Opinion: CMP is pushing a dirty energy plan for Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 25, 2020

ICentral Maine Power has doubled down on their claim that the New England Clean Energy will bring “clean” energy to New England. This nothing from the truth. CMP’s expensive ads would lead one to believe that they are tackling this project because they care deeply about climate change – not profit. During the Department of Environmental Protection permitting effort, their lawyer made it very clear this project was not about climate change at least six times. This project is a bad deal for Maine, and needs to be rejected at the ballot box in November. ~ Tom Saviello, former Republican state legislator who chaired the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee

Letter: Don’t end quarantine rule for tourists

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 25, 2020

There has been much debate over Gov. Mills’s 14-day quarantine for out-of-state visitors. For those who say “the virus isn’t in my town,” the fastest way to bring it here is to invite residents of Massachusetts and New York to come visit. I want our economy back, but we’ve done too good a job and sacrificed too much to open our doors to places where the virus runs rampant. ~ Daniel Smith,Yarmouth

Letter: Don’t buy into CMP’s fear-mongering

MORNING SENTINEL • May 25, 2020

Saying that Central Maine Power’s corridor will be offering beneficial jobs to many Maine workers is a gross exaggeration. I am pleased that Maine’s supreme court has allowed this referendum to be on the ballot in November. Don’t let CMP’s aggressive fear-inducing marketing campaign sway your vote. Say no to the New England Clean Energy Connect. ~ Linda Woods, Waterville

This Amish farm’s in-ground greenhouse is the first of its kind in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 25, 2020

An Amish farm in rural Aroostook County is not usually the type of place people look to for something new and innovative. But the Mountain View Farm in Dyer Brook has done just that, thanks to a partnership with a local food delivery company and Unity College to produce a commercial greenhouse that is likely the first of its kind in the state. It is a type of greenhouse that is buried underground within the soil, though the roof remains uncovered to let sunlight in. “What that does is allow the greenhouse to use geothermal heat and cooling to keep it at a good temperature year-round for growing all kinds of fun produce,” Roxanne Bruce, the founder and owner of ShopSmallFarms LLC, said.

Letter: A message to visitors

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 25, 2020

Our governor has giv,en a message to potential visitors with the purpose of preserving public health while opening the tourist season: if you come from out of Maine, self-quarantine for two weeks before you enjoy your vacation. Unfortunately, that broad dictum invites ignoring her, or worse , the message of you are not welcome here. Rather, Gov. Janet Mills ought to give a more fine-tuned set of guidelines to tourists. Yes, we are a welcoming state, but visitors should avoid all chances of congregating, tour our great vistas only by car, and practice social distancing, always using masks. ~ Steve Colhoun, Addison

Preservationists Hit Land Protection Goal in Southern Maine

ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 24, 2020

Land conservation groups in southern Maine said they've reached a goal of protecting 1,500 acres of open space over the past six years. The groups focused on a six-town area around Mount Agamenticus, a monadanock in York. The Mount Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative said it completed the drive through 34 different projects. The conservation initiative said its long-term goal is to protect 19,000 acres in the area, and it is close to 15,000 acres.

Girl’s screams for help lead to rescue of her dad, sister from Maine pond

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 24, 2020

A naked teenager’s cries for help on Parlin Pond Sunday afternoon are credited with helping rescuers save the lives of her father and sister, whose boat capsized. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said 14-year-old Kiana French of Skowhegan swam to shore, took her clothes off, and started screaming for someone to help her father and sister. Kiana told rescuers that she took her clothing off because she remembered seeing someone doing it on a reality TV show. Emily MacCabe, the first person to hear the girl’s screams, said the only reason she saw the girl was that her fair skin contrasted against the dark trees. Game Warden Kris MacCabe rescued her father, Gary French, and his daughter Cierrah French, who were in the water with their lifejackets on.

Several wildfires rage across Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 24, 2020

Wildfires raged across the state Sunday, destroying a shorefront home in Embden and touching off fires in Gouldsboro, Dedham, Etna, and Limington. Sunday’s wildfire danger map, which was posted on the Maine Forestry Service website, shows that all of the state was at high or very high risk of wildfires. Last week, two wildfires in northern Maine burned 280 acres, with the largest fire in Island Falls destroying 236 acres. A second fire in Baxter State Park burned 45 acres on Thursday.

As beaches reopen, a record number of piping plovers are nesting

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 24, 2020

Maine Audubon has spotted 100 pairs and 61 active nests so far this year, a positive sign for the spring nesting season. Last year, the group reported 89 nesting pairs and 175 fledged chicks, which was a record for Maine. The tiny beachcombers have been rebounding for years but remain endangered in Maine. The pandemic has changed beach traffic in southern Maine during a critical time for the plovers, but the effect has been different based on beach and town. Some beaches have been open and experiencing more visitors than usual. Other beaches have been closed for weeks, so the birds have been able to nest with little interference.

Mills Allows Maine Camp Grounds To Reopen For Memorial Day Weekend

MAINE PUBLIC • May 24, 2020

Gov. Janet Mills is allowing campgrounds to reopen this weekend , but some operators say they are not quite ready. “I didn’t feel like jumping right to it was the appropriate thing to do either on a health level and on an operational level.” Neil Lyman was tiling a bathroom when he learned of Mills’ decision to reopen campgrounds for the holiday weekend. He says logistics will keep him from reopening Winslow Park, which he manages in Freeport. Many campgrounds, like Lyman’s, plan to open June 1.

Mass shift to remote work could redefine Maine’s climate goals

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

The most effective way to slash climate-changing gases and fossil-fuel burning is to electrify the economy, spending untold millions of taxpayer and utility customer dollars to help move people in electric vehicles and warm buildings with heat pumps. That’s the conventional thinking among many environmental advocates, although the process could take decades. Over the past several weeks, though, another idea has been under discussion. Because transportation accounts for half of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions, how about permanently shifting a high percentage of office work to the home?

2020 Source Award: The Pedal Pusher

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

For its work making Maine’s roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians, and encouraging environmentally friendly forms of transportation, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine has received a 2020 Source Award. Formed in 1992, the Portland-based coalition has long been recognized for getting more Mainers to ride through its annual Great Maine Bike Swap, in which hundreds of people look for good deals on used bikes. In the last six years, the group has also become known for its annual Bike Maine tour.

2020 Source Award: The Seaweed Supplier

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

Atlantic Sea Farms of Saco started out growing seaweed, but is now trying to grow a Maine industry. The company began in 2009 as commercial seaweed farming operation called Ocean Approved. It began to expand its mission in 2018, later changing its name to reflect that, and now partners with about two dozen fishermen and women up and down the Maine coast. The fishermen grow the seaweed in their offseasons, then sell it to Atlantic Sea Farms, which produces kelp-based products for sale online, in Whole Foods and other stores, and for use by several health-focused casual restaurant chains.

2020 Source Award: The Force Field

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

Daniel Mays wanted to celebrate the 10th year of Frith Farm in style, so he put 60 solar panels on the roof of his Scarborough barn. Frith Farm is a small, no-till farm that puts high value on increasing biodiversity and strengthening community by growing good food and being a good neighbor. Mays and his team grow organic vegetables, herbs and flowers and host workshops and community events. In recognition of investment, Frith Farm is a winner of a 2020 Source sustainability award.

2020 Source Award: The Seed Saver

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

Will Bonsall is doing everything he can find these days to call attention, and funding, to his Scatterseed Project, which he founded in 1981 to preserve endangered crop diversity. He has one more banner to raise. Bonsall is a winner of a 2020 Source Seed Saver award for his work as a master seed saver. It doesn’t come with the financial clout of the MacArthur genius grant, which pays north of $600,000 over five years, but the Source award recognizes Bonsall’s dedication to plant-based, self-reliant gardening and farming and his unique place in the world of seed saving, where he has achieved exalted status.

2020 Source Award: The Invasives Innovator

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

Marissa McMahan grew up in midcoast Maine, attended Georgetown Central Elementary and spent glorious days of her childhood on her father’s lobster boat. These days, Dr. Marissa McMahan visits Georgetown Central, among other schools, passing on her curiosity – and her knowledge – of local species in the Gulf of Maine, and invasive species, especially the notorious green crab. McMahan, 34, is a marine biologist and the Fisheries Division Director of Manomet, a Massachusetts-based sustainability nonprofit center. She is our 2020 Source “Invasives Innovator” award winner.

2020 Source Award: The Lakes Lobbyist

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

Linda Rice made a name for herself on Broadway and TV working with wigs and hair, but in Maine she’s become a tireless, self-taught crusader against another kind of growth – the invasive plants that choke local lakes. Rice, 64, has logged 10-hour days as a boat inspector, making sure that watercraft entering her beloved North Pond aren’t carrying milfoil or some other threatening invasive plant. In addition to serving on the board of the North Pond Association, she’s volunteered or worked with 7 Lakes Alliance, Maine Lakes Society and Lake Stewards of Maine.

Column: With 15 ‘Bald’ mountains in Maine, there’s sure to be one near you

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

Any mountain with “bald” in its name is, of course, a natural draw for hikers. The name itself – Bald Mountain – evokes images of wide, sweeping views and beautiful scenery. Dedham Bald Mountain, near Bar Harbor, is one shining example.

Editorial: Maine tourism industry need disaster relief

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 24, 2020

Out-of-state visitors are required to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days before going out in Maine. Since most visits to Maine are much shorter than two weeks in length, this alone could spell disaster for the state’s $6.5 billion industry. With the season now here, it’s clear that there is no magic trick that will bring back 2019 levels of visitors. We need federal disaster relief for the businesses and workers hit hardest by this public health catastrophe because there is no way that many of these businesses will survive otherwise. This problem cannot be fixed simply by lifting regulations. “Reopen the economy” might look good on a poster, but in Maine what you are really saying is reopen the border and let the out-of-state visitors back in, without restriction.

Wardens emphasize safety on Maine waters this weekend

SUN JOURNAL • May 23, 2020

Maine Game Warden Sgt. Jason Luce and Warden Neal Wykes patrolled the choppy water of Brandy Pond in Naples on Saturday as part of National Safe Boating Week, an initiative designed to stress the importance of staying safe on the water, particularly now, as water temperatures barely crest 60 degrees and hypothermia potentially can set in within minutes.