The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 20, 2023
Take advantage of the last few weeks of summer and head to Readfield for a leisurely 6-mile exploration of Lake Maranacook’s North Basin. Dotted with three large and three small islands, the basin provides superb end-of-summer swimming, birding and gunkholing among islands. ~ Michael Perry
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 20, 2023
The oil and gas industry doesn’t want Mainers to build offshore wind. Locally produced renewable energy threatens its dominance in Maine, the most heating oil-dependent state in the nation. The fossil fuel industry is already making its political presence felt in Maine, and in the coming months is expected to spend more and more out-of-state dollars to sow discord, divide Mainers from each other and try to convince us not to break our dependence on dirty fuels. See through their tactics. Offshore wind will benefit wildlife. Climate change is the No. 1 threat to Maine wildlife and habitat, and it has already changed Maine’s wildlife landscape. ~ Andy Beahm, Maine Audubon
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 20, 2023
Two weeks ago, as my husband and I drove from Maine to Michigan, we crossed into Canada at Niagara Falls and drove the King’s Highway 401 west through Ontario to Windsor. Everywhere along this 240-mile stretch, there were giant wind turbines (windmills), more than we could count in this long stretch of farmland and cities like Hamilton and London, Ontario. There are 2,663 wind turbines in Ontario, according to data from hipurbangirl.com. I know of zero wind turbines near me in Maine. I wonder if Canada is on to something? Yes, Maine’s infrastructure would have to be altered for alternative power sources like wind, but I assume Canada did too. ~ Joan K. Hager, Wells
MORNING SENTINEL • August 20, 2023
As the board chair, I’ve witnessed the remarkable transformation of Unity Environmental University under Melik Peter Khoury’s visionary leadership. He turned a struggling college in rural Maine into an international success story with innovative and affordable experiential online programs focused on environmental stewardship. While all this positivity has been unfolding, most people are likely unaware of the constant, personal attacks aimed at Dr. Khoury by a few former faculty, alums and their circle of friends and relatives, as well as the social media harassment of students who have gone online to celebrate their Unity experience. Unity Environmental University is thriving today because of President Khoury, not despite him. ~ Sharon Reishus, Somerville
KENNEBEC JOURNAL • August 20, 2023
Little has changed after another year of global warming headlines. Maine’s record high temperature of 105°F, set on July 10, 1911, is now 112 years old. Twelve Maine towns and cities have daily high temperature records of 100 degrees and above. Six of the records were set in 1975. The remaining six were set in 1897, 1911, 1911, 1935, 1955, and 1988. Until recently the Maine.gov website stated the “record hottest year in Maine” was 1913 and the “record coldest year in Maine” was 1904. Those records still stand. ~ Joe Grant, Wiscasset
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 19, 2023
A 1989 Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruling affirmed that beach homeowners own the stretch from their homes to the water, not allowing public access. On Saturday, about 100 members of two groups, Our Maine Beaches and Free Moody Beach, participated in a rally that called attention to the longtime dispute over public use of Moody Beach. The groups who want to see public access to the beach are supporting a court challenge to overturn the 34-year-old ruling. Group members say the issue is not limited to Moody Beach, and that there’s a growing trend in Maine of coastal land being shut off to the public.
MAINE MONITOR • August 19, 2023
State and federal environmental regulators have issued fines against three prominent Maine companies, settling separate cases involving potentially damaging chemicals used in their production operations. A state penalty of $101,400 was approved against ND Paper in Old Town through an administrative consent agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection. Separately, the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued $373,490 in penalties against Jasper Wyman & Son and Barber Foods for chemical safety violations.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2023
Sean Birkel, an assistant professor at UMaine and the state climatologist, created a website called the Climate Reanalyzer that provides weather and climate datasets and software and analysis tools for weather forecasts, climate models etc. He and his climate model were widely referred to last month when the Earth experienced its hottest week ever recorded. When he looks to the future, tapping the combination of datasets and models to see Maine’s projected climate through 2100, Birkel sees temperatures rising from 2 to 10 degrees and 10% to 20% more rainfall, depending on worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. Maine’s climate is going to change, getting both hotter and wetter, and the Gulf of Maine will rise. Maine faces significant challenges, but the state isn’t facing the potential catastrophe that looms for other parts of the world in the next 30 to 50 years.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 18, 2023
Global warming is a direct result of putting carbon into the atmosphere. Climate change, on the other hand, is the result of global warming and all that extra energy in the system. It is totally unpredictable just what will happen. For all we know, we will end up in an ice age if and when the Gulf Stream collapses. What we scientists can tell you is that there is much more energy in the system and that the extremes will get more extreme. scientists cannot well predict climate change. But again, we can say it is a direct result of global warming, and we can say global warming is the direct result of putting so much carbon in the air. We can say, absolutely, that if we want to slow down climate change, we must stop putting so much carbon into the air. It is as simple as that. And time is now of the essence, regardless of cost. ~ Peter J. Stein, Portland-based Scientific Solutions
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 19, 2023
In the midst of an extinction crisis, it is completely irresponsible that Rep. Jared Golden would support overturning Endangered Species Act protections for the northern long-eared bat, dooming this species to extinction. President Ronald Reagan signed into law the ESA Amendments of 1982, which made clear that all decisions regarding the listing of species were to be made “solely on the basis of the best scientific and commercial data available.” Whether or not a species is facing extinction is a scientific question only. Northern long-eared bats have declined by up to 99% in the Northeast in less than two decades. The Fish and Wildlife Service listed the bat as endangered last November after finding that its previous “threatened” status was not sufficiently protective. Rep. Golden’s vote was contrary to the best available science and not in line with protecting Maine’s biodiversity. ~ Tara Thornton, Litchfield
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 19, 2023
I write to express my concern that the water quality, fisheries and outdoor economy of the Katahdin Region are once again at risk of permanent degradation. Canada-based Wolfden Resources Corporation has submitted a second application to the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) to allow a metallic mineral mine at Pickett Mountain near Patten, Baxter State Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Key entities stating opposition to the project include the Penobscot County commissioners, Mount Chase Lodge, the Houlton Band of Maliseets, the Penobscot Nation, the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization, Chandler Lake Camps and Lodge, Bradford Camps, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine. The LUPC will hold a public hearing on the proposal and is accepting public comment on the project at WolfdenRezoning.LUPC@maine.gov. ~ Kathryn Olmstead, Caribou
WASHINGTON POST • August 19, 2023
By the end of last year, the West Virginia Democrat had become deeply displeased with how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was helping the Biden administration advance its aggressive climate goals. Manchin, a staunch ally of fossil fuel interests, was particularly critical of the agency’s efforts to write regulations that more fully consider climate impact when it reviews new natural gas infrastructure. So he blocked the reappointment of the chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and has vowed to oppose appointments to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department. Biden and his aides are trying to agree to Manchin’s demands where they can, while still advancing a climate agenda that the senator strongly opposes – even though his vote last year made it possible in the first place.
SUN JOURNAL • August 18, 2023
In spite of steady rain and swampy conditions under foot, well over a hundred people had gathered at Great Falls Balloon Festival Friday evening in Lewiston, taking in the entertainment and waiting for the arrival of the balloons. The news that the balloons had been grounded was disappointing, but the crowds didn’t disperse. There was still plenty of entertainment to be had. Festival goers eagerly checked their weather forecasts and surmised that Saturday and Sunday had better chances of decent weather.
ISLAND AD-VANTAGES • August 18, 2023
The Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding with an “epic night of fun” on Tuesday, August 22, at the REACH Performing Arts Center. The “Coastal Fisheries Fanfare,” as the party is being called, will feature a raffle, door prizes, storytelling and songs by local fishermen, including performances by Waterbound, Tidewalker and a number of special guests. At a recent show, performer Frank Gotwals joked that Stonington is “a music town with a fishing problem,” and the event’s lineup reflects that tradition. But according to Bobbi Billings, the MCCF’s longtime administrative director, it also reflects the center’s commitment to making sure the fishing community is front and center.
MAINE PUBLIC • August 18, 2023
Just as electric buses become more popular, a major manufacturer has filed for bankruptcy. The California company Proterra manufactured four electric buses used by Greater Portland Metro and Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit. But Greg Jordan, executive director of Greater Portland Metro, doesn't foresee any major hiccups. Jordan said the buses are performing well, and Proterra has assured him that the bankruptcy filing won't affect the warranties or parts and service needs. Jordan said GP Metro aspires to operate a zero-emissions fleet by 2040, and is evaluating which companies might be able to provide appropriate vehicles for the transition. Many of the electric school buses in Maine are manufactured by another company, Lion Electric, and are unaffected by the bankruptcy.
RUMFORD FALLS TIMES • August 18, 2023
Julie Renaud Evans, program director of the Northern Forest Center, asked more than 20 community participants, including some Planning Board members, Wednesday for wording for a vision and mission statement on a proposed 446-acre community forest in Rumford. In May, Inland Woods + Trails, a nonprofit organization based in Bethel, announced plans to establish a community forest in partnership with the The Trust for Public Land and the Northern Forest Center. The organization maintains 85 miles of trails in five towns throughout Oxford County, including for hiking, mountain biking, fat biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.
MAINE PUBLIC • August 18, 2023
Maine is receiving nearly $6 million to address lead-based paint hazards in the homes of low-income families. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the grant this week. The agency said the work will address lead and health hazards in 241 housing units, and will also perform assessments in another 200 homes.
MAINE PUBLIC • August 18, 2023
Maine is receiving nearly $6 million to address lead-based paint hazards in the homes of low-income families. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said the work will address lead and health hazards in 241 housing units, and will also perform assessments in another 200 homes. Local and state agencies in Maine have received nearly $40 million in federal housing funds over the last decade to address lead hazards.
BOOTHBAY REGISTER • August 18, 2023
The second episode of “Coastal Currents” co-produced with Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust premieres on Lincoln County Television on Sunday at 7:00 pm. Just in time for Water Quality month, the episode centers on CRCT’s efforts to improve and maintain water quality.
WCSH-TV6 • August 18, 2023
Golf is a unique sport, where players can get out in nature. But golf courses can get a reputation for caring more about having green fairways than supporting the wilderness 20 feet away. Matt Teneyck said as much, days after Riverside Golf Course earned recertification as a "cooperative sanctuary" from Audubon International. Teneyck is the course superintendent.
