Man drowns trying to rescue mother and child from New Hampshire river

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 21, 2023

A man died over the weekend while rescuing relatives from a New Hampshire river in the second such death in the state less than a week. A mother and a child became stuck around midday Sunday in a fast stretch of the Swift River in Albany, New Hampshire. The father, Vincent Parr, 37, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, went in to help and also got caught in the current. The mother and child reached shore safely, but bystanders had to bring Parr to the riverbank. He was pronounced dead after lifesaving efforts at the scene. Melissa Bagley, of Lynn, Massachusetts, drowned Tuesday while trying to rescue her 10-year-old son, who had fallen into a swift current while visiting Franconia Falls.

Boats bring in a record haul during Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 20, 2023

Each of the top-five finishers caught tuna weighing at least 700 pounds. In all, 34 boats hauled in a record 66 bluefin during the fifth-annual Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza. Proceeds from the nonprofit event go toward community college scholarships for students enrolled in trades and marine science programs, internships for University of Maine students working at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and an endowment with the University of Maine Foundation supporting bluefin tuna research at the University of Maine’s Pelagic Fisheries Lab at GMRI.

Old Town cop frees skunk’s head from Dunkin’ cups

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 21, 2023

An Old Town police officer recently freed a skunk whose head somehow became stuck in two Dunkin’ cups. The skunk’s misadventure likely began while it tried to indulge its sweet-tooth or get a late-night caffeine boost before heading back to the University of Maine. In an encounter caught on his body camera, Officer David Hilton approached the crepuscular creature at the Dunkin’ drive-through on Stillwater Avenue. While deftly avoiding getting in the path of the south-end of an anxious skunk, Hilton removed both cups from the animal’s head. And once freed, the skunk, in what may be interpreted as an expression of gratitude, scampered away without spraying Hilton.

Maine’s peach crop this year is a total loss

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 21, 2023

All is not peachy in Maine’s peach orchards this year. A spell of bitter cold weather last February, a day and a half of high winds and temperatures reaching 18 degrees below zero, resulted in total crop failure this summer.

Maine supporters of a right to a clean environment encouraged by Montana ruling

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 21, 2023

A recent court decision in Montana citing that state’s constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment is being cheered by climate activists around the country. But it has special significance for advocates in Maine who are fighting to establish a similar constitutional right to combat climate change and other environmental threats here. Last year, the Legislature voted against a proposed constitutional amendment that would have put climate change at the forefront of public policy decisions. Lawmakers will take up the proposal again next session with one key difference – this time, the campaign is being led youth organizers.

Letter: Pine Tree Power makes environmental sense to me

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 21, 2023

I support the Pine Tree Power proposal. I believe it can make our state’s electricity grid more sustainable by investing in renewable-energy sources like solar and wind power. As a lifelong resident of Maine, I have seen firsthand the impact of climate change. Our winters are getting shorterm and our summers are getting hotter. Our sea levels are rising. As a young person, I have to reckon with the effects that climate change will have on my future. This campaign will make me feel better about continuing my life in Maine. I urge everyone to join me in supporting Pine Tree Power. Together, we can protect our environment for future generations. ~ Samuel Grant, North Berwick

Quebec utility partnering on CMP corridor may revive nuclear plant

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 21, 2023

Hydro-Quebec, a partner on the controversial $1 billion hydropower line through western Maine, may restart a nuclear reactor as it eyes future power demands. News broke earlier this month that the Quebec utility is considering restarting a decommissioned nuclear plant, and that has renewed questions about whether it can meet existing power contracts for the New England Clean Energy Connect project in Maine. The contract that Hydro-Quebec has for the NECEC project with Maine and Massachusetts will deliver hydroelectricity most of the time, but it allows Hydro-Quebec to pull back supplies in critical hours when Quebec has its own shortages, said David Littell, an energy and environmental attorney in Portland and a former member of the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Inside the feud that has stalled a coastal Maine park

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 21, 2023

Nearly five years ago, a group of residents in this tourist haven assembled to build an waterfront park. Both the supporters and the couple with a home next to the site say they have the town’s best interests in mind. They also seem to have the same goal: finishing a park the community of more than 2,000 people can enjoy. Yet this is a tale of revoked permits, amended plans and legal action.

Leaving dog poop on hiking trails is a health hazard

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 21, 2023

Strolling along a public trail, you breathe in the fresh air and feel your stress melt away. Birds sing. Tree branches sway in the breeze. Sunlight warms your skin. And then you step in a pile of dog poop. Yuck. Unfortunately, many people have endured this traumatic experience. Dog waste has long been a problem in public outdoor spaces, in trail networks and on beaches. And in addition to being disgusting, this problem is a public health concern, and can harm the environment and wildlife. In June 2018, Acadia National Park launched a new Bark Ranger Program to encourage dog owners to learn and practice good etiquette. BARK is an acronym for: Bag your poop, Always wear a leash, Respect wildlife, Know where you can go.

Maine to get early fall preview this week while rest of U.S. swelters in ‘ring of fire’

NEWS CENTER MAINE • August 20, 2023

America's heartland will bake this week, but heat will be hard to find in the Northeast. After near-tropical levels of humidity Monday, the dewpoints will come crashing down by midweek with refreshing air for all of Maine.

How much tourism can Bar Harbor handle?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 20, 2023

Despite what has been a rainy summer, the number of tourists visiting Bar Harbor this year again is far outpacing pre-pandemic levels, when any annual tally above 3 million was considered extraordinary. Now, for the third year in a row, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are on pace to come close to or exceed 4 million visits. Matthew Hochman, a town councilor, told other Bar Harbor officials this week that he’d like the town to consider adopting a temporary ban on new lodging businesses so that the town can look into what its tourism limits should be.

Column: Thanks, but Maine can look after its own peaks

SUN JOURNAL • August 20, 2023

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service yet again has designs on “protecting,” through Federal designation, some of the high peaks in Western Maine because it contains habitat that is “under-represented in the national refuge system.” One respected Maine outdoor publication [The Maine Sporstsman] has argued that Maine folks should keep an open mind and weigh the pros and cons. However, the Federal trial balloon has been opposed at the outset by the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, The Professional Maine Guide’s Association, and the Maine Trapper’s Association. When the Federal government pledges to you that a Maine High Peaks Refuge will permit all manner of outdoor recreation, including hunting and snowmobiling, do you honestly think you can take that to the bank? ~ V. Paul Reynolds

11 Maine trails that are great for forest bathing

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 20, 2023

A form of wilderness therapy developed in Japan, Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” has caught on in the United States in recent years as more people are turning to the outdoors to bolster their health and overall well being. The practice involves walking slowly or sitting in the forest, opening your senses to your surroundings and consciously seeking connections to nature. In Maine, the most forested state in the country, this practice is especially easy to pursue. Here are just a few places to forest bathe:
• Frank E. Woodworth Preserve in Harrington
• Bog Brook Cove Preserve in Trescott and Cutler
• Branch Lake Public Forest in Ellsworth
• Furth and Talalay Nature Sanctuaries in Surry
• Edgar M. Tennis Preserve in Deer Isle
• Fernald’s Neck Preserve in Lincolnville
• Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson
• Torsey Pond Nature Preserve in Readfield
• Moose ponds loop near Greenville
• River Pond Nature Trail near Millinocket
• Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge

New tools to teach climate change in Maine schools

MAINE MONITOR • August 20, 2023

Social studies is a human geography lesson about how wildfires affect marginalized communities. You even play games themed around recycling and waste during Phys. Ed. And there’s no shortage of climate content for science class — from understanding changing winters and melting ice caps, to connecting food waste and the chemistry of landfills to the warming earth. These units and many more like them are ready for Maine teachers to use in their own classrooms as part of the new Maine Climate Hub, launched this week by the national nonprofit Subject to Climate and the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA). It’s a Maine-tailored database of scientist-vetted lesson plans and resources about climate change and the environment, for all subjects and grade levels.

UMaine research will look at the impact of the transition to sustainable energy on underserved communities

MAINE PUBLIC • August 20, 2023

Underserved and tribal communities are the focus of new research funded by the Environmental Protection Agency that will look at their transition from fossil fuel energy systems to low carbon systems and provide them with tools to succeed. Sharon Klein, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Maine, will lead the research and says Local Energy Action Networks exist to help disadvantaged communities. "A lot of what the EPA grant is focused on is how are LEANS, in Maine and other states, helping underserved communities get the support they need to do the local energy action they want to do for themselves," Klein said. Klein says Millinocket, Eastport, and two Wabanaki communities will participate in the four-year research project and learn how their sustainable energy projects are part of the global climate solution.

Advocates rally at Moody Beach in Wells as a court case seeks to expand beach access

MAINE PUBLIC • August 20, 2023

At Moody Beach in Wells Saturday, advocates for beach access rallied to draw attention to a court case that seeks to expand beachgoers' rights. Current Maine law, which dates back to the 1600's, extends the property rights of shoreline homeowners to the low tide mark. The only exceptions for public use are for fishing, fowling, and navigation. One of the plaintiffs in the case, Peter Masucci, says the centuries-old law does not reflect modern beach activities. And he says many beachfront homeowners at Moody post "private property signs" and don't allow any use of the shore. "We're hoping that the court system and the people that are going to adjudicate this thing see the value in making not only Moody Beach, but all beaches and all intertidal area throughout the whole state, free and open to the public," Masucci said.

Winslow native shows snowmobilers the way with a little help from the business community

MORNING SENTINEL • August 20, 2023

As a kid who frequently went snowmobiling with friends in Winslow and far more remote areas of the state, Jake Warn found it difficult to relay trip information to his parents. Sharing those details with others can be important considering Maine has about 14,000 miles of snowmobile trails and riders can easily become lost or stranded deep in the woods. An avid outdoorsman and a curious entrepreneur, Warn recognized the need for an accurate, comprehensive trail map that is accessible online. So he’s spent the last few years mapping over 100 trails that are available to the public for free through SledTRX, his snowmobile mapping business found at sledtrx.com.

Invasive Weed Mile-a-Minute Risks Potential Spread in Maine as Barbs Attach to Native Plants, Blocking Sunlight

NATURE WORLD NEWS • August 20, 2023

Persicaria perfoliata (mile-a-minute), an invasive species that is native to India and eastern Asia, poses a threat to the plant life of Maine. The plant, an annual that has a growth rate of up to six inches per day, nonetheless poses a concern over the winter since latent seeds can still sprout. The plant uses its barbs to cling to native plants and prevent sunlight from reaching desirable plants, which causes great damage. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's crop & conservation specialist, Caleb Goossen, stated that once it's established in a region, it's challenging to get rid of it. Additionally, dealing with it would be costly.

Column: With hunting seasons starting, time to end your summer hibernation

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 20, 2023

Bear season, which kicks off Aug. 26 with Youth Day then Aug. 28 for the grown-ups. Maine had been struggling with how to control the burgeoning bear population, which was leading to more human-bear conflicts, and wildlife managers were seriously considering doubling the bag limit to two. A strong lobbying effort from certain special interest groups and a couple good harvest years have quelled that notion, at least for now. Last year’s take of over 40,000 deer was the highest in more than a generation. Whether that represents an over-harvest and bad news, or an indication of the size of the herd and good news, remains to be seen. Despite a crazy winter and a wet summer there will still be plenty of game out there this fall to chase, and the hunt starts soon. ~Bob Humphrey

Column: Hummingbird feeders are tempting for other species, too

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 20, 2023

Q: “What could be getting at my feeder when I have not seen any birds there?” A: woodpeckers and chickadees will also drink from hummingbird feeders. We are late enough in the summer that young-of-the-year raccoons may be venturing out on their own, and a sugary drink would be hard to turn down. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox