These are the oldest things ever found in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 13, 2023

There are a lot of old things in Maine. Old buildings, old artifacts, old places and, yes, old people. We’re sure at least one of the people reading this has referred to themselves as a fossil, in traditionally sarcastic Maine humor. But in this case, we’re talking about really old stuff — things that are far older than anybody currently living. Here’s a list of some of the oldest things in Maine, from rocks that are more than a billion years old to businesses that have been in continuous operation for more than three centuries.

Commentary: Much thought led to recommending Sears Island for offshore wind port

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 13, 2023

Offshore wind energy is critical to the future of Maine. Before turbines can begin producing clean energy, Maine needs to establish a port to assemble these offshore wind components and ship them out to the Gulf of Maine. First, Sears Island is the least expensive site to develop. The costs to modify and operate the two existing ports at Eastport or Mack Point would be nearly double the cost of Sears Island. Second, any development at Mack Point would involve dredging more than 500,000 cubic yards from Searsport Harbor, which would need to be disposed of at sea. Development of a port facility on Sears Island would not require such dredging. Third, critics have claimed that Sears Island should never be developed as a port site, but a settlement between the state and some of these very groups says exactly the opposite. ~ Capt. David Gelinas, Penobscot Bay and River Pilots Association; Dennis Damon, former chair of the Marine Resources and Transportation Committees; and Sean Mahoney, Conservation Law Foundation in Portland.

Upcoming exhibit depicts artists’ ocean connections and concerns

FORECASTER • September 12, 2023

A three-woman art show in Portland is an homage to the Maine coast and a call to protect the oceans. Judy Greene-Janse, Joanne Tarlin and Ann Tracy are collaborating on “Alight on the Rocky Shores: This is not an exhibition on lighthouses” at the Union of Maine Visual Artists gallery in Portland. For Tarlin, the show represents “the sublime power of the earth and the record of it, reminding us that we are stewards of this planet.” Tracy said, “I’m concerned about the climate emergency we’re in, especially for young people.” At least half of her pieces reflect that concern. Greene-Janse said that as a swimmer who’s spent years plunging into the ocean in the Northeast, she knows firsthand how the waters have warmed, the sea levels have risen and trash along the coast has increased. The show opens Oct. 6 at the UMVA gallery at the Portland Media Center with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m., and will continue on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28. An artists’ talk is scheduled for 2 p.m. Oct. 21.

Nyle Sockbeson's Appalachian Trail Journey

MAINE PUBLIC • September 12, 2023

Nyle Sockbeson is a dedicated hiker, “Project Venture” leader, educator, blogger, and member of the Penobscot drum circle known as the The Burnurwurbskek Singers. Nyle proudly celebrates his ancestry in both the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe, both of which are part of the Wabanaki Confederacy in what is now known as Maine. In our latest Borealis story, get to know Nyle as he traverses the rocky and forested mountains along the final leg of the 2,100-mile-long Appalachian Trail, known as the 100-Mile-Wilderness.

Auburn looks to restart curbside recycling with pilot program

SUN JOURNAL • September 11, 2023

The city is planning to reintroduce curbside recycling in a new pilot program after ending its biweekly pickup earlier this year. Despite criticism of its drop-off-only system since then, city officials have defended the decision and say the pilot program will allow Auburn to “make a decision based on data.”

Acadia jobs go unfilled due to labor and housing challenges

MAINE PUBLIC • September 11, 2023

Acadia National Park was only able to fill about two-thirds of its seasonal summer jobs this year, as park officials say housing and labor shortages continue to pose challenges. Acadia Superintendent Kevin Schneider says the park filled just 115 out of 175 seasonal jobs this summer. He told the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission on Monday that in addition to a shortage of worker housing, the labor market is very tight.

As East Coast pursues offshore wind power projects, much remains unknown

ASSOCIATED PRESS • September 11, 2023

As the U.S. races to build offshore wind power projects, transforming coastlines from Maine to South Carolina, much remains unknown about how the facilities could affect the environment. So far, four offshore wind projects have been approved by the federal government for the U.S. East Coast, according to the American Clean Power Association.

UNE students hunt for ways to develop shark deterrent for fishermen

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 11, 2023

Students at the University of New England are studying how low-level electrical impulses might be used to repel sharks, a method they hope will protect fishermen’s valuable catch as well as the sharks that too often die trying to steal it. If the concept proves itself in the field, the students hope to develop a long-lasting, affordable device that recreational and commercial fishermen can add to their lines to stop shark bycatch without hurting their chances at reeling in a halibut in the waters off Maine.

Letter: Pine Tree Power can be a welcome change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 11, 2023

I’m voting for the new Pine Tree Power. Too much money is being spent by the current power companies trying to scare us with their ads. Now, all the profit is going to the company owners and does not stay in our state. The current workmen could join and have the same benefits. Nobody is happy with the current companies. It’s time for a change. ~ Marcia Deal, Kittery

Storms muddy future for Maine’s ATV enthusiasts

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 10, 2023

After a summer of frequent downpours and intense flooding, Maine officials and some of the state’s hardest-hit ATV clubs are wondering how they will restore their rain-battered trails for next year and the years to come. Their concerns arise from the hefty price of trail maintenance projects and the waning ATV club volunteerism that groups rely on to keep their trail systems safe and functional. Maine’s patchwork of roughly 6,000 miles of ATV and multiuse trails rests on the back of dozens of these ATV clubs, who finance their trail systems’ maintenance with donations and state grants.

Mitchell Center to host talk on building climate resilience in polarized places Sept. 18

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 9, 2023

The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a talk, “Herding Ostriches: Building Climate Resilience in Polarized Places” with Sunrise County Economic Council’s Tanya Rucosky at 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18. Rucosky’s talk will explore how Maine Won’t Waits’ climate goals are being met in both traditionally liberal and more conservative parts of the state. free and are offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono. Preregister if Zooming.

The world is still falling short on limiting climate change, according to U.N. report

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • September 9, 2023

The world needs to "rapidly accelerate action" on cutting heat-trapping emissions, warns a new report from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Countries have an ever-shrinking window of time to stave off temperatures that would bring more dangerous heat waves, droughts and storms. The warning comes ahead of major climate change negotiations among world leaders in early December at COP28, to be held in the United Arab Emirates. Countries use the annual summit to discuss their pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but so far, they're still falling short.

Eastport preparing to host a record 15 cruise ships this fall

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 9, 2023

A 324-foot cruise ship docking in Eastport Monday is expected to kick off a busy autumn that will produce a record number of annual cruise ship visits for Maine’s easternmost city. The ship visits are expected to help boost local businesses as visitors — both passengers on the ships and people who will come to the city to see them — come and go from Eastport’s waterfront. The city expects to host passengers and crew from a total of 16 cruise ship visits this year — one by the Zaandam this past spring and the rest this fall — which will be Eastport’s highest annual tally ever.

Many Maine hunters say shooting a bear with her cubs is unethical

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 8, 2023

While some states have banned the practice, it is legal in Maine to shoot a sow accompanied by cubs or to harvest a cub. Although some folks are comfortable harvesting the adult bear, many hunters won’t take the shot if it will orphan the cubs.

Developer asks Trenton for tax break on proposed 70-megawatt solar farm

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 8, 2023

The developer behind a proposed 70-megawatt solar farm in Trenton is asking the town to cut its tax bill in half. At a presentation to the town select board on Tuesday, an attorney for Maryland-based SynerGen Solar explained the proposal, which would involve the town placing the solar farm in a tax increment financing, or TIF, zone. A TIF allows a municipality to shelter property tax revenue from the state’s education funding and revenue sharing formulas. Towns can use the money for a limited range of approved municipal projects or share some of the revenue with the property owner in what is called a credit enhancement TIF. This arrangement, which amounts to a tax break, is often used as an incentive to bring in new businesses.

UN secretary-general has urged the Group of 20 leaders to send a strong message on climate change

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 8, 2023

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged the Group of 20 top economic powers, which are responsible for more than 80% of the emissions that cause global warming, to use their weekend summit to send a strong message on climate change. Guterres said all licensing or funding for new fossil fuel projects should be stopped and that the G20 must keep the “1.5-degree goal alive,” referring to the 2015 Paris climate agreement that set 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit as a global guardrail in atmospheric warming, with countries pledging to try to prevent that much long-term warming if possible.

State Drinking Water Program supports redrawn boundary line for Lake Auburn watershed

MAINE PUBLIC • September 8, 2023

The state's Drinking Water Program agrees with the findings of a previous study that the Lake Auburn Watershed boundary can be redrawn smaller. Mike Broadbent, superintendent of the Lake Auburn Water District, says if the Board of Trustees approves the new boundary, it would remove about 80 acres from the 9,700 acre watershed, which could then be rezoned. The city of Auburn wants to shrink the watershed boundary even further to allow a housing development. That sparked a lawsuit by the city of Lewiston over concerns about degraded water quality. Lake Auburn provides drinking water for the two cities, and is one of the few water systems in the U.S. that doesn't require filtration because of its quality. In its review, Maine's Drinking Water Program concluded more research is needed to determine whether the watershed boundary can be redrawn even closer to the lake.

CMP accused of overspending on storm recovery by $53.6 million

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 8, 2023

Maine’s advocate for utility customers wants state regulators to claw back more than $50 million that it says Central Maine Power Co. overspent because it exceeded staffing guidelines when restoring electricity to ratepayers during a dozen storms in 2022. But the utility says that money was spent on out-of-state crews necessary to restore power to customers more quickly.

Casting out: A new group is trying to diversify fly fishing in Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • September 8, 2023

This gathering is anything but typical. The participants have signed up for a special weekend called Outcast Campout, put on by a new organization, the Confluence Collective. Although Maine is known for its diverse fly fishing opportunities, anglers themselves are not so diverse. And the collective aims to change that. Zsakee Lewis says the organization is helping to diversify the sport of fly fishing – for women, people who are LGBTQ, and people of color like her.