Conservation District Announces K-6 Poster Contest Awards

LINCOLN COUNTY NEWS • June 30, 2023

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District is pleased to announce the winners of the district’s annual conservation poster contest. This program is part of the National Association of Conservation Districts’ contest, which each year sets a national stewardship theme. Louisa Crane, KLSWCD program coordinator, provided resources for this year’s theme, “Watersheds — One Water” to 47 classrooms in grades K-6 throughout Knox and Lincoln counties. The following three grade-category winners will be entered into the state competition for their strong conservation message, visual effectiveness, and originality. Each of these students received a $25 gift certificate to Sherman’s Maine Coast Bookshop. K-1 category: Luna Rose Ryan, Chewonki Elementary and Middle School. 2-3 category: Rory Levesque, Chewonki Elementary and Middle School. 4-6 category: Sydney Boggs, Warren Community School.

Heat waves like one that’s killed 14 in U.S. become more frequent, enduring

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 30, 2023

Heat waves like the one that engulfed parts of the United States and killed more than a dozen people are becoming more common, and experts say the extreme weather events, which claim more lives than hurricanes and tornadoes, will likely increase in the future. Planting more trees to increase shade in cities and investing in green technology like heat pumps for home cooling and heating could help, said Dr. Gaurab Basu, director of education and policy at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard.

They envision the world’s tallest flagpole in this Maine town. Instead of uniting, it’s dividing

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 30, 2023

The Worcester family has a bold vision for Maine’s Down East region where the vast wilderness and ocean meet in one of the last places on the East Coast unspoiled by development: a flagpole jutting upward from the woodlands toward spacious skies – the tallest one ever, reaching higher than the Empire State Building. And atop it a massive American flag bigger than a football field. Plus a village with museums, a 4,000-seat auditorium, restaurants, and monument walls with the name of every deceased veteran dating to the Revolution. To promoters, the $1 billion project, funded in part by donations, would unite people of all political stripes. So far, the project – called the Flagpole of Freedom Park – has done precisely the opposite. Does the quiet area want the visitors it would bring? Would the massive undertaking scar the landscape? How do you balance development and environmentalism?

Rangeley trust holds annual birding festival

MORNING SENTINEL • June 30, 2023

The fifth annual Rangeley Birding Festival concluded June 10 with the John Bicknell Award for Birding Conservation presentation at the Rangeley Inn. The award went to Barbara Vickery of Richmond and the late Peter Vickery. Together they have done substantial and permanent work to conserve bird habitats in Maine, according to a news release from the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.

Letter: Save Lake Auburn, vote Harmon for mayor

SUN JOURNAL • June 30, 2023

Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque is a real estate developer. He and his like-minded cronies’ thinly veiled attempts to steer Auburn away from its longstanding comprehensive plan to maintain the precious natural resources is not a concern for affordable housing, which evidently belongs in Lewiston or on the backs of low income homeowners in Auburn. Save Lake Auburn. Protect the Agricultural Zone. Vote Jeff Harmon for Auburn mayor. ~ Ann Oskam, Auburn

Letter: Governor should have put COVID funds into lobstering industry

SUN JOURNAL • June 30, 2023

Our governor of Maine wants to drive the North Atlantic right whale to extinction. There are only about 350 of these animals left. She used COVID money from the federal government to give every Mainer who filed their income taxes $850, when this money actually should have gone to help the lobstering industry to buy newer types of traps without ropes in order to save the right whale — and a way of life in Maine. ~ Richard J. Nadeau, Lisbon Falls

Letter: Don’t leave Maine workers on sidelines in offshore wind development

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 30, 2023

In vetoing LD 1847, I believe Gov. Janet Mills is once again turning her back on union members and showing the state of Maine that the working class and the development of clean energy are not a priority. We have been told, ” Maine Won’t Wait” repeatedly. But, what we’re hearing is that not only can Maine wait, but we can allow for it to be done by out-of-state companies with questionable safety records, while Maine tradesmen and women sit on the sideline, as second-class citizens in their own state. ~ Kimberly Tobias, Manchester

Scarborough aims to have 30% of its land under conservation by 2030

FORECASTER • June 29, 2023

Conserving nearly one-third of an entire town’s land sounds like a lofty goal – and doing so in the next seven years makes it seem even more difficult. But that is precisely what Scarborough has set out to do: conserve at least 30% of the 31,404 acres within its borders, or 9,421 acres, by 2030. Now, roughly 17%, or 5,391 acres are under conservation. The town’s 30×30 Conservation Goal is part of a nationwide goal to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and oceans by 2030. Maine has signed on to the initiative.

Old Town mill must pay $100K after spilling chemicals into Penobscot River

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 29, 2023

ND Paper will have to pay Old Town $101,400 to resolve violations tied to an October 2020 spill when more than 30,000 gallons of pulping chemicals leaked into the Penobscot River, according to a pending agreement. The agreement is the first time new details of the Oct. 7, 2020, spill and its cause have been made public.

Air quality in some parts of Maine to decline Friday as Canadian wildfires continue

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 29, 2023

Maine is expected to largely avoid poor air quality caused by Canadian wildfires in the near future, but some parts of the state Friday could get a little hazy as the air quality is downgraded from “good” to “moderate.” The smoke was widespread across the Upper Midwest, the Ohio Valley, and the Great Lakes on Tuesday. The smoke is expected to move into the Gulf of Maine and continue northward Friday.

Column: I finally got to see Atlantic puffins and there were plenty of surprises

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 29, 2023

There are five puffin islands along the Maine coast and a dozen tour boats visiting them. Two islands offer the most convenient viewing. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve been to Seal Island with Isle au Haut Ferry, and I recommend them highly. They only visit the island once or twice a week, though, so plan ahead. Several companies visit Petit Manan daily. Acadia Puffin Cruise departs from Steuben, and it’s only a 25-minute hop to the island. In the height of summer, they can manage up to three tours per day. I’ve done Bar Harbor Whale Watch a bunch. Each island, boat, and trip is different, but one thing is constant. The puffins start leaving in mid-August. You’ve got six weeks remaining to get out there. ~ Bob Duchesne

Opinion: Investing in Maine’s farmers and energy independence — all in one bill

TIMES RECORD • June 29, 2023

One of Sen. Stacy Brenner’s bills, L.D. 1591, overlapped almost perfectly with my bill, L.D. 1830. We combined the bills into L.D. 1591, which now has three intersecting goals: to advance Maine’s clean energy development; to ensure benefits to ratepayers; and to make use of PFAS-contaminated lands. The bill would promote the economic reuse of contaminated land, including farmland impacted by PFAS contamination, through renewable energy projects that guarantee ratepayer savings. This proposal leverages federal opportunities, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. These operations would also be eligible for energy storage, which is a critical part of our renewable energy strategy. L.D. 1591 has received unanimous approval in both the House and Senate. It’s now on the Governor’s desk. ~ Sen. Eloise Vitelli

Letter: A chance to build offshore wind the right way

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 29, 2023

Coastal communities like ours are ready for an offshore wind industry in Maine. Offshore wind done right, using technology, skills and workforce from right here in Maine, could stabilize energy costs and create new, family-sustaining jobs that will keep more of our young people in the state. A group of legislators, fisheries and labor industry folks, and environmentalists has been working for nearly a year to write a bill that achieves the right balance. Please contact your legislators and urge them to support LD 1895. ~ Corliss C. Davis, Belfast

Automate your gardening for a total hands-off experience

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 28, 2023

A number of products on the market have been designed to reduce the time and effort it takes to grow vegetables and flowers. Putting down sheets of black plastic and landscape fabric are two popular ways of controlling or even preventing weeds. Automatic watering systems can take that chore. A smart sprinkler, for instance, lets you set a watering schedule. Sensors also track light, humidity, soil moisture and nutrients. Farmbots only work on raised beds. But once it’s set up, Farmbot does all the work like planting, watering, weeding and generally keeping tabs on what’s growing.

Editorial: Surging sturgeon are a big draw in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 28, 2023

It sounds like a storyline from a feel-good nature documentary: A species of fish that coexisted with dinosaurs, then nearly went extinct and is now a major draw in some riverside communities. The return of sturgeon to Maine rivers and streams is an environmental and conservation success story. With better water quality and the removal of some dams, the waterways are more hospitable to wildlife, including sturgeon. Restrictions on fishing have also helped. The fish may also be helping the local economy. DownEast magazine recently published an article about the best bars in Maine for watching sturgeon, which tend to spectacularly jump out of the water. Seeing prehistoric sturgeon in Maine waters is an increasingly common way to connect with an amazing history and exciting part of Maine’s present.

Environmental groups, Maine tribes oppose northern Maine mining proposal

MAINE PUBLIC • June 28, 2023

Environmental groups have joined several tribes seeking to intervene in proposed zoning changes aimed at opening the door for a mining project in northern Penobscot county. The groups submitted a petition Wednesday to intervene in an application before the Land Use Planning Commission. Ontario-based Wolfden Resources has asked the commission to rezone nearly 400 acres of land to allow for metallic mining. Opposing groups, including the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Penobscot Nation, the Conservation Law Foundation and the Natural Resources Council of Maine say the mining project will harm the environment, wildlife and nearby communities.

Tribes and conservation groups are trying to stop Pickett Mountain mining project

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 28, 2023

In what might be the toughest challenge yet for Canadian junior mining company Wolfden, two Maine tribes and environmental law groups filed a petition Wednesday to intervene in the Land Use Planning Commission’s review of Wolfden’s rezoning application. Earthjustice, a public interest law group, filed the petition on behalf of the Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. The Conservation Law Foundation is also named in the petition filing. The petitioners want the LUPC to deny rezoning the area slated for the Pickett Mining Project because it threatens natural resources and Wabanaki Nation lands and waters.

Bowdoin Arctic museum’s new home broadens its horizons

COASTAL JOURNAL • June 28, 2023

The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College opened the doors to its bright new home at the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies this spring. Students who study through the Arctic program today sometimes get the opportunity to travel to Greenland for research. “The reality is that the environment is changing and one of the best records of climate change has been collected from the Greenland ice cap,” said Susan Kaplan, the museum’s director. One exhibit is a display about smart ice technology, developed by Inuit communities, who rely heavily on stable and secure ice sheets to navigate their landscape. The smart ice technology incorporates a combination of GPS and on-the-ice know-how from those who regularly experience the ice conditions. The museum is free and open to the public, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Opinion: Trails bond is an investment in Maine’s outdoor brand

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 28, 2023

Maine trails enhance our towns, increase property values, improve our health and quality of life, and they’re great for business. Trails help fuel Maine’s $3 billion outdoor recreation economy. Maine Outdoor Brands is comprised of more than 180 businesses and organizations, nearly all of which are connected in some way to Maine’s trails. Since the pandemic, trail use in Maine and across the nation has exploded. Maine Outdoor Brands strongly supports passage of the Maine trails bond (LD 1156) currently before the Maine Legislature. This $30 million bond would be Maine’s first-ever significant investment in the design, development and maintenance of non-motorized, motorized and diverse use trails statewide. ~ Jenny Kordick and Kay Henry, Maine Outdoor Brands