Storm Cleanup reminders from Maine Forest Service

TURNER PUBLISHING • August 6, 2020

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Forest Service reminds everyone involved in storm cleanup to be safe and also help keep Maine’s forests healthy. After power and other utilities have been restored, property owners will be faced with the issue of what to do with storm-damaged trees. Project Canopy, a program of the MFS, offers these tips and helpful guidance to property owners faced with questions about what to do with downed trees, limbs and branches.

Column: Why this crow species was just struck from the North American bird list

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 3, 2020

I have a goal to see 700 bird species in North America. Getting there just got a little harder. Until now, there was a crow in the Pacific Northwest that was slightly smaller than the American crow; it had a more nasal voice. It was first declared a species when settlers arrived in the 19th century. In June 2020, the American Ornithological Society announced that the northwestern crow no longer existed — that it was just a smaller version of the American crow. it was a deduction from my Life List. I’m down to 601. Nowadays, I can barely find the bathroom light switch in the dark, let alone find a tiny owl on an island 30 miles off the coast of Canada. But if I did, that would be something to crow about. ~ Bob Duchesne

Bryant Pond 4-H Camp quietly continues its mission to engage youth

ADVERTISER DEMOCRAT • August 6, 2020

Bryant Pond 4-H Camp had to suspend all summer programs and camp sessions but it did not give up on finding ways to engage the youth it serves. Starting with virtual sessions begun last spring as a way to support SAD 17 educators in distance learning and adding new programs for quarantine activities, camp directors were able to connect with not just those who were unable to attend, but campers from previous years and underserved kids who had never even been involved with 4-H before.

Pandemic Will Scrap Chance To Study Imperiled Maine Shrimp

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 6, 2020

The federal government is canceling a research survey about New England's imperiled shrimp fishery due to challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Maine shrimp fishery has been shut down for several years because of concerns such as poor survival of young. Scientists say environmental conditions in the Gulf of Maine have put the future of the fishery at risk. NOAA said it's also canceling a handful of other research surveys.

This 100-mile Penobscot River paddling trail will soon have a network of campsites

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 6, 2020

A group of paddlers launched an ambitious effort to provide camping options on 100 miles of the Penobscot River stretching from Medway to Bucksport four years ago, and built a site in Brewer in 2018. The hope was that the Penobscot River Paddling Trail would let adventurers spend a day on the river, then find appropriate spots to stop and camp out along the way. Organizers set a goal of providing at least one campsite every 10 miles along the route. The group’s website now lists eight campsites over more than 50 miles of the river. In addition, 25 boat launches or put-in sites are listed. The group has a plan, and hopes to continue the trail’s expansion.

Coronavirus concerns force Oxford County Fair to pull the plug in 2020

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2020

A state fair in Oxford known for drawing top musical talent such as Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes and The Marshall Tucker Band has been canceled this year due to the pandemic. Almost every agricultural fair in Maine has been forced to shut down due to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements. Due to run Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 16 to 19 at the grounds on Pottle Road in Oxford, the Oxford County Fair was the last major holdout.

A ‘very good year’ for the Auburn Farmers’ Market

SUN JOURNAL • August 5, 2020

Farmers markets in Auburn and Lewiston participated in National Farmers Market Week, Aug. 2-8. Auburn's is held Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. across from Festival Plaza. "It has been a very good year for the market," Jenna Roberts of Marvelous Macaroons said. "The whole COVID thing has brought everyone back to buying local," she said.

CMP Parent Company Says Maine Supreme Court Should Bar November Vote On Powerline Project

MAINE PUBLIC • August 5, 2020

Maine’s highest court heard oral arguments Wednesday on whether voters should get a chance to force state regulators to revoke their approval of Central Maine Power's controversial powerline project. Project opponents successfully petitioned earlier this year to get the question on November's ballot. But now CMP's parent company, Avangrid, says the court should bar the vote, arguing that it would be unconstitutional for voters to override the Public Utilities Commission's decision. 

Industry Heavyweights To Invest In UMaine Offshore Wind Project Near Monhegan Island

MAINE PUBLIC • August 5, 2020

The University of Maine's effort to pioneer floating offshore wind technology took a $100 million leap forward Wednesday with the announcement that two industry heavyweights are going to invest in development of the project near Monhegan Island. A subsidiary of the Mitsubishi company, called Diamond Offshore Wind, is joining with RWE Renewables to invest the $100 million to build and deploy a full-scale, floating wind farm at the site, about 14 miles off Maine's coast. The new company, called New England Aqua-Ventus, will collaborate with the University of Maine composites program that was the incubator for the project's unique floating-platform technology.

Warming oceans, acidification hurt lobsters’ ability to cope with stress, disease

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 5, 2020

Lobsters living in ocean water as warm and acidic as the Gulf of Maine is expected to be by the end of this century will be less able to cope with stress or fight off disease, according to University of Maine researchers studying the impacts of the gulf’s changing environment. The Gulf of Maine has been warming rapidly as the deep-water currents that feed it have shifted. It has warmed faster than anyplace else on the planet since 2004, except for an area northeast of Japan.

Column: Witnessing the wonders of wildlife

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • August 5, 2020

My husband and I are experiencing a baby boomlet of sparrows. At times, they rule the yard. It is part of a wider phenomenon I’m calling “the summer of wildlife.” This is the first time in my life that I’ve kept a list of wildlife sightings. Maybe I have too much time on my hands? Though we always hike in natural places in the summer, it’s all we’ve been doing this year. There have been none of our usual trips to art museums, movie matinees or quaint villages, for lunch and shopping. So it’s probably not surprising that I’m seeing more wildlife. ~ Liz Soares

Letter: Replenishing land program should be Augusta priority

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 4, 2020

On Aug. 4, the Great American Outdoors Act became law, guaranteeing $900 million annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and sorely needed funding for national parks. This huge bipartisan victory for public lands will result in more public outdoor spaces that benefit all walks of life and support a vibrant economy. Maine should follow suit by replenishing the Land for Maine’s Future program. If state legislators reconvene for a special session, I urge them to pass L.D. 911  to put LMF on the November ballot. ~ Melanie Sturm, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Brunswick

UMaine enlists 2 companies to provide $100 million for offshore wind project

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2020

The University of Maine has enlisted two prominent renewable energy companies to provide $100 million in funding for the school’s offshore wind demonstration project about two miles south of Monhegan Island. The project, which is expected to be completed in 2023, will be 14 miles offshore and consist of a single concrete floating platform that supports a 10–12 megawatt wind turbine. The two companies that are providing funding for the project are Diamond Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Corp., and RWE Renewables, the second largest company in offshore wind globally. Under a joint venture called New England Aqua Ventus LLC, they will also lead the construction, deployment and operations of the turbine.

Maine’s high court wrestles with lawsuit holding major implications for CMP corridor

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 4, 2020

Maine’s high court wrestled on Wednesday with arguments in a lawsuit aiming to stop a November vote on a question aiming to kill Central Maine Power’s controversial hydropower corridor proposal that could have major implications for the project’s path. At stake is more than the $1 billion project and a high-dollar campaign being waged against the possibly unconstitutional referendum by CMP and Hydro-Quebec, the province-owned utility. The case tests the power of Mainers to overrule state regulators and the Maine Supreme Judicial Court’s typical unwillingness to wade into political disputes during an election.

New regulations could protect Moosehead Lake’s shore-spawning brookies

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2020

We spend a lot of time on Moosehead Lake each year collecting data and talking to anglers. We don’t take management decisions lightly, nor do we make them in a vacuum. The lake is important to a lot of people, including recreational anglers, those who ice fish, those who open- water fish and those who value and appreciate nature. The river fisheries are also affected by management decisions for the lake. I believe we are bringing forward a great regulation package proposal that will find the right balance of adding necessary protections for these big fish without stifling the trout fishing or creating confusing and convoluted regulations. ~ Tim Obrey, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

UMaine Extension invites gardeners to contribute best practices photos

TURNER PUBLISHING • August 5, 2020

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is inviting Maine gardeners to contribute personal photos demonstrating best horticultural practices — from creative trellising to ingenious ways of deterring hungry wildlife — as a resource in a new virtual demonstration garden. Photos should be high-quality image files that focus on subjects that can educate and inspire viewers. Categories include fruit trees and small fruits, garden design and maintenance, school and community gardens, seed starting and propagation, and conservation practices. Submissions will be reviewed and selections will be shared on the UMaine Extension My Maine Garden webpage and social media.

Outsiders Club resumes activities according to CDC guidelines

TURNER PUBLISHING • August 5, 2020

The snowshoeing and cross country skiing activities of the Outsiders Club of USM Lewiston-Auburn Campus’ Senior College came to an abrupt halt in mid-March due to the pandemic. Following Gov. Janet Mills’ and CDC mandates, the group began hiking and kayaking again, gathering May 18 at Pineland Farms for its first spring hike. Members agree that the fresh spring weather, leafing trees, blooming flowers, exercise and camaraderie were just the prescription for these difficult times.

Dick and Jo Thibodeau honored for Little Wilson Pond environmental efforts

TURNER PUBLISHING • August 5, 2020

Dick and Jo Thibodeau were honored during the Little Wilson Pond Improvement Association annual meeting as the environmental heroes of Little Wilson Pond. The couple has been testing the water quality in the pond for more than 20 years. The pond, which encompasses 110 acres, flows directly into Lake Auburn, which Is the source of drinking water for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn. Unlike Lake Auburn, Little Wilson Pond is open to swimming, although there is no public access.

How to attract dragonflies to your yard

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 5, 2020

The first step to attracting dragonflies to your land is to make your yard more hospitable to insects in general by planting a diversity of flowers in your garden that will attract the bugs that dragonflies like to eat. Also, stop using pesticides — even those used to keep mosquitoes at bay. If you are a true dragonfly aficionado, you can consider adding a water feature to your yard as well. It should be large enough for dragonflies to breed.

Acadia National Park plans to test new reservation system this fall

MOUNT DESERT ISLANDER • August 5, 2020

The park will conduct a trial run of the vehicle reservation system Oct. 1-18 in preparation for implementing it next summer. Reservations, which may be purchased online only at Recreation.gov, will be required for vehicles to enter the Ocean Drive section of the Park Loop Road at the Sand Beach entrance station from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and to enter the Cadillac Mountain Summit Road between 4:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.