BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 19, 2026
The Maine Department of Transportation is moving ahead with plans for a ferry that is less climate-friendly than some Islesboro residents had hoped. The agency is now recommending a hybrid vessel that primarily relies on diesel and will only use 20% less fuel than the current ferry on the route, the 40-year old M/V Margaret Chase Smith. Some Islesboro residents are disappointed that the agency has missed an opportunity to make deeper emissions cuts even as the need to address climate change is more urgent than ever. The island’s fishermen and aquaculture growers are already being affected by warming oceans and acidification, both of which are linked to climate change, making it urgent to address emissions.