Opponents of Pine Tree Power far outraise supporters of Question 3

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 5, 2023

Millions of dollars are being poured into a statewide ballot initiative asking Maine voters to decide who should deliver electricity to customers in Maine. Maine voters on Nov. 7 will weigh in on Question 3, An Act to Create the Pine Tree Power, a publicly-owned utility. If Question 3 is approved, Pine Tree Power would take over the assets of Central Maine Power Co. and Versant Power. Pine Tree Power would be run by a 13-member board. Maine Affordable Energy, which opposes a publicly-owned power company in Maine, pulled in $3 million in the latest quarter, while Our Power raised $213,000 in the period that ended Oct. 5.

Farmington supports opposition to national wildlife refuge

LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • October 5, 2023

Farmington Selectmen on Sept. 26 voted to support a letter coming out against the national wildlife refuge being proposed in northern Franklin County. Commissioner Bob Carlton of Freeman Township, former state senator Tom Saviello [R] of Wilton, Tom Cote of Farmington and others got together to “oppose this top down approach.“ Maine’s congressional delegation has written to USFWS stating Maine will work on something on its own, Saviello said. Gov. Janet Mills [D] is also against it.

New conservation parcel to create largest protected area in greater Portland

MAINE PUBLIC • October 5, 2023

The Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, with help from the town of Windham and local landowners, has conserved 700 acres in east Windham. The forested parcel is now part of a 2,000 acre conservation area, the largest in southern Maine. The 700 acre parcel connects to 1,300 protected acres in Falmouth. The new East Windham Conservation Area will create the largest wildlife habitat and trail network in greater Portland, the land trust said.

Mahoosuc Highlands preserved

BETHEL CITIZEN • October 4, 2023

On Sept. 25 a significant conservation easement protecting the 2,670-acre Shelburne Valley Forest and 1,030-acre Bald Cap Peak Forest, collectively known as the Mahoosuc Highlands Initiative conserved 3,700 acres. Both properties are now owned by The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests as a permanently protected forest reservation. The property consists of diverse riverine habitats, including cranberry bogs, red spruce swamps, silver maple floodplain forests, as well as talus slopes and cliffs helping to support a healthy black bear population.

Climate demonstrators call for L.L. Bean to discourage fossil fuel investment

TIMES RECORD • October 4, 2023

Demonstrators have been stationed outside L.L. Bean's flagship retail store for weeks, calling for the company to discourage Citibank from investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure or divest from them entirely. L.L. Bean partners with for their Bean Bucks Mastercard program. Citibank invested the second-largest amount between 2016 and 2022, topped only by JP Morgan Chase — $332 billion. Jason Sulham, manager of public affairs at L.L. Bean, said Citibank is “helping to increase the scale of our environmental initiatives. As such, we believe it is decidedly a net positive for our stakeholders that no current alternative can provide.”

Fate of Sunday hunting could hinge on meaning of single word

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 4, 2023

Lawyers argued Wednesday morning before the Maine Supreme Judicial Cour t whether Maine’s 140-year-old Sunday hunting ban is now unconstitutional based on the 2021 right-to-food amendment. Much of the argument from both sides came down to the interpretation of the word “harvest” as it appears in the new amendment. In the amendment, “harvest” is surrounded by words referencing agriculture, not hunting, Assistant Attorney General Paul Suitter said. The word commonly refers to gathering crops, and Mainers were assured the amendment would not change hunting laws by lawmakers who introduced it. Maine’s Legislature can update hunting laws to create any changes it wants, and has done so numerous times. In May, the Legislature rejected four bills to allow Sunday hunting.

Supreme Court ponders whether Maine’s Sunday hunting ban violates constitutional right to food

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • October 4, 2023

The state’s highest court heard arguments Wednesday on whether Maine’s longstanding ban on Sunday hunting violates the state Constitution. A Readfield couple, Virginia and Joel Parker, filed a lawsuit last year claiming the 140-year-old Sunday hunting ban violates the “right to food” amendment to the Maine Constitution voters approved in 2021. The lawsuit, which was dismissed by a Superior Court justice, was appealed to the state Supreme Court, which took up the matter. Pamela Lee, representing the Parkers, said, “The Superior Court erred in dismissing the Parkers’ claims. Because under a straightforward reading of this new constitutional amendment, Maine’s statutory ban on Sunday hunting is unconstitutional as applied to those who hunt for food.” Paul Suitter, an assistant attorney general, countered that state officials were clear, when the new amendment was adopted into law, that it would not invalidate any existing state hunting or fishing laws.

Natural Resources Council of Maine backs public utility ballot measure

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 4, 2023

The Natural Resources Council of Maine announced Wednesday that it’s backing a statewide ballot measure that calls for a public utility to replace Central Maine Power and Versant Power. Rebecca Schultz, senior advocate of Maine’s most well-known environmental advocacy group, said in an email that the public utility, known as Pine Tree Power, “offers our best chance to advance the clean energy transition with the accountability, creativity and collaboration necessary to keep costs as low as possible.” The ballot measure will be decided on Election Day on Nov. 7.

Opinion: Local residents need more say in Maine powerline project

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 4, 2023

A growing number of community groups are concerned about LS Power Grid Maine’s plans to construct a high-voltage transmission power line through 140 to 160 miles of Maine land, affecting thousands of residents’ property and quality of life. This project was approved by the Maine Legislature in June, without knowledge of the specific transmission line route. Instead of taking the opportunity for a respectful process and well-thought-out project, hundreds of Maine residents feel betrayed and very badly used. The land designated for this is mostly privately owned and used for farming, logging, fishing, hunting, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, hiking and simply enjoying the views from residents’ homes. The land is rich in a large variety of bird species, fox, coyote, rabbit, bobcat, deer, bear and the occasional moose. Many dairy and agricultural farmers have stated that the line through their property will destroy their livelihood. ~ Sharon Sprague, Concerned Citizens of Corinth

Scientists looked at nearly every known amphibian type. They're not doing great

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • October 4, 2023

in 2004, a first-of-its-kind study had just been released assessing the status of the world's least understood vertebrates. Now, a second global assessment of the world's amphibians has been completed. the study found that the status of amphibians globally is "deteriorating rapidly," earning them the unenviable title of being the planet's most threatened class of vertebrates. Forty-one percent of the assessed amphibians are threatened with extinction in the immediate and long-term, a greater percentage than threatened mammals, reptiles and birds.

Do working forest easements work for conservation?

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 4, 2023

A new analysis by experts concludes: “Extensive public and private funding has been used to establish “working forest” conservation easements (WFCE) that aim to protect conservation values while maintaining commercial timber production. We use variation in the timing and location of easements to estimate the impacts of WFCEs in Maine from a 33-year time-series of forest loss and harvesting. Overall, WFCEs supported continued harvests, but did not appear to provide substantial ecological benefits.”

Once considered ornamental, knotweed is one of Maine's most damaging invasive plants

MAINE PUBLIC • October 4, 2023

Sometimes confused with bamboo, knotweed has a hollow stem and flat, shovel-shaped leaves as big as your palm. It's been in the U.S. for centuries — initially brought here as an ornamental species. But it's now considered one of the most invasive plants in the world and one of the most damaging in Maine. Japanese knotweed can grow several inches a day, is strong enough to penetrate asphalt, and can regenerate from tiny fragments no longer than your thumbnail.

Kennebunk’s Climate Action Plan is full steam ahead

KENNEBUNK POST • October 4, 2023

Wxtreme weather events this past summer were a bleak reminder of the need for American cities and towns to become more resilient in the face of climate change. Thanks to a task force created last year, Kennebunk is taking steps in that direction. The town is set to join the ranks of a growing number of American municipalities with a Climate Action Plan — a roadmap for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the town’s resiliency in the fact of the climate emergency.

Opinion: One-size-fits-all approach to PFAS impractical for Maine businesses

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 4, 2023

Local businesses are voicing concern about overreach by the state Legislature to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, as lawmakers begin to consider changes to the overly burdensome mandates required under the state’s first-in-the-nation PFAS in Products law. PFAS plays a significant role in vital industries that fuel Maine’s diverse economy. Even compounds that have been through rigorous testing and commercially approved in the U.S., would trigger a product ban. This would be devastating for businesses. Maine legislators should improve the law to allow for the evaluation of risk associated with each use of PFAS compounds. Regulations should be prioritized based on environmental and human health risks. ~ Shanna Cox, Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

Letter: Vote ‘yes’ on Question 2 and Question 3

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 4, 2023

In the last two years, over $90 million has been spent by foreign corporations to influence Mainers in referendum campaigns. Opponents of Question 2 claim that corporations have this right because it’s free speech. Mainers are fighting back. The Legislature passed L.D. 1610, An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments, with bipartisan support. That bill targeted companies under foreign government control, not U.S.-owned companies. Gov. Mills vetoed it. It’s now Question 2 on the November ballot. Vote “yes” on Question 2 on Nov. 7. Vote “yes” on 3 to support Pine Tree Power. ~ Rachel Herbener, Belfast

USM community mourns loss of 219-year-old tree

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 3, 2023

The moment of silence was deafening. Aaron Witham stood, hand upon the massive, fallen trunk, head bowed in reverence, leading a small group of mourners in honoring a two-century-old tree on the University of Southern Maine campus last week. A few yards away, powerful earth-moving equipment rattled and shook the ground, clearing land for a new arts building. “This thing was an elder to us all,” Witham, USM’s director of sustainability, said. Tropical Storm Lee seriously damaged the tree earlier in September, then the decision was made to cut the rest down for safety reasons. The loss of the familiar, towering beech standing just outside Luther Bonney Hall has since reverberated through the university community.

Portland mayoral hopefuls debate homelessness, climate change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 3, 2023

Five candidates vying to become Portland’s next mayor debated Tuesday over the city’s top challenges, including climate change. Andrew Zarro said he has been working with Central Maine Power Co. and Sen. Angus King’s office on a proposal to upgrade the city’s electrical grid and triple its capacity to switch to electricity generated by renewables. Pious Ali floated several proposals – creating a municipal, consumer-owned utility company, adopting a carbon impact fee and strengthening the Green New Deal. Mark Dion said he would start by planting trees and looking for ways to protect Commercial Street and the Back Cove from rising sea levels. Dylan Pugh, who works at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, said he would commission a vulnerability study so the city can mitigate the impacts of climate change, making it a priority to protect the working waterfront. Justin Costa said he would continue efforts to expand electric vehicle charging stations.

Column: Why you hear owls hooting more in October

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 3, 2023

Maine has three common nesting owls. One of them, the tiny northern saw-whet owl, generally leaves Maine during the coldest months. The other two don’t migrate. In fact, great horned and barred owls don’t even wander very much. They always have some notion of their territories, and are apt to proclaim it periodically. Mating season has begun. The hootin’ and hollerin’ starts in August, but intensifies in October. Competing owls don’t like to intrude on each other, lest a fight break out. By announcing their territories, they can stay out of each other’s way. ~ Bob Duchesne

State regulators will require a public hearing on Lincoln-Poland Spring contract

MAINE PUBLIC • October 3, 2023

In the wake of public complaints, the Lincoln Water District has been ordered to hold a public meeting on a long-term contract with Poland Spring. Maine Public Utilities Commissioners agreed Monday that while the district is not legally required to hold a public discussion of the contract, the commission will now require a hearing on the matter.

Harpswell will explore proposal to improve public access at Clark Cove, despite neighbors’ concerns

HARPSWELL ANCHOR • October 3, 2023

The town of Harpswell will explore a proposal to improve public access to Clark Cove via state land on Allen Point Road, although neighbors oppose the idea. If the town partners with the state to manage the little-known property, improvements might consist of a gravel parking lot and a path to the water, where visitors could carry in kayaks. Federal and state funds may cover the cost of the work. Hope Hilton, co-chair of the Harpswell Town Lands Committee, presented the proposal to the Select Board. Select Board member David Chipman owns property in the area and called the proposal “a very bad idea.”