The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 20, 2020
A cruise ship sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic may tie up in Eastport for the summer, but some residents said they’re worried that the crew could drain local resources and potentially infect the local population. The Port Authority of Eastport has approved a plan for the MS Riviera, operated by Oceania Cruises, to dock at its breakwater until at least the end of June.
NBC • May 19, 2020
This is typically a busy time of year for research scientists who would otherwise be tracking and photographing North Atlantic right whales as they make their way to Canada, but COVID-19 has put a pause on their research and it could have a lasting impacting on critical data. Without being able to travel to Canada amid COVID-19, there is no way to determine how many right whales are dying - another critical element in their data collection. Scientists are hoping to be able to resume research in August.
MAINE PUBLIC • May 19, 2020
Good Shepherd Food Bank President Kristen Miale: “I would love to see a more concentrated effort to support more regional food systems. The Northeast Region still imports something like more than 80% of our food and imports it not only from other parts of the country, but largely from other parts of the world. All of the agriculture supports that our country does is for massive, huge scaled, ag businesses. Medium sized farms are aren’t helped by the way our ag policy is set up. It’s really just the massive agribusinesses that we just don’t have here in New England. So that’s what I’d like to see change is just a real policy shift to recognizing the value of supporting regional food systems.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 19, 2020
The federal government is continuing to waive the need for some fishing vessels to carry at-sea monitors. At-sea monitors and fishery observers collect data on board fishing boats that help inform the management of U.S. fisheries. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office has waived the requirement for vessels with Northeast fishing permits to carry the monitors through May 30.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 19, 2020
Researchers who track the prevalence of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Maine are getting more submissions of the pests this year. The University of Maine Tick Lab has received 780 submissions of ticks so far in 2020. It took until June 10 to reach that number last year. Ticks can carry diseases such as Lyme disease, which has been increasing in caseload in Maine over the past two decades.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 19, 2020
The world cut its daily carbon dioxide emissions by 17 percent at the peak of the pandemic shutdown last month, a new study found. But with life and heat-trapping gas levels inching back toward normal, the brief pollution break will likely be “a drop in the ocean” when it comes to climate change, scientists said.
YALE • May 19, 2020
Valuing Nature by Bill Ginn will serve as a font of knowledge in understanding the evolution of conservation deal-making over the past decade. Ginn makes no mistake that the real work lies ahead, but offers great insight, framing, and expertise for practitioners to draw on. ~ Leigh Whelpton, Director, Conservation Finance Network
FREE PRESS • May 19, 2020
Maine Board of Environmental Protection will hold a deliberative session Wednesday, May 20, and Thursday, May 21, on applications by Nordic Aquafarms for four permits required for its proposed land-based salmon farm in Belfast. The facility would produce 33,000 metric tons of Atlantic salmon to be sold in Northeast U.S. markets. Nordic says this will help solve a supply shortage while reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. Opponents argue that the project is the latest in a history of industrial developments that have left a legacy of pollution in Penobscot Bay.
FREE PRESS • May 19, 2020
Here in Maine, we have a plethora of open forest to wander around in. Nowdays, after just turning 60 and living in Belfast, I don’t have much appetite for driving down to the next county just to take a quick walk. So instead, I have access to a number of local trails. My favorite of these is the Little River Trail. ~ Dan Kirchoff
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 19, 2020
My name is Henry Mulvey. I am 22 years old. I have been coming to Maine on summer vacation since I was about 3. Those trips have defined who I am. It would be devastating to my mental health if this quarantine mandate were in place through July and August. There must be a way to save summer vacations in Maine for those who want one and save the businesses that depend on summer. ~ Henry Mulvey, Conway, Mass.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 19, 2020
Maine recorded its worst year for Lyme disease in 2019, with 2,079 reported cases statewide. Experts in infectious disease weren’t surprised. And there’s no indication that the upward trend won’t continue this year. In recognition of May being Lyme Disease Awareness Month, the Maine CDC is actively spreading the word about how to prevent tick bites. “Wear your repellent. Treat clothing. Always remember to do a tick check, and don’t forget to do a tick check on your pets as well,” said Sara Robinson, Maine CDC infectious disease epidemiology program director.
SUN JOURNAL • May 18, 2020
Walking in the woods. Walking on trails. Walking laps around our respective backyards which, while boring, is at least free from people bearing COVID-19/overly loud opinions about COVID-19/overly loud opinions about people with COVID-19 opinions. However, outside has something shopping malls never did: Bears. Well, and black flies and ticks, but those critters can be swatted and/or DEETed into submission. Bears, not so much. Protect yourself. Here are some things that might help.
MORNING SENTINEL • May 11, 2020
Under the new Unity College: Hybrid Learning program, which was announced last Friday, students now have the option to complete their degree through a mix of online, remote, onsite and on-campus courses. For the fall semester, the majors eligible for the program include conservation law enforcement, captive wildlife care, wildlife and fisheries biology, environmental science, and environmental studies.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 18, 2020
Owners of campgrounds and restaurants in southern Maine have sued Gov. Janet Mills for imposing a 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travelers coming here. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to lift the requirement. Three residents of Maine and New Hampshire also are plaintiffs — they claim the quarantine rule violates their constitutional right to travel freely within the United States.
MAINE GOVERNMENT NEWS • May 18, 2020
May 18-22, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is marking Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week, Arbor Week, and with states across the nation, National Invasive Species Awareness Week.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 18, 2020
Bristol Seafood is closing its processing plant on the Portland Fish Pier after tests confirmed some workers have COVID-19. The plant will be closed voluntarily to conduct a thorough cleaning and test all employees.
GIZMODO • May 18, 2020
Freakishly warm air has billowed up from Siberia over the Arctic Ocean and parts of Greenland, and the heat will only intensify in the coming days. The warmth is helping to spread widespread wildfires and to kickstart ice melt season early, both ominous signs of what summer could hold. Russia had its hottest winter ever recorded, driven largely by Siberian heat. That heat hasn’t let up as the calendar turns to spring. In fact, it’s intensified and spread across the Arctic. Last month was the hottest April on record for the globe, driven by high Arctic temperatures that averaged an astounding 17 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
MORNING SENTINEL • May 17, 2020
These are tough times for all of us. Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce is hopeful the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project will bring our state some of the new jobs we will need to start our economic recovery. Already, four well-known companies have received contracts totaling more than $300 million to build the project. They will need more than 1,600 people to get it done, and they will be giving preference to Mainers when they fill those jobs. The sooner they start the better. ~ Kimberly N. Lindlof, Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce and Central Maine Growth Council
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 18, 2020
The woods near the SeDoMoCha Middle-Elementary School may be too swampy for construction, but a group motivated to enhance outdoor learning opportunities is rebuilding it as a living laboratory. Thanks in part to a $7,350 grant from the Piscataquis County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, a nature trail developed at the Dover-Foxcroft site nearly a half-century ago is in line for a makeover.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 18, 2020
This spring, tick experts at the University of Maine Tick Lab have noticed a big increase in the number of ticks that the public is submitting for testing. They think this upward trend might be linked to people spending more time outdoors than usual during the COVID-19 pandemic.
