Cobscook Shores adds 25-acre Pembroke parcel to its holdings

MAINE MONITOR • September 16, 2023

Cobscook Shores, a nonprofit organization run by a millionaire philanthropist from New York, has purchased another piece of coastal property in Washington County, the latest in a series of parcels in the area bought by the group over the past eight years. Cobscook Shores purchased the former Leighton farm, consisting of 25.5 acres along Leighton Point Road and the Pennamaquan River in Pembroke, on Aug. 31, according to real estate records. Charlie Howe, the Cobscook Shores project manager, confirmed the $420,000 purchase. He said the property will be used for cross country skiing and biking for the organization’s youth program, aimed especially at schools on the north side of Cobscook Bay.

Commentary: In Boulder’s eyes, Pine Tree Power is worth the fight

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 16, 2023

As clean-energy activists from Boulder, Colorado, and Maine, we urge Mainers to support Question 3. Pine Tree Power is worth the effort! We’re proud of what Boulder won from Xcel Energy in our separation campaign and the decarbonization results for Colorado. Maine also should fight for local control, lower rates, better reliability and service – and a meaningful shot at decarbonization by getting off oil. We also write to take back Boulder’s story, which Central Maine Power is hijacking. ~ Leslie Glustrom and Anne Butterfield

Letter: Three certainties leading to ‘no’ on Pine Tree Power

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 16, 2023

How do we make a decision on the Pine Tree Power referendum? There are three certainties. One certainty is extended complex litigation, perhaps extending 10 years or more. Another certainty is that we must quadruple our supply of clean energy. We have an incredible amount already on our plate. A third certainty is that Central Maine Power and Versant aren’t going to accelerate or finance the clean-energy transition while the litigation rolls forward. We are already behind the climate eight-ball and cannot afford to add additional layers of complexity and delay. Vote “no” on the Pine Tree Power referendum. ~ Daniel Amory, Portland

China school has a new well but concerns over water contamination linger

MORNING SENTINEL • September 15, 2023

Students and staff at China Middle School are continuing to rely on bottled water this academic year because of different contaminants that have been found in the school’s water supply. Officials with Regional School Unit 18 say work is underway to install a filtration system for a new well that’s been dug nearby the middle school.

A new land purchase will protect nearly 29,000 acres in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness

MAINE PUBLIC • September 15, 2023

After a new land purchase, the Appalachian Mountain Club is permanently protecting nearly 130,000 contiguous acres of forestland in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness. On Thursday, the group announced the purchase -- with the Conservation Fund -- of the nearly 29,000-acre Barnard Forest, which is adjacent to more than 100,000 acres it already holds. The AMC's President and CEO, Nicole Zussman, said the $15.2 million purchase of the property will create nearly 130,000 contiguous acres of protected land — more than twice the size of Acadia National Park — and will allow for continued responsible forestry, carbon sequestration, and other uses.

Lawsuit claiming Versant negligently cut down 973 Christmas trees will continue

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 15, 2023

The lawsuit saying Versant Power acted negligently when cutting down 973 Christmas trees under its power lines will continue after Penobscot County Judge Bruce Mallonee declined to dismiss the case Friday morning. Ervin Tower, of Patten, filed a lawsuit in February alleging Versant employees trespassed on his land in September 2022 and cut down the Christmas trees, worth more than $20,000. The trees were grown under high-voltage power lines in a transmission corridor, Versant attorney Arrian Stockdell said.

Bangor public hearing added for Pickett Mountain mining proposal

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 15, 2023

The Maine Land Use Planning Commission scheduled an additional public hearing location in Bangor for a Canadian junior mining company’s rezoning application for the Pickett Mountain mining project. The decision came Thursday evening after 54 Maine legislators made the request earlier in the day. The LUPC had scheduled a three-day public hearing on the Wolfden mining project for Oct. 16, 17 and 18, at Stearns High School in Millinocket. But the primarily Democratic legislators said in a letter to the LUPC that people throughout Maine, not just those living in the project area, have an interest in providing comments about mining activity located near treasured natural resources.

Maine gets $1 million in grants to create new hiking trails

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 15, 2023

Maine is getting more than $1 million in federal grants for new conservation and outdoor recreation projects, including the purchase of more than 950 acres to create public hiking trails in Windham, New Gloucester and Searsmont. About half of the money, or $496,000, is being awarded to Windham to buy 697 acres of heavily forested land and build a 1.3-mile universal access trail. The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands will get $268,500 to buy and develop 195 acres of land in New Gloucester as part of a new public lands project, Talking Brook, which is home to scenic brooks, waterfalls and an extensive trail network. Searsmont will get $103,000 to buy 64 acres of undeveloped land along the Georges River and create new outdoor recreational opportunities, including a boat launch, picnic area, hiking trails, and 1,700 feet of universal access walking trails.

Letter: Pine Tree Power has a clear plan to benefit Mainers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 15, 2023

I am writing to combat claims that Pine Tree Power has no plan following the vote this November. This is simply not true. The transition process would begin immediately. there is a clear plan to form the Pine Tree Power company. I would not have spent hundreds of hours collecting signatures in 2021 and 2022 if I were not sure of this. ~ Wil Thieme, Cumberland

Portland chamber slams public power proposal as activists demonstrate

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 14, 2023

A Portland business group on Thursday hosted a 45-minute takedown of a public power proposal on the Nov. 7 state ballot as two dozen activists earlier demonstrated their support for a publicly owned utility. The Portland Community Chamber of Commerce opposes the ballot measure, which calls for the takeover of Maine’s two investor-owned utilities and installation of a publicly controlled utility called Pine Tree Power.

Sale of Aroostook County land for new Wildlife Management Area is now finalized

MAINE PUBLIC • September 14, 2023

More than 6,300 acres in Aroostook County are now home to a new Wildlife Management Area. The Conservation Fund purchased the land last November with the intent to sell it to Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Thursday, the Foundation announced the Department now owns the property, which is within an hour drive of Millinocket, Lincoln, and Houlton. The area is home to rare species and ecosystems and includes important habitat for Atlantic salmon and deer. It can be used by hunters, anglers, and paddlers.

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