The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
ASSOCIATED PRESS • September 10, 2020
Marine officials in Maine are going to try to find a more efficient way to examine the size at which female lobsters reach maturity. The Maine Department of Marine Resources said the work will be funded by a grant of about $100,000 from the 2020 National Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative. Regulators use the information to predict the growth of female lobsters and estimate egg production.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 10, 2020
For the past few weeks, bird expert Bob Duchesne has been keeping his eye on a group of loons on Pushaw Lake. He’s documented everything from their serene paddles to their iconic calls. Watch them in action in this video.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 10, 2020
The entire state of Maine is now officially experiencing drought conditions. “The last time we were in this widespread and severe of a drought was in the summer of 2002,” said meteorologist Michael Clair of the National Weather Service in Gray.The U.S. Drought Monitor map of Maine, released Thursday, classifies most of the state as in moderate drought, with parts of Aroostook, Piscataquis, Washington, Penobscot, Somerset and York counties in severe drought. Although no areas of Maine have reached either of the two most serious stages of drought – extreme or exceptional – Aroostook potato farmers have expressed concern about the impact of the prolonged dry weather on their crop.
WEEKLY PACKET • September 10, 2020
A 51-acre wooded lot, near 37 Hales Woods Road, in Brooklin, is in the first phase of being developed as a composting facility that will serve Blue Hill Peninsula residents. On August 26, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection announced that Chickadee Compost, owned by Brooksville native, Katherine Tomkins, was awarded a $40,000 Waste Diversion Grant. The grant funds projects that will divert waste from disposal by expanding composting and recycling opportunities across the state.
NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • September 10, 2020
Research compiled by scientists at the University of Maine and the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Committee makes clear that Maine’s beloved forests will likely look different in the future. Your kids and grandkids may find maple syrup, holiday trees, and powder days harder to come by when they’re grown. Predictions aside, the most severe impacts of climate change aren’t inevitable if we take bold action now.
TIMES RECORD • September 10, 2020
Brunswick’s decision to stop recycling glass is, in my opinion, not only distressing, but downright irresponsible. We have a duty not only to our town budget, but to the larger community and the environment. If the estimated savings to the budget between now and June 2021 is $7,000, that means that to continue recycling would cost each of Brunswick’s 20,000 citizens 35 cents. If the anticipated long term savings is $75,000, the result is that it would cost Brunswick’s citizens $3.75 apiece to continue recycling glass. The math alone shows that this decision is not only foolish, but unconscionable. It should be reversed immediately. ~ Margaret McGaughey, Brunswick
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 9, 2020
A long-awaited report from the Eastern Research Group and Synapse Energy Economics released on Wednesday takes a detailed look at who is most vulnerable to climate change and the cost of mitigating those efforts as tentatively proposed by the Maine Climate Council convened by Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat. The analysis found Maine economic output could take a 15 percent hit by 2050 without action. Impact would be centered on the crucial tourism industry and coastal communities key to it.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 9, 2020
A Coast Guard officer added another feat to her impressive list of endurance achievements by running nonstop for nearly 34 hours across the state last weekend. Katie Spotz, 33, of Cape Elizabeth covered 137.8 miles from the Quebec border near Carrabassett Valley to the Maine coast in Freeport during a run that she said raised $17,500 for Lifewater, a nonprofit that provides clean water to third-world communities.
MAINE PUBLIC • September 9, 2020
Maine lobstermen will get a share of $530 million in federal relief for the U.S. Seafood industry, which has been hurt by the trade dispute with China. China, at one point, raised tariffs on American lobster to 32 percent, significantly reducing Maine's exports there. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the Maine Lobstermen's Association says it is pleased to learn about the relief and that, while Maine's lobstermen did not create the trade issues, they have had to bear the consequences.
BLOOMBERG • September 9, 2020
The U.S. government should start making businesses pay for their greenhouse gas emissions to help combat global warming, according to a powerful group of finance and energy titans including Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and BP Plc. Calls by corporate executives for a tougher government stance have had little success during President Donald Trump’s administration as officials have reversed policies implemented to cut emissions and the U.S. is withdrawing from the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. Wednesday’s report includes a series of nonbinding recommendations, but it could serve as a blueprint if Democratic candidate Joe Biden wins the White House in November.
SUN JOURNAL • September 9, 2020
A developer plans to file applications with the state this month to install 15,000 solar panels on 34 acres at the end of Chickadee Avenue in Jay. The 5-megawatt facility by Nexamp is proposed for two connecting parcels, which combined, total 48 acres. The project will abut the state’s right of way for its multipurpose Whistle Stop Trail and will extend northerly toward agricultural fields.
SUN JOURNAL • September 9, 2020
Officials are working toward reopening the composting facility operated by the Lewiston Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority, which was forced to close in 2018 due to groundwater contamination. But, according to wastewater staff, while the Penley Corner Road facility’s closure at the time was unrelated to statewide concerns over a sewage sludge contaminant linked to cancer and other ailments, its ability to reopen is now closely linked to state testing for the chemicals and approval of compost sales.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • September 9, 2020
Charleston, S.C., is now the first city in the American South to sue major oil companies in an attempt to hold them accountable for the “daunting” costs of climate change, city officials announced Wednesday. The 24 defendants in the city’s lawsuit in state court include multinational corporations BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, as well as regional companies. The suit alleges these companies lied to the public by concealing the threats fossil fuels pose to the planet. Mayor John Tecklenburg said the city could need “hundreds of millions, or billions” of dollars to address the environmental changes.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 9, 2020
More than 2,600 acres of land around Bald Mountain Pond in Somerset County – a popular destination along the Appalachian Trail known for its stunning views – has been protected for future generations, The Trust for Public Land announced Wednesday. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail bisects the property near West Forks that will now remain open to the public to enjoy paddling, fishing, hiking and camping. The newly acquired land will expand the protection zone around the Appalachian Trail to include another 1,500 acres of old growth forest – and it will protect from development nine miles of shoreline along Bald Mountain Pond. That area that has been identified by the state of Maine as a focus area of “statewide ecological significance.”
MAINE PUBLIC • September 9, 2020
After five years, and several attempts, Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley is opening again for skiing on Dec. 15. General Manager and CEO Andy Shepherd says Saddleback's old chair lift, which took 11 minutes to get people up the mountain, has been replaced with a new $7.2 million quad lift that has shortened the ride to just four minutes. Shepherd says renovations have also been made to the lodge, which will enhance views, greatly increase seating capacity. He says snowmaking has also been expanded.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 9, 2020
The Maine lobster industry is about to get a $50 million federal bailout to offset the crippling impact of the U.S.-China trade war. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the creation of a $527 million seafood trade relief program on Wednesday that will pay licensed fishermen a certain species-specific amount for every pound of fish landed in 2019 to absorb sales declines and increased marketing costs caused by China’s retaliatory tariffs. The maximum individual payout is capped at $250,000.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 9, 2020
The federal government unveiled a long-awaited program on Wednesday to provide aid to fishermen and lobstermen hurt by Chinese tariffs instituted in 2018 during a trade war. In the first six months of 2019, when the tariffs rose to 35 percent, American lobster exports to China dropped to 2.2 million pounds, down from 12 million pounds during the same period in 2018. Maine accounts for about 80 percent of U.S. lobster exports. Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade adviser, blamed China for the industry’s struggles. The Maine Lobster Dealers’ Association expressed disappointment, noting that the funds were only available for lobster fishermen, not supply chain businesses that lost out due to the decline in exports.
MAINE PUBLIC • September 9, 2020
The Trust for Public Land says it has permanently protected Maine's Bald Mountain Pond and land around it. The Appalachian Trail runs next to the pond, which is in Somerset County, about 15 miles southwest of Greenville. The trust says more than 2,600 acres were purchased for just over $4 million from Weyerhaueuser. The funds came from a variety of federal and state programs, along with private contributions. The acreage will be managed by the National Park Service as part of the Appalachian Trail Corridor in Maine.
KENNEBEC JOURNAL • September 9, 2020
On Sunday, Sept. 13, we’ll celebrate Landowner Appreciation Day. This day is focused on picking up trash dumped on private land, and you can (and should) help. Of course, if you enjoy the outdoors, I hope you appreciate landowners every day. We are very lucky in Maine to be able to access all private land that is not posted. And even though we can do that, I encourage you to find out whose land you are using and thank them. And don’t assume you can’t access posted land — ask that landowner for permission and you might be surprised when you gain access. ~ George Smith
MORNING SENTINEL • September 7, 2020
Despite a pandemic, an owner at The Apple Farm is hoping to provide her clientele with as normal an experience as possible for Maine Apple Sunday, which is less than a week away. Marilyn and Steve Meyerhans have been at The Apple Farm, located on Back Road, for 46 years. They opened for the season on Aug. 13, ahead of schedule as they had a surplus of vegetables to sell. “We thought it would be fun,” Marilyn Meyerhans said about purchasing the property. “Forty-six years later, we’re still here.”
