Changes at Great Works Regional Land Trust

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 23, 2020

Great Works Regional Land Trust welcomes new executive director Danielle Olsen. Olsen comes to GWRLT from Pennsylvania, where she served as the statewide director of Watershed Planning for a small nonprofit, and brings experience in land protection, conservation planning and community engagement. GWRLT also welcomed two new members: Sandy Agrafiotis and Leigh Peake. Agrafiotis helped found the land trust in 1987, served previously on its board, and has played a significant role in land protection in the Tatnic region. Peake brings expertise in environmental education as the chief education officer for Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Both live in South Berwick.

Watch a dragonfly recover after an accidental swim

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 23, 2020

Perching on my hand for several minutes, the dragonfly turned its head this way and that. It swept its front legs over its giant eyes, as if grooming itself, then stuffed the tips of its legs in its mouth. And then, just like that, it was gone. The dragonfly flew off, perhaps to catch a few of the mosquitoes buzzing around my yard. (One can only hope.)

UMaine scientist’s Everest expedition subject of new National Geographic documentary

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 23, 2020

University of Maine glaciologist Paul Mayewski will be one of the subjects of a new documentary, “Expedition Everest,” set to air on the NatGeo channel on June 30. Mayewski, who leads UMaine’s Climate Change Institute, headed to Everest in April 2019 alongside a team of Sherpas, biologists, glaciologists, geologists, meteorologists and geographers from all over the world, including five other UMaine scientists. The goal of the expedition was to create a snapshot of the climate and ecology of Everest and to install a network of automated weather stations for future remote research.

Man charged with starting 236-acre wildfire in Island Falls

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 22, 2020

A 28-year-old man has been arrested on charges of starting a wildfire that engulfed 236 acres of land around Island Falls. Authorities have not released the man’s name and town of residence. The Maine Forest Service has cautioned that this year seems particularly severe for forest fires, with 663 fires statewide so far as of June 22. It’s the second highest fire count in 10 years.

The Ecology School: Construction of Most Sustainable Building in Northeast Halfway Complete

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • June 22, 2020

The Ecology School, a pioneer and leader in environmental education, today announced it received $500,000 from Poland Spring® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water for an education and dining commons at The Ecology School’s new campus. Funding for the $14 million green project is now more than 90 percent complete. Construction on what will become the most sustainable building in the Northeast is more than halfway complete.

Maine Forest Service fighting high number of wildfires

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 22, 2020

Fire season is just starting, but Maine Forest Service rangers already have endured the second-highest fire count in a decade. The rangers have so far responded to 663 fires statewide that consumed more than 847 acres. The number of wildfires caused by campfires has increased 170 percent compared to the same period in 2019. Record dry weather in much of Maine has made for prime fire conditions.

Maine lodging industry ratchets up pressure on Mills to rescind visitor restrictions

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 22, 2020

Hotel and resort owners fear economic devastation if rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19 stay in effect this summer. Visitors have canceled thousands of reservations because they are unable to find places to get tested. Strict travel restrictions, the tightest in continental U.S., also make Maine feel unwelcoming to visitors.

Ongoing Dry Weather Has Maine Farmers Worried

MAINE PUBLIC • June 22, 2020

Maine's current dry spell is being felt widely by farmers in the state. Maine Agriculture Bureau Director Nancy McBrady says that growers without irrigation, who as of 2017 make up about 80 percent of industry in the state, are getting concerned. “There's a lot of parched crops out there and, of course, you have to make sure that livestock are well cared for, too.”

Penobscots’ mission to preserve river threatened by impacts of climate change

MAINE BEACON (Maine People's Alliance) • June 22, 2020

For the Penobscot Nation, the Atlantic salmon is a cultural keystone species, or at least it was. In the twentieth century, overfishing, pollution and the damming of rivers decimated populations and limited their inland migration range. In 1972, the Clean Water Act established federal regulations for pollution in U.S. waters. The legislation outlawed unpermitted pollution discharges and allowed the EPA to create guidelines for acceptable levels of pollution in waters. But climate change’s effect on pollution isn’t the only worry. John Banks, director of the Penobscot Nation’s Department of Natural Resources, says that, when looking specifically at rivers like the Penobscot, high rates of precipitation and flash flooding are also harmful for species that call the river home, including culturally significant fish.

Mills postpones July 1 reopening for Maine bars because of virus concerns

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 22, 2020

Gov. Janet Mills announced Monday that the state is postponing the reopening of indoor service at bars because of concerns about the higher risk of COVID-19 transmission in such settings. The administration’s reopening plan had tentatively scheduled bars to resume indoor service July 1, but those plans were shelved “until further notice.”

15 ways to practice self-care with a lower carbon footprint

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 23, 2020

Some of the most important elements of self-care have no carbon footprint at all, like practicing meditation or simply taking a deep breath. Beyond that, there are many ways to practice self-care while caring for the planet. Here are 15 that you can try:
• Walk to work
• Green your dental routine
• Find vegan alternatives to your favorite comfort foods
• Start gardening
• Decorate with houseplants
• Make a soothing face mask
• Opt for low-waste beauty products
• Go for a hike
• Volunteer locally
• Put your phone down and turn off the TV
• Light a sustainably-sourced candle
• Plan a staycation
• Clean your house naturally
• Hydrate with a reusable water bottle
• Partake in mindful retail therapy at your thrift store

US demand for clean energy destroying Canada’s environment, indigenous peoples say

THE GUARDIAN • June 22, 2020

Canada’s indigenous leaders say an unprecedented push for clean energy in the United States is inadvertently causing long-term environmental damage to the traditional hunting grounds on their public lands. Over the past four years, a slew of US states have unveiled ambitious renewable energy goals: Maine has mandated 80% renewable energy production. Because states lacks a clear path to meet these goals through local generation, lawmakers are eyeing the reserves of renewable power across the northern border. The debate is being played out in Maine, where a citizen referendum challenging the proposed transmission line will be on the ballot this November.

Letter: Legislators praise Rep. Carney’s work on environment

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 22, 2020

Anne M. Carney, Democratic candidate for Senate District 29, should be recognized for her remarkable work on the new oil terminal clean-up and financial responsibility law. As Chairs of the Environment Committee, we were impressed with the legislative skill of Rep. Carney. She understood the technical and legal issues, and worked meticulously to resolve the issues raised in opposition while accomplishing the goals of the bill. ~ Sen. Brownie Carson, Harpswell, and Rep. Ralph Tucker, Brunswick, Co-Chairs of the Maine Legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Letter: Clean Energy Corridor has real benefits

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 22, 2020

In a letter, Sandra Howard is steering the conversation away from the significant benefits the Clean Energy Corridor would bring to Maine. She neglects to mention the 1,600 well-paid jobs created for the two-year construction period. Opposing a renewable energy project of this magnitude essentially means depriving Maine of thousands of jobs and leaving the region to continue depending on fossil fuels for its energy. The fossil fuel industry and its supporters are working very hard to keep the facts from being shared. Mainers have a chance to say no to the fossil fuel industry on the November ballot. ~ Serge Abergel, Hydro‐Québec

Maine businesses are rethinking air quality as they emerge from virus restrictions

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 22, 2020

While it’s unclear how varying degrees of air quality upgrades affect transmission of the virus, one answer to assuring people, experts say, is to provide assurances that the business has done everything it could to make for a safe environment. Options for businesses include adding portable high-efficiency particulate air filtration systems, using more efficient filters or upgrading existing systems. Filters need to be changed regularly and many systems have a light that indicates when that is. Restaurants, which have more particles in the air than typical offices, may need to change filters more often.

What went wrong at the shuttered $90M trash processing plant in Hampden

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 22, 2020

The $90 million Hampden plant closed its doors at the end of May after running out of money to pay its bills and to fund a series of other performance upgrades. It lost money because of a delay in receiving state permits and the coronavirus pandemic caused a deal with a Canadian paper company to fall through. The bondholders with a majority financial stake in the plant also decided against extending a critical $14.7 million loan. Backers say the closure is probably temporary, but they are still not certain whether it will reopen. Now, officials are scrambling to line up new funding, management and staff for the plant so it can reopen. They are trying to arrange a more environmentally friendly interim arrangement for the 115 member communities that, while the plant is closed, are contractually required to send their waste to a backup landfill.

Editorial: Clean energy, environmental justice must be part of the plan as we rebuild our economy

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 22, 2020

As America is embroiled in a long overdue conversation about race and equality, and coronavirus cases continue to rise in the U.S., concerns about climate change have largely been pushed to the back burner. Sadly, we can’t expect much from the Trump administration on climate change, but Congress can and should ensure that efforts to mitigate climate change, which can also help improve equality and public health, are part of work to rebuild our economy.

“Mission Accomplished” on COVID-19?

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS • June 21, 2020

Recent environmental history shows a pattern of powerful men saying regrettable things about the environment. Paul LePage: The gruff, burly former small-town mayor hit Peak Stupid the following year, when the Maine Legislature weighed a bill restricting the use of bisphenol-A (BPA), a plastics additive that mimics hormones and is linked to a wide array of health problems. LePage distilled a growing body of science that had already brought BPA restrictions in Canada, the European Union and eight U.S. states to this: "The only thing that I've heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards."

Opinion: Saving ‘America’s best idea’ for our children, and theirs, too

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 21, 2020

Our national parks are quite literally being loved to death – after decades of widespread use and insufficient investments, these American treasures face a $12 billion maintenance backlog. Roads are crumbling, facilities are wearing out, and important projects are being postponed indefinitely. We haven’t done enough, and our inaction is a threat to the future of “ America’s best idea.” That changes now. Last week, the Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act, a bipartisan bill that makes massive changes to protect and preserve our national parks for future generations. It’s no exaggeration to say that this bill is one of the most important works of conservation of the last half century – and its benefits will be felt for years to come. ~ Angus King represents Maine in the U.S. Senate

Maine is in a dry spell. Here’s what gardeners need to know to protect their plants.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 21, 2020

With precipitation levels anywhere from an inch to an inch and a half below normal for this time of year in Maine, growers are scrambling to make sure whatever seeds or plants they have put in the ground are getting enough moisture. Gardeners need to be watering to make up for the precipitation deficit.