Maine Calling: Climate scientist Paul Mayewski

MAINE PUBLIC • August 29, 2023

As the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute celebrates its 50th anniversary, we talk with CCI director and professor Paul Mayewski about the institute’s role as a global leader in studying the causes and impacts of our changing climate. We’ll also learn about Mayewski’s latest research and what he has learned over the years about glaciers, melting ice, and human-induced climate change. Panelist: Paul Mayewski, glaciologist, climate scientist and polar explorer; director and professor, Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine.

Maine’s puffin colonies recovering in the face of climate change

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 29, 2023

On remote islands off the Maine coast, a unique bird held its own this year in the face of climate change. Atlantic puffins – clownish seabirds with colorful bills and waddling gaits – had their second consecutive rebound year for fledging chicks after suffering a catastrophic 2021, said scientists who monitor the birds. The encouraging news comes as the Audubon Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary of tending to Maine’s puffin colonies, which it restored from just a few dozen pairs. There are now as many as 3,000 birds, and the population is stable,

Column: Why you should tell your children about vanishing fireflies

WASHINGTON POST • August x, 2023

Maine, while 90 percent forest, is also one of our most logged states. If you’re wondering where a lot of America’s 2-by-4s and toilet paper come from, it’s here. Of Maine’s original species, sea minks, cougars, caribou and gray wolves are either extinct or extirpated from the state. Without this knowledge, it was easy to think I stood on the edge of primeval wilderness. Changes here unfolded over centuries. Each generation came to see the woods and rivers around them as normal even as the ecosystem degraded. There’s a name for this: shifting baselines. Today, a new normal is being rewritten in our own lifetimes amid climate-related disasters, from smoke-filled skies to lethal heat waves. Yet accepting these conditions as normal threatens to unravel what made the world capable of withstanding these shocks in the first place. To restore the rich relationships of species, and our place among them, we need to remember our “baselines,” whether that’s in Maine or your own backyard. One of the best ways to do this is telling stories. ~ Michael J. Coren

Letter: Day and night, noise pollution plagues Portland

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2023

We moved to Portland 20 years ago to a quiet, charming and very manageable small city, happy to do so. We felt safe to live in Portland through the pandemic. However, as we’ve all noticed, nothing is the same since then. My husband and I have lived in much larger cities and enjoy urban life. However, the noise here in Portland now far exceeds that. The sources are varied: motorcycles, souped-up cars, trucks “jake braking” (banned in some cities), street people in the wee hours, etc. This goes on 24/7. Portland has noise ordinances, but I’ve not seen any enforcement. ~ Sharon Reilly, Portland

Letter: Campaigning shouldn’t deter us from Pine Tree Power

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2023

Versant and Central Maine Power have the bucks to hire high-priced lawyers and pump thousands into slick ads, trying to confuse us into voting against our own best interests. CMP has had the worst customer satisfaction of any similar utility in the country four years out of fiveand the most frequent power outages of any state in the nation. Nebraska has public power and some of the most reliable electric service in the country. How obviously bad does it have to get before we stop letting ourselves be hustled? ~ Chris Wright
Belfast

The 88-year-old challenging the legend of LL Bean’s iconic boot

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 28, 2023

Bud Simpson got riled up when he saw an ad for the rubber-soled, leather Barker hunting shoe in a 1904 edition of In the Maine Woods magazine. The 88-year-old former shoemaker, who was born in Brewer, remembered claims that L.L. Bean has made over the years that its founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, created a boot “built of ingenuity.” That boot is now one of the world’s most storied brands and the legend of its discovery has lived on. But Bean boots were first marketed in 1912, after similar boots appeared in magazines and catalogs, Simpson found. He became irritated at what he saw as exaggerated advertising by the Maine company, and recently self-published his own book about it, “Mr. Bean’s Boot.”

UMaine economists developing new resource to help tribal and underserved communities in Maine implement renewable energy

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 28, 2023

University of Maine researchers are working with Wabanaki and rural low-income communities to co-develop a new resource for helping them implement renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The Environmental Protection Agency awarded $1.13 million to Sharon Klein and Caroline Noblet, both associate professors of economics, so they can investigate the effectiveness of Local Energy Action Networks while creating one for Maine.

Millions of federal dollars flow to wastewater upgrades

MAINE PUBLIC • August 28, 2023

Several wastewater treatment plants in Maine are being awarded millions of dollars to make infrastructure improvements. The City of Saco will receive $9 million dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant. The city is elevating structures at the plant three feet above the 100-year flood elevation, partly to mitigate the effects of sea level rise. Under a separate U.S. Department of Agriculture program to strengthen rural infrastructure, the Town of Bethel is being awarded $3 million dollars in loans and grants to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. The Town of Milo will also receive $95,000 to improve its sewer system.

Drone images show dramatically changing landscape on Chebeague Island due to storm erosion

MAINE PUBLIC • August 28, 2023

New aerial images and data show that a shoreline property and sandbar on the tip of Chebeague Island in Casco Bay has changed dramatically in recent years. The images of what's known as the "Hook" were taken by the Greater Portland Council of Governments, which has studied sea level rise and erosion on coastal communities in the region. Peter Slovinsky, a marine geologist for the Maine Geological Survey, said they reveal how the property has experienced intense erosion due to severe storms in 2018 and last year in late December. Resident Phyllis Brunner said there are few viable long term options as intense storms become more frequent. Still, she said there are positive signs that the beach is rebuilding itself with less traffic on the access road. And this summer, near-threatened piping plovers nested on the island, which Brunner said is a first for Casco Bay in the last 40 years.

Letter: Why Landowners Should Support a High Peaks National Wildlife Refuge

DAILY BULLDOG • August 28, 2023

In May 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held public scoping sessions in Rangeley and Farmington to introduce the concept of a High Peaks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). So far, the High Peaks NWR is just an idea. It is an idea I support wholeheartedly, which is why I’ve joined the USFWS stakeholder representative team to help shape the concept in a way that reflects community values. As a 50-year resident of Phillips and a Madrid landowner, I believe the High Peaks NWR would be a force multiplier for this region. The USFWS would bring invaluable conservation and outdoor recreation-focused funding to the High Peaks, helping us build and maintain outdoor access, crucial infrastructure, and threatened habitat. We would permanently protect outdoor recreation access and wildlife habitat in the region while gaining access to a $900-million pot of federal funding. Why wouldn’t we want a seat at that planning table? ~ Arthur Lage, Phillips

Midcoast residents ask state to turn unused railroad into recreation trail

TIMES RECORD • August 27, 2023

For decades, a rail corridor connecting Brunswick and Gardiner has remained dormant, but residents are asking the Maine Department of Transportation to transform it into a recreation trail. Last week, the 14 members of the Rail Corridor Use Advisory Council voted to send an official recommendation to the MaineDOT, urging them to turn the 34-mile abandoned corridor into a trail for bikers and hikers. “Since the state has found passenger rail unfeasible on this corridor at least through 2040, the council concluded that an interim trail makes the most sense,” said council member Jeremy Cluchey.

Longtime Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust director leaving post

TIMES RECORD • August 27, 2023

The longtime director of the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust is leaving her post at the end of the month to become program director for the Maine Land Trust Network. Angela Twitchell served as executive director of the land trust since 2008 and has overseen 60 conservation projects. Former land trust board President Brad Babson credited Twitchell for growing the land trust, which has a staff of 12 overseeing 3,220 acres of conservation property and 23 miles of public trails. She also oversaw the land trust’s merger with the Cathance River Education Allianceearlier this year, which she said will increase educational opportunities and resources for the community.

Watch this mink family slink silently across a pond outlet

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 27, 2023

Allie Ladd of Byron has found with one of his favorite trail camera locations that no matter how many times he relies on a certain position, he’s bound to come up with some outstanding wildlife footage. Today’s video compilation provides a look at a handful of different animals and birds all taking advantage of a particular spot. The camera is located low and is aimed toward a log that crosses the outlet to a pond. It is incredible how many critters visit the spot or actually take advantage of the fallen tree.

Column: A regular hiker’s guide to Appalachian Trail terminology

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 27, 2023

Spend time on or near Maine’s 282-mile section of the Appalachian Trail over the next couple months and you’ll likely encounter that legendary animal known as the “thru-hiker.” With their ragtag appearance, deep tan, muscular legs, beat-up backpack, distinct odor, and a language all their own, they’re hard to miss. Here’s an insider’s guide to some of their terminology. ~ Carey Kish

Column: Feeding habits of migrating shorebirds can help with identification

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 27, 2023

Fall shorebird migration is well under way, and the intertidal habitats in Maine are hosting legions of shorebirds that are passing through. Many of the species we are seeing now nested on the arctic tundra and are headed to wintering grounds in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Shorebird identification can be daunting. Observe their behavior rather than dwelling on the nuances of identification. ~ Herb Wilson

Column: Getting a bear to take the bait is no easy task

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 27, 2023

It’s by no means easy, which might seem counterintuitive to the uninitiated. You put a barrel of donuts in the woods, climb up in a tree and wait; how tough can that be? You have to choose the right location to set your bait. If and when they do come, they’re hardly naive. Hunting bears over bait sometimes gets an undeserved bad rap. ~ Bob Humphrey

Letter: Public power advocates aren’t thinking about tax revenue

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • August 27, 2023

Having served as chair of my town’s board of selectmen, I can tell you the state is known for not fulfilling its financial commitments to municipalities when times get lean. That’s why I’m very concerned about the impact of the Pine Tree Power ballot initiative (Question 3) should it pass in November, because it proposes acquiring the two largest property taxpayers in the state to create a new state-owned electric utility. Many towns and cities rely on the tens of millions of tax dollars paid by our existing utilities. When unhappy ratepayers start complaining about their high electric bills, I believe they’ll cut, or even eliminate, property tax payments. Please vote “No” on Question 3. ~ Lincoln Merrill, North Yarmouth

Opinion: We can fight climate change with our forks

TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY • August 26, 2023

Regions previously unaffected by major wildfires have become much more vulnerable in recent years due to the human-induced climate catastrophe. Scientists warn that if we are to change course, we will need to slash our greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and stop adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by the early 2050s. Going vegan is the single best step in helping to curb the destruction humans are inflicting on the Earth. Eating meat puts our home and that of countless other species in danger. ~ Jade Napierala, PETA Foundation

MSAD 61 target of lawsuit after Casco teen dies on school hiking trip

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 26, 2023

The parents of a Casco teen who died on a school-sponsored “Senior Awareness” hiking and camping trip nearly two years ago filed a federal lawsuit Friday against MSAD 61 and two staff members. Michael Strecker, 17, had just begun his senior year at Lake Region High School when he died on Sept. 12, 2021, at the end of a daylong hike on South Baldface Mountain in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. Strecker succumbed to exertional heatstroke as students and staff descended the mountain in North Chatham, New Hampshire, according to the complaint filed by his parents, Amy Tait of Casco and Christopher Strecker.

Letter: Concerned about proposed Pickett Mountain mine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 26, 2023

As a longtime resident of the Katahdin area, I have very deep concerns about the Pickett Mountain mining project proposed near Patten. Mines can pollute the area in which they reside. Wolfden has notoperated a metal mine. The Katahdin area is not a place for experiments. Mining is a boom/bust economy. A short economic boom for a potential eternity of destruction doesn’t sound like a good deal. Tourism will benefit us all as all services and jobs are needed. I think the mine will only salt the earth, making sure nothing can grow and destroy our beautiful home. ~ Becky Noyes, Patten