The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 1, 2020
Maine’s annual fall bear hunt is getting closer as hunters are now able to lay bait for the animals in the woods. It became legal for hunters to set bait starting on Saturday. The hunting season in which it is legal to shoot bears over bait runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 26. The hunt continues until late November after the bait season is over, but the vast majority of Maine’s bear hunt takes place over bait.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 1, 2020
Restaurants build close relationships with fishermen and their distributors so they can serve the most sustainable seafood in the world, caught by fishermen in their own community. But with COVID-19’s devastation, we’ve seen many restaurants’ cash drawers sit at $0 for months and seafood sales decline by 80 percent. Independent restaurants have lost more jobs than any other industry, but aside from the 11 million workers they directly employ, over 5 million more workers are employed by industries up and down their supply chains. Restaurants don’t need more short-term loans. They need grants that would help us stay afloat for the entirety of this crisis. ~ Leigh Habegger, Seafood Harvesters of America, and Andrew Taylor, Arlin Smith and Mike Wiley, of Eventide Oyster Co.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2020
The hospital closest to the tourist hot spot Acadia National Park is warning that there are likely undetected cases of the coronavirus in the area, which millions of travelers visit each year. Mount Desert Island Hospital said Friday that it’s only recently recorded its first positive test results in several months, and that it’s heard from out-of-state visitors who were tested in their home state but didn’t receive their results — which were positive — until they had arrived in Maine. National delays in coronavirus test processing mean many visitors aren’t receiving results until after their arrival. Those positive results then aren’t recorded in local testing data.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 31, 2020
There are growing concerns nationwide about pollution from the family of industrial chemicals known as PFAS that have been widely used in manufacturing of many consumer products as well as in some firefighting foams. Some types of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, low birth weight, high cholesterol and other health effects. On Friday, members of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee voted to support a bill, L.D. 2160, that would give landowners six years to file civil lawsuits after the discovery of PFAS contamination.
WGME • July 31, 2020
The Maine Department of Marine Resources has confirmed a white shark sighting Friday at Pond Island Ledges, which is off Bailey Island. The town of Harpswell advises that anyone swimming should be extra cautious, and consider only wading out into ankle-deep water. The town also recommends that kayakers avoid the area.
TIMES RECORD • July 31, 2020
I strongly support LD 1646, “An Act To Restore Local Ownership and Control of Maine’s Power Delivery Systems”, also known as The Consumer Owned Utility Bill. It is high time for Mainers to have access to locally-generated, locally-controlled electricity supply, because it makes sense. ~ Janet Lynch, Pownal
MAINE GOVERNMENT NEWS • July 31, 2020
Formerly known throughout the state as “get real. get Maine!,” the “Real Maine” brand promotes Maine farms, agricultural businesses, and farm products. Consumers will see the logo on foods in farmers’ markets, farm stands, and grocery stores, as well as at agricultural events throughout Maine, New England and nationally. “Real Maine” is the foundation of an increased marketing and advertising initiative led by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to generate a broader awareness and interest in farms, agricultural events, Maine-sourced foods, and other farm products.
TIMES RECORD • July 31, 2020
One of the most unique bike trails in Maine is the historic Narrow Gauge Pathway in Carrabassett Valley. The trail follows the former Kingfield and Dead River Railroad bed used to convey logs to a sawmill situated in Bigelow at the northern terminus of the railway in the early 20th century. Two-foot narrow gauge tracks were chosen instead of the standard size because they were easier to build and less expensive. An added benefit, the smaller locomotives were able to operate more efficiently in the rugged mountainous terrain. Passengers and freight were also transported on the once-bustling train system. Disuse resulted in the discontinuance of the railroad in 1927. The town of Carrabassett Valley constructed the pathway in 2001.
MAINE GOVERNMENT NEWS • July 31, 2020
Earlier this week, in response to the fatal shark attack near Bailey Island, water activity restrictions took effect at Maine's coastal State Parks with beaches. Today, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands is limiting water access at Popham Beach State Park and Reid State Park restricted to waist-deep water access (the lagoon at Reid State Park remains open). Ferry Beach State Park and Crescent Beach State Park remain restricted to waist-deep water access. All other coastal Maine State Parks are allowing regular water activity.
THE COUNTY • July 31, 2020
The public is reminded about the risk of spreading tree-killing invasive species while moving firewood. New infestations of invasive pests or diseases pose a serious threat to Maine’s landscapes, trees, agriculture, forests, wildlife and the environment. Harmful invasive species, some of which are invisible to the naked eye, can hide in or on firewood, said state officials. While most cannot move far on their own, these pests and diseases can be carried long distances on travelers’ firewood and start new infestations. Native tree species and planted fruit trees and shrubs lack defenses against these new pests and diseases. Infestations can destroy entire forests, lower property values, and cost millions of dollars to manage.
FRANKLIN JOURNAL • July 31, 2020
21 year old Farmington native Brooklynn Winters, also known as “Bear Bait,” has been hiking the Appalachian Trail since May 12. After planning for a year, Winters almost canceled her hike entirely due to the pandemic and pressure from friends and family members. After hiking the AT for two months, she was able to get her daily average up to 20 miles. Winters has completed just under 600 miles so far, but starting late and taking time off for a family emergency will prevent her from completing the trail this year. After studying industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence this fall and winter, Winters plans on picking up where she left off on the AT.
SUN JOURNAL • July 31, 2020
More hunters stalking Maine’s wildlife with crossbows is no reason to celebrate (“Outdoors in Maine: Highlighting changes in crossbow rules,” by V. Paul Reynolds, Sun Journal, July 26). A member of the Maine Bowhunters Association found that for every deer killed outright by a bowhunter, one more was only wounded and escaped to suffer and die slowly of its injuries. A study by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department determined that the “wound rate” for bowhunting exceeds 50%. Add this to the long list of ways that hunters hurt animals, which includes tearing animal families apart, orphaning young and hitting “non-target” species. ~ Michelle Kretzer, The PETA Foundation, Virginia
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 31, 2020
The global coronavirus pandemic ought to be enough to occupy our thoughts at this moment in time, but regretfully, we must not forget that there is a second global crisis that, in the long run, may prove to be even more difficult to confront. I am referring to the climate crisis. This reminds me of a recent article about ATVs (“ATV sales riding high as Mainers long to get outdoors”). Unless such vehicles are fully electric, their use does us more harm than good, analogous to people not wearing masks to fight COVID-19. ~ Joseph Hardy, Wells
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 31, 2020
As a middle schooler, I appealed to Maine’s congressional delegation to curb fossil fuels. Sen. Susan Collins wrote me a two-page response in which she claimed to be a champion for climate change. I have since received my Ph.D. and am still waiting for her action on climate. Sen. Chris Coons needs a Republican senator to co-sponsor the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Unlike other environmental legislation, this one caters to more conservative requests, making it ideal for Collins to support. Please encourage Sen. Collins to co-sponsor this bill. She has the opportunity to live her moderate values while making a magnificent impact on the future of the state and the entire world. ~ Susana Hancock, Freeport
FRANKLIN JOURNAL • July 31, 2020
A 34 mpg gas-powered car in Maine produces almost 6 times the CO2 of the electric car, and even in coal country the EV is 40% better in terms of CO2. With the energy source mix shifting rapidly to solar and wind, this advantage is steadily increasing. ~ Paul Stancioff, PhD., professor of Physics at UMaine Farmington, and Cynthia Stancioff, MA, Public Administration, naturalist
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 31, 2020
Southern Maine voters, as you head to the polls this November, please consider the fact that the people most impacted by Central Maine Power’s for-profit corridor do not want it. Nearly every town along the route has voted to oppose the corridor with overwhelming margins with several towns going as far as enacting power line moratoriums to delay the construction of this project. Please, help us avoid the environmental repercussions of this destructive project, which would allow CMP and their foreign stakeholders to make millions off our backs. Vote “yes” on the referendum to stop the CMP corridor. ~ Troy Hull, Starks
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2020
Hydro-Quebec, which has spent millions fighting a November referendum aimed at defeating its proposed $1 billion hydropower project with Central Maine Power, told Maine lawmakers Thursday that it is not trying to influence the results of elections. A Maine political committee controlled by the Canadian utility and almost solely funded by a U.S. subsidiary has spent $6.2 million on the race through June. In July, it inked a $329,000 contract with a Washington, D.C., public affairs firm. “Hydro-Quebec’s campaign efforts are not aimed at influencing upcoming elections,” Serge Abergel, director of external relations for the utility, wrote. “Rather, we aim to provide facts.”
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 30, 2020
Three days after a great white killed a swimmer off Bailey Island in Harpswell, scientists and researchers hope to learn more information about the species. Shark expert James Sulikowski said, “White sharks have been in the waters off Maine for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and this is the first fatal attack. We’re not on their menu — that’s the main takeaway. The ocean is the shark’s home, and seals are shark food. We have to take that into account and respect that.” Risk reduction will be the name of the game for the foreseeable future. The Department of Marine Resources is urging people along the coast to avoid seals and schooling fish, which attract seals.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 30, 2020
The instinct to think twice about jumping in the water, or letting a loved one do so, is understandable — especially in that area right now. Caution should rule the day as the Maine Marine Patrol continues to be on the lookout for sharks and is encouraging anyone who sees a shark to report it. These sharks have been here, according to researchers and sightings, and more are appearing in pursuit of seals. That’s something to be aware of and be cautious about, but it’s not something that should keep everyone out of the water indefinitely.
ADVERTISER DEMOCRAT • July 30, 2020
The Thompson Lake Dam Advisory Committee — nine members representing four towns: Oxford, Otisfield, Casco and Poland — will meet again in the fall in hopes of reaching a consensus on a plan to repair the dam and who will pay for it. When the committee met this month at the Oxford Municipal Center there was clear disagreement on those issues.
