On this date in Maine history: June 1

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 1, 2020

June 1, 1978: A state law, commonly known as the Bottle Bill, requiring that consumers pay a deposit on all soft drink, beer, wine cooler and mineral water containers takes effect in Maine. Proponents of the Bottle Bill cited the need to reduce litter, an increasing problem because of the growing use of disposable containers in the marketplace. After a heated campaign in 1976, voters approved a referendum in support of the deposit law, 58 percent to 42 percent. The law is expanded in 1990 to include other types of beverage containers.

Maine Voices: CMP line would bring clean power to New England

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 1, 2020

Leading scientists debunk criticisms by the transmission project's opponents that Hydro Quebec power isn’t clean, that it will cause ecological damage largely through an existing corridor, that CMP and Hydro will earn unfair profits from the project. To reduce carbon emissions, we need to electrify heating and transportation which requires all available forms of clean energy including Canadian hydropower. ~ Tony Marple, Whitefield

State beaches, Acadia National Park opening with COVID-19 changes

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 1, 2020

Ten coastal state parks or historic sites along with Acadia National Park are opening to the public on Monday, although visitors should expect coronavirus-related restrictions and fewer services. The following state parks are reopening Monday:
• Crescent Beach State Park
• Ferry Beach State Park
• Fort Baldwin
• Popham Beach State Park
• Fort Popham
• Kettle Cove State Park
• Mackworth Island
• Reid State Park
• Scarborough Beach State Park
• Two Lights State Park

Going to Thorncrag? Leave your dog home

SUN JOURNAL • June 1, 2020

Over the last two months we have kept Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary in Lewiston open as we saw early on that many community members, especially families, were taking advantage of the trails on our 450-acre property to get a chance to get outside while staying “safer at home.” Among our rules is the fact that dogs, with the exception of service dogs, are not allowed. Birds and other wildlife see dogs, even friendly ones as predators and can be very sensitive to their presence.

New England Cod Fishery Restrictions In Place This Spring

ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 31, 2020

Federal fishing managers say commercial fishing for Atlantic cod is limited by closures off the coast of New England this spring. Cod were once the subject of one of the largest fisheries in the country, but it has collapsed after years of overfishing and is much smaller than it once was. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said cod protection closures in the Gulf of Maine are taking place throughout May and June. More are scheduled in the fall.

New campaign helps Maine residents plan local outdoor adventures this summer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2020

“Like many businesses right now, the outdoor recreation businesses are certainly impacted by the coronavirus from reduced sales, closed doors and canceled reservations,” said Jenny Kordick, executive director of Maine Outdoor Brands. “But at the same time, we’ve also seen an increase in people wanting to get outdoors. The outdoors is having a special moment right now, and we see an opportunity there.” Throughout June, Adventure Local Maine will give away outdoor gear and experience packages from participating outdoor brands. All you have to do is sign up for their email newsletter through the website.

RVs rise in popularity as vacationers seek a safe distance from

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 31, 2020

In Maine and across the country, sales and rentals of RVs, or recreational vehicles, are on the rise this spring as people turn to a mode of leisure travel that allows them to avoid airports, hotels and, most notably, crowds.

Column: Late-season hunt calls for a change in your turkey tactics

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 31, 2020

Finding birds to hunt is now more difficult, partly because there are far fewer of them. Hunters have had a month to pursue the wily wild turkey and many of the more popular places have been picked clean. Those few remaining birds are more reticent, and the tall grass and verdant leaf cover makes them harder to see. On the positive side, there’s less competition, more opportunity to work a bird without interference. ~ Bob Humphrey 

Column: A decrease in noise pollution from stay-at-home orders a bonus for birds

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 31, 2020

One silver lining from the stay-at-home orders is our reduced carbon emissions, though we still have a long way to go to meet state and international goals of reducing warming to only 1.5 degrees C by 2030. An important thing to remember is that wildlife has always been here. It is only our reduced activity, and perhaps increased awareness, that is increasing the reporting and detection of these critters. ~ Doug Hitchcox, Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist

Letter: Responsible vacationers can brighten Maine’s fiscal picture

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 31, 2020

Like thousands of would-be tourists, I am hoping to spend a week or so visiting Maine late this summer. Months ago I made reservations to fly into Portland where I would rent a car. Then I have accommodations booked for seven nights along the coast as far north as Stonington. At the moment your governor has implemented a 14-day quarantine for out-of-state visitors. But it makes no sense for us to be bottled up in a motel for two weeks before taking a one-week vacation. It’s time for the governor to review the quarantine policy, and consider the potential devastation that this restriction would cause to your tourist industry. ~ Peter Gilderson, Madison, Miss.

Organic farmers ‘in trouble’ as Maine home gardeners deplete compost supplies

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2020

Compost producers have sold unprecedented amounts of compost to consumers and garden centers since the pandemic began, as stay-at-home orders have prompted more people to plant gardens. Suppliers, in turn, are nearly out of the product, putting Maine organic farmers, who need the material to meet certification standards, in a tight spot.

As summer nears, the Maine hospitality industry braces for the unknown

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2020

Across Maine, business owners in the hospitality industry — which include owners of restaurants, motels, lodges, amusement parks, white water rafting companies and others — are wrestling with unprecedented uncertainty as the time left to save the summer tourist season, and with it the livelihoods of thousands of Mainers, grows smaller by the day. Business owners across the state and country are making decisions about the future of their businesses while operating with a dearth of information about the virus, the tourist season and, in some cases, when they will be allowed to reopen to out-of-state visitors. Perhaps no industry has been more disrupted than the hospitality industry, which depends on tourists and sells socially intimate experiences.

Mount Apatite Park: A city oasis where ‘social distancing just kind of happens on its own’

SUN JOURNAL • May 31, 2020

It’s a sunny afternoon in mid-May and something strange is happening at Mount Apatite Park on the western edge of Auburn. From one end of the 350-acre park to the other, things just seem so normal. People are clearly taking pains to keep their distance from passing strangers, but it all seems much easier to bear out in that wilderness. Improvements have made the area even more popular, drawing a range of outdoor enthusiasts, including dog walkers, joggers, mountain bikers, hikers, bird-watchers and gem hunters. 

Rebuttal: Avangrid’s suit is legally correct

SUN JOURNAL • May 31, 2020

Richard Bennett’s guest column (May 24) “Avangrid versus the people of Maine” is dead wrong. Lawmakers in Maine, whether sitting as an elected state Legislature or as citizens (“electors”) initiating legislation, have no authority to act in violation of Maine’s Constitution or to exceed the parameters of initiative rights laid out in the Constitution. Bennett’s “… right for self determination in a citizens’ initiative…” is not without limits. The proposed NECEC transmission line (in full compliance with Maine law) was subject to lengthy and rigorous PUC, DEP and LUPC scrutiny. All three of these impartial state agencies approved the project after multiple public hearings and with strict conditions that protect Maine ratepayers and the environment. ~ Orlando Delogu, professor of law, Portland

More people on the trails raises health concerns for some

SUN JOURNAL • May 30, 2020

Dodging, veering, pausing, speeding up and going off-path has become a way of life for runners as COVID-19 has kicked up the popularity of trail use in Maine. Some users are even calling for closing trails out of safety concerns. In Lisbon, the scenic Androscoggin River Trail is a high-traffic path these days, with its parking lot often overflowing with cars on weekends. Its popularity has led a few local runners to call for it to be shut down.

Editorial: Pandemic allows communities to reimagine themselves

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 30, 2020

Bangor, Portland, Belfast and Rockland are among the Maine communities that are considering changes to their downtowns to make them more pedestrian friendly as many businesses struggle to make it through the coronavirus pandemic and its restrictions. Anne Ball, the program director of the Maine Downtown Center, said this is “a golden opportunity,” a time for communities and businesses to experiment and innovate. And, at the same time, to make their downtowns more accessible to everyone, especially those who are walking or riding bikes.

Opinion: It is not enough just to be against a new proposal

VILLAGE SOUP • May 30, 2020

Nordic Aquafarm Inc.'s plan, while promising environmental protection, increased jobs and other economic benefits, includes the destruction of green space on the Little River in Belfast. There is a better future for the Belfast Bay area: preservation of the Little River, its reservoirs, wetlands and forests. A large and growing coalition of organizations and citizens is preparing to carry this issue as far as the Maine Supreme Court. ~ Sidney Block, The Friends of the Harriet L. Hartley Conservation Area

The Trump Presidency Is the Worst Ever for Public Lands

OUTSIDE • May 29, 2020

The total area of public lands that have already lost protections during Donald Trump’s presidency, or which his administration is working to reduce protections for, amounts to almost 35 million acres. That’s nearly the size of [two Maines]. “President Trump is the only president in U.S. history to have removed more public lands than he protected.” This scale of degradation to our nation’s natural heritage has taken place in less than a single presidential term.

EPA reaches settlement over Sprague oil tank emissions

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 29, 2020

Sprague Resources LP has agreed to reduce air pollution from heated petroleum storage tanks at its facilities in South Portland, Searsport and five other New England cities, according to a federal lawsuit and proposed consent decree filed Friday. Under the proposed settlement, Sprague must properly license and take steps to reduce odors and emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, from heated tanks storing No. 6 heavy residual fuel oil and asphalt.

Justice Department Says Maine’s 2-Week Quarantine Rule Discriminates Against Tourists

MAINE PUBLIC • May 29, 2020

The U.S. Department of Justice is siding with Maine campground and restaurant owners who have filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Maine over the 14-day self-quarantine for out-of-state residents. The restriction was imposed by Gov. Janet Mills as part of the state's response to the ongoing pandemic. At least 20 other states have imposed similar measures.