Coastal Rivers’ Midcoast Stewards graduates give back to the community

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • June 5, 2023

Graduates of Coastal Rivers’ Midcoast Stewards program will soon be directing their interest and enthusiasm for the natural world and conservation to volunteer efforts in the Midcoast area. Offered by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust every two years, Midcoast Stewards is a 40-hour course covering coastal ecology, Wabanaki culture, geologic history, sustainable fisheries management, seabird restoration, water quality monitoring, lobster biology, and estuarine studies, among other topics. The program is co-sponsored by the Maine Coastal Program and involves partnerships with area conservation organizations as well as state agencies. Stewards commit to volunteering a minimum of 40 hours of service with a local conservation organization. Between now and next June, program graduates will collectively donate at least 880 hours of their time to work on projects like trail maintenance, nature education programs, water quality monitoring initiatives, and more.

Coal pile in Portland raises environmental, health concerns

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 5, 2023

A coal pile near the waterfront in Portland’s West End is raising environmental and health concerns and frustrating some nearby residents and businesses who worry coal dust is spreading onto their properties. They say it is coming from an uncovered coal pile at Sprague Energy. But while the city and state have received complaints about the issue, they say there’s not much they can do to tamp down on the dust – and Sprague isn’t breaking any rules.

Opinion: Protecting vital US wetlands must remain a federal priority

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 5, 2023

The miracle of the Chesapeake Bay lies not in its natural construction, the interaction of fresh and saline waters moved by wind, tide and current; the mix of land and water where spots are sometimes dry, sometimes wet. The shallows provide homes for hundreds of species while storing floodwaters, filtering pollutants from water, and protecting nearby communities from potentially destructive storm surges. All this was put at great risk late last month, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in an Idaho case that provides the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency far less authority to regulate wetlands and waterways. We call on President Biden and Congress to restore this much-needed EPA authority under the Clean Water Act and protect the nation’s wetlands — and with them the safety of our water supply, aquatic species and recreational spaces as well as flood protections. ~ Baltimore Sun

Maine birds are in trouble as species dwindle across North America

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 5, 2023

Maine’s location and diverse wildlife habitat have long made the state a hospitable home for hundreds of different bird species. But as climate change alters habitats, some birds aren’t being found here anymore — and experts say that humans need to help change that. Last month, Maine added five birds to the list of endangered or threatened species in the state, bringing the total number to 48 species of concern. An eye-opening 2019 study of North American birds found that in the previous 50 years, North America had lost nearly 30 percent of all bird species. But waterfowl are faring well in Maine, along with wading birds such as great egrets and sandhill cranes, ospreys, peregrine falcons and raptors such as the cooper’s hawk.

Thousands of people are coming whether Houlton is ready or not

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 5, 2023

A small Aroostook County town has planned an eclipse poster, a snappy commercial, kick-off parties and other events but has yet to nail down survival basics like food, lodging, transportation and portable toilets for the throngs expected to head its way next spring. Houlton, the last town in the United States to experience the 2024 total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, is calling on the town’s churches, nonprofits and residents to help feed and house the predicted masses of 20,000 to 80,000. The promise of potentially millions in eclipse money is, on its face, good news. But suddenly dropping a predicted 20,000 to 80,000 visitors into a town of a little more than 6,000 could become a logistical nightmare without planning and coordination.

Opinion: Permitting reform will help maximize rural Maine’s infrastructure investments

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 4, 2023

The bipartisan federal infrastructure law passed in late 2021 with the support and leadership of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins continues to pay off for rural Maine communities across the state. Unfortunately, many vital infrastructure and energy projects get caught up in an overly complicated, convoluted and inefficient federal permitting process. I encourage Congress to find a way to pass bipartisan permitting reform. ~ Maine Sen. Marianne Moore, R, District 6

Bald Eagles, Bear Cubs, and Hermit Bill: Memories of a Wildlife Biologist in Maine

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • June 4, 2023

Join retied wildlife biologist Ron Joseph for a book talk. At Hubbard Free Library, Hallowell, June 15, 6 pm. Sponsored by Kennebec Land Trust. Copies of his book will be available for purchase at the event; 25% of the proceeds will go to KLT.

Running with the alewives of the Presumpscot River

MAINE MONITOR • June 4, 2023

Maine’s spring alewife runs are a delicate dance around changing water conditions and obstacles both natural and human-made. This ephemeral phenomenon happens in dozens of places up and down the Maine coast, and the Presumpscot is a microcosm of how these runs have been reshaped by people — through development, overfishing, infrastructure and climate change. Federal fishery managers rated alewives at low risk of extinction in a 2019 study and declined to list them as an endangered species. But the recovery has a long way to go. State officials say that current runs are about 5% the size of what they were even a century ago. 

Column: Exploring the remote, pristine Allagash Wilderness Waterway

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 4, 2023

Thousands recreate each year at AWW, but less well known are the hiking trails to the fire towers atop Allagash Mountain and Round Pond Mountain, which reward with outstanding panoramic vistas. ~ Carey Kish

Column: It’s been a banner spring for vagrants visiting Maine

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 4, 2023

The spring arrival of our migratory breeding birds, in their colorful breeding plumage, stands alone as an awesome phenomenon. But this period of movement is made even more exciting by the appearance of vagrant species, species that generally do not nest in Maine. This spring has been one of the most exciting ones in my memory for vagrants. Examples include a yellow-throated warbler in Sanford, a worm-eating warbler on Monhegan Island, a hooded warbler in Kittery, yellow-crowned night herons in Cape Elizabeth and Stratton Island, an arctic-breeding king eider in Biddeford, a Eurasian golden plover in Scarborough, and a Pacific loon in York County. ~ Herb Wilson

Letter: Maine clam diggers not making what they’re worth

MORNING SENTINEL • June 4, 2023

All spring long, clammers in the Midcoast have been getting an average of $2 a pound (at best) for their product. Some days as low as $1.30. That is our “market price.” There are approximately 12 clams in a pound depending on the size of the clams. The next time you purchase clams at any level feel free to count them. From your purchase, this will show what you actually paid the digger who broke their backs to harvest them for you. We should all know how this process really works — or doesn’t? ~ Glen Melvin, Waldoboro

Letter: Strengthen Maine’s hunting laws by adding coyotes

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 4, 2023

Maine’s wanton waste law prohibits a person from intentionally leaving “a wild bird or wild animal that has been wounded or killed by that person while hunting.” The only hunted species this does not apply to is coyotes. Maine citizens should ask: What is the rationale for exempting what the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife refers to as a valuable and intelligent species from this wasteful practice? Allowing a valuable and intelligent species to be carelessly slaughtered and left anywhere is unjustifiable and creates a social and environmental problem. L.D. 814, An Act to Strengthen Maine’s Ethical Hunting Tradition, will include coyotes under Maine’s wanton waste law. L.D. 814 will also require the tagging and registration of coyotes that are killed — the same practice that applies to other hunted species. ~ Tammy Cloutier, Kennebunk

Letter: How energy rebates can help you save money in Maine

MORNING SENTINEL • June 4, 2023

Efficiency Maine offers rebates to do an energy assessment and to air-seal and insulate your home, or to pay for a geothermal system, an efficient circulator pump, or heat pumps for heating water and heating your home. Energy saving projects will start saving you money immediately. The savings from some will pay for themselves in a single year, and some are paid for completely by Efficiency Maine. ~ Richard Thomas, Waterville

Opinion: AI robots can’t clean our plastic-plagued oceans alone

BLOOMBERG • June 4, 2023

AI algorithms are already being used in the fight against climate change, biodiversity decline and pollution. But while AI has made the process efficient and autonomous, there are limitations. The Ocean Cleanup, for example, has simply reinvented trawl fishing, but for plastic. That comes with risks for ocean life and biodiversity — the very thing it’s trying to save. Tens of thousands of small sea creatures could get caught in the nets. At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. At the current rate, plastic will outweigh fish by 2050. The Ocean Cleanup has so far caught about 3,300 tons of the stuff. A global legally binding treaty, like the one being hashed out in Paris this week, will make the biggest difference to the plastic problem by tackling it at source rather than remedying the symptoms. ~ Lara Williams

Opinion: Recycling is still the right decision for Maine municipalities

SUN JOURNAL • June 4, 2023

The news of the Auburn City Council’s vote to eliminate its curbside recycling program from its municipal services offerings was a surprise to many of us at Casella. There is a balance between economic and environmental sustainability that must be met, and we work with all our customers to ensure that is the case. From a greenhouse gas perspective, recycling is better than incineration for every category of material according to EPA data, so the decision to cancel recycling programs cannot be considered an environmental benefit. ~ Bob Cappadona, Casella Waste Systems, Inc.

In Washington County, getting from here to there isn’t so simple

MAINE MONITOR • June 3, 2023

Washington County, with high poverty rates, is searching for solutions to a lack of a comprehensive public transportation system. County Commissioner Chris Gardner believes transportation is merely a symptom of a larger problem that must be solved first — the county simply needs more people, more businesses to create a critical mass that would justify more reliable transportation services.

Column: Warden’s Supper more than just a sumptuous meal

SUN JOURNAL • June 3, 2023

There are about 100 traditional rod and gun clubs left in Maine. At one time, there were considerably more. A number of these clubs have invited me to serve as guest speaker, which was always an honor and an immensely enjoyable experience, for a number of reasons. The men and women who populate these organizations are salt-of-the-earth individuals who all share common values. They love the outdoors, they deeply value their hunting heritage, they are patriotic and they get pleasure from serving their community and doing for others. And they like a good laugh. One of the highlights is the annual Warden’s Supper at the Bucks Mills Rod and Gun Club in Bucksport. Maine Game Wardens, both active and retired, share a few stories that always hit the lighter side. ~ V. Paul Reynolds

Delegates working to end global plastics pollution agree to craft draft treaty

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 3, 2023

Global negotiators have agreed to craft a draft treaty to end plastic pollution, a preliminary but crucial step toward tackling one of the most lasting sources of human waste. Environmental advocates cautiously welcomed the outcome of five days of U.N. talks in Paris on plastic pollution but expressed concern that the petroleum industry and some governments would water down the eventual treaty.

Thousands of acres protected with Land for Maine’s Future funding

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 3, 2023

Funding from Maine’s Land for Maine’s Future program is being used to help protect nine parcels totaling thousands of acres, Gov. Janet Mills announced Friday. The parcels range from more than 2,500 acres near the Appalachian Trail in Franklin County to 155 acres in Wells for trails and to preserve habitat for the New England cottontail. Since lawmakers approved $40 million to reinvigorate the LMF program, Mills said, the LMF Board has approved 46 new projects totaling $5.19 million that is expected to leverage an additional $6.7 million in private and federal money.