychard

Reed Brook Falls in Kingfield

DAILY BULLDOG • May 23, 2026

My destination is Reed Brook Falls in Kingfield, one of my “go-to” Western Maine waterfalls. This wild brook, fed by the last of winter run-off, and the deluge of the past week, will be truly thundering over its steep 40’ drop on this bright day. I want to be there to see it – and to hear it. Once known mostly to locals, and reached by a rough trail that tended to wash out in spring, Reed Brook Falls has become a popular short-hike destination since the completion of a new 0.6 mile trail in 2020. ~ Dour Dunlap

As Spring arrives at Maine farmers markets, so do community connections

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 23, 2026

Farmers markets across southern Maine are now open on Saturdays. Other local markets include the Saco Farmers Market on Saturdays, the Cumberland Farmers Market on Saturdays, the Biddeford Farmers and Makers Market on Sundays, the South Portland Farmers Market on Sundays and many more. Shoppers said they find great produce, homemade products and community at local markets.

Column: There are steps you can take to prevent birds from striking windows

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 23, 2026

Glass, primarily in the form of windows, is a big issue for birds. The problems present in a couple of forms: birds colliding with glass at high speeds, often resulting in injury or death, and birds repeatedly attacking the reflection they see in windows. The “thud” of a bird hitting a window is happening more than a billion times annually in the United States. The Maine Audubon website has a “Homeowners Guide” that includes a section of do’s and don’ts, as well as a recommended products list with options for various applications, at maineaudubon.org/birdsafe. The most important thing to remember if you are treating your windows is to apply treatments to the outside surface. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Voters approved funding to repair York’s Cliff Walk. What’s next?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May x, 2026

York Harbor Beach’s half-mile Cliff Walk begins with a friendly welcome sign. It asks visitors to stay on the path, keep animals and litter off, and enjoy their visit. The scenic oceanside trail has been a pillar of York’s summers for decades. But the popular attraction has been closed since storms decimated it in January 2024. Now, with new funding approved by residents this month, the town is moving closer to finally beginning restorations.

Letter: I’m supporting Jordan Wood for our environment

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 23, 2026

I am a first-year student at Bates College, writing in support of Democratic candidate for Congress, Jordan Wood, who is running to represent Maine’s Second District. I am an environmental studies major. In particular, I’m deeply invested in Maine’s history, innovation, and protection of our water and marine life. That’s why I am voting for Jordan. He promises to fight to protect our land, water, and forests from corporate polluters, beginning with restoring and strengthening the Environmental Protection Agency from the cuts it has seen under the Trump administration, and to work alongside Maine lobstermen, fishermen and farmers to find solutions to protect their livelihoods and our beautiful state. Jordan also promises that he will fight to fully staff our national parks and to protect them from drilling and development. ~ Sophie Smith, Lewiston

5 places off the beaten path in Acadia to visit this summer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 23, 2026

As Acadia National Park welcomes more visitors every year — the park recorded more than 4 million visits in 2025 — some locals and tourists prefer the park’s quieter, lesser known attractions, the spots that aren’t often advertised by tour guides and park rangers. There are still quite a few spots where locals and visitors can enjoy the park’s beauty without facing the summertime crowds.
• Schooner Head Road shore access
• Baker Island
• Airplane wreckage
• Schoodic Institute path
• Ravens Nest

Column: Something crazy happened during this spring’s bird migration in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 23, 2026

Food availability is the chief reason birds migrate. Maine hosts an abundance of insects in May, as you may have noticed, and the days are longer. Daylight length remains constant at the equator. At this time of year, there’s more daylight to feed hungry chicks in Maine than there is in Ecuador. Birds are anxious to reach their nesting destinations as quickly as possible so they can claim the best territory and woo a mate. Neotropical migrants arrive in spring and leave in autumn. That sounds simple. It’s anything but. There’s drama in the treetops for those who notice. ~ Bob Duchesne

Maine gear sharing opportunities you should know about

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 22, 2026

For many Mainers, the biggest obstacle between staying home and heading to the great outdoors is not motivation. It’s the cost. A quality backpack, tent, canoe, or pair of skis can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. And often, that equipment only gets used a few times each year. Fortunately, a growing network of gear-sharing programs is working to lower that barrier by lending outdoor equipment for free or at a low cost. You can find a comprehensive list of these programs at the Maine Gear Library Network hub at mainegearshare.org.

How a fire at a Maine lumber mill went from bad to much worse

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • May 22, 2025

The firefight on May 15 at Robbins Lumber mill in Searsmont went from bad to worse when a five-story silo suddenly exploded, shooting up in the air before crashing down into a warehouse filled with some 5 million board feet of lumber, ready for delivery. A 27-year-old volunteer firefighter was found dead at the scene and 12 others were wounded, some seriously enough to be evacuated to burn units in Boston. Three members of the Robbins family, who have owned the mill for generations and are often upheld as model local business owners, were among those injured. Some people were burned so severely that they could not be immediately recognized. At least three firetrucks were destroyed. And one of Waldo County’s biggest employers and economic engines was taken offline indefinitely.