The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
SIERRA CLUB • October 22, 2023
Pete Nichols has been named Director of the Sierra Club Maine Chapter. Nichols is a Maine native who for nearly 30 years has worked to protect the world’s waters & wild lands from the redwood forests of northern CA, to the majestic Tigris River in Iraq & the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya. He obtained a B.S. in Conservation Biology from Humboldt State University.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
Maine has more than 150 licensed oyster farms stretching from Kittery to Washington County. Maine’s oyster farmers last year hauled in more than 3 million pounds of the bivalves with an $8.3 million value. The Maine Oyster Trail is a tourism initiative featuring an interactive online map and other key info about Maine oysters. Many millennials and older Gen Zers are looking for “green career opportunities.” “Oyster farming is a sustainable living and a great way to produce food with a low impact,” said Afton Vigue of the Maine Aquaculture Association. Of the five oyster species native to the United States, the Eastern oyster is native to Maine. The state has four general oyster farming “regions”: southern Maine, Casco Bay, Midcoast and Down East. The majority of Maine farms are clustered together along the coast and the Damariscotta and New Meadows rivers. The time is right to slurp down some oysters, and celebrate the fruits of Maine’s oyster farms.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
If Question 3 passes, Pine Tree Power will take over the 28,000 miles of transmission lines and other assets of CMP and Versant’s power delivery business, create an elected and appointed board of overseers, and hire a third-party operator to keep the electricity flowing to Maine homes and businesses. But questions around the cost and legality of the takeover, the experience of the new board and new delivery operator, the timeline, and the veracity of promises of lower cost and more reliable power have sown confusion. Opponents say it would cost $13.5 billion. Supporters say the cost would be half that. Supporters say the board would bring decision-making back to Maine. Critics question whether those elected to the board would be qualified to oversee an electric utility. The state’s public advocate estimates that legal challenges could take from five to 10 years to resolve.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
Dandy Ram farm is an LGBTQ+ operated and owned farm offering space to grow crops for just $1 a year. It is n affordable and accessible opportunity for queer people to find kinship, learn to farm, discover their passion and, perhaps most important, feel safe and at ease while doing so. Farm owner Bo Dennis, 33, and the other folks sharing space at Dandy Ram view this dynamic as uniquely queer – a word that embraces people within the LGBTQ+ community and others who reject conventional gender norms and the societal expectations that go along with them. People in the LGBTQ+ community are using the term “queer” (both as a noun and verb) and reframing its long-standing association as a homophobic slur.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
If you enjoy towering pines, both red and white, head to Hancock Pond in the towns of Sebago and Denmark. We recently enjoyed a four-hour circumnavigation of the hourglass-shaped pond; dipping in and out of secluded coves, marveling at the long ridgeline of Pleasant Mountain 7 miles to the northwest, peering westward for glimpses of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire. ~ Michael Perry
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
One of the major threats to biodiversity is the loss and degradation of favorable habitats. Like many of you, I seek to improve habitat for birds and other wildlife in my yard. Our 0.25-acre yard is modest against the tracts of natural habitat that are destroyed daily. Nevertheless, by planting plants that provide food for birds and insects, providing water, putting out nest boxes, providing shelter and, of course, providing food in bird feeders, we can improve the lot of wildlife in our yard. The yards of single-unit detached housing occupies 30% of U.S. land area. Compare that to the 7% of the country that is protected in national parks, national forests and conservation land. You can see that improving our yards to benefit wildlife is a huge opportunity that we should be embracing. ~ Herb Wilson
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
Mandatory antler restrictions are among the hot-button deer hunting topics that always bring out strong opinions on both sides of the discussion. They’re not a one-size-fits-all prescription, but under the right circumstances can provide benefit to both hunter and hunted, even when applied voluntarily. Maine currently allows licensed hunters to take a buck with 3 inches or more of antler. Bottom line: it’s your tag and your choice. Success of any size deer is the goal of many hunters and they should be proud of their accomplishment. As they grow older and more experienced, however, many choose to apply greater personal restrictions. ~ Bob Humphrey
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
The Maine Public Utilities Commission is set up to oversee and regulate utilities. If our utilities are out of control, who is to blame? One obvious answer is elected officials, the same folks we’re being asked to hand total control of the power grid. It’s ridiculous to think that government can effectively oversee and regulate something it owns. When we’re done buying out the utilities’ assets, what’s next? Perhaps cable or the phone company! ~ Richard Beaudoin, Scarborough
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
Regarding the report of Oct. 8, “Freight railroads police themselves and inspect their own tracks. Some say a disaster is inevitable,” I do not believe the part about disaster to be true. Just go north to Jackman or Holeb, and you will see railroad tracks in fantastic shape, owned by Canadian Pacific Railway. Those tracks transport many heavy-loaded cars. The Canadian government manages their tracks like no other; they inspect and repair their own, and have forever. Now the U.S. could learn lessons from them on how to maintain and repair effectively. Yes, it can be done right. ~ Bill Perrault, Brunswick
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
Here are two powerful reasons to support a public utility. 1) Pine Tree Power gives us a say about the delivery of our electricity. 2) Pine Tree Power’s shareholders are its consumers. It keeps our money at home in Maine. Let’s take control of our grid and our power. ~ Sorrel Dunn, Bath
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 22, 2023
My building plans began in 2021. Conversations with South Portland city officials stated that my property met requirements to build a four-plex. The newly passed Maine state ordinance, L.D. 2023, would seal the deal. After time, energy and money spent, acting in good faith, I was advised that this wasn’t so. Is it operator error on my part, poor official communications or faulty decision-making at the municipal level? I’m back at square one. Public officials at all levels have a mandate to streamline this process. 84,000 homes are needed for Mainers in the next three years. Time to get serious. We need to start building. ~ Dani Nisbet, South Portland
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 22, 2023
Like most of Maine, Aroostook County is searching for ways to attract and retain young workers to fill gaps as older employees retire out of the workforce. Working toward that goal, local and statewide stakeholders attended a forum called Magnetize Maine at the University of Maine Presque Isle on Friday to share ideas. Some panels focused on family farms and young professionals. Despite a 2.6 percent increase in Maine’s population from 2010 to 2020, the County lost 7.1 percent. When young professionals move to Maine they first go to Portland, but Momentum Aroostook highlights the opportunities Maine has for young professionals in the northern region of Maine.
SUN JOURNAL • October 22, 2023
Here’s a quick look at what the past may have to say about the momentous Question 3 referendum.
1914: Referendum on whether to create a Public Utilities Commission. Supporters came out ahead 67,368 to 37,008.
1929: Referendum on banning the export of Maine power. CMP lost 54,070 to 64,044. though CMP gained the upper hand when in 1955 the legislature repealed the 1909 law.
1973: Public Power I: Voters had reason to be disaffected with the private power establishment but voted 151,480 to 95,645 against overthrowing it..
1980: Nuclear Power I: Initiative to close CMP’s Maine Yankee nuclear power plant. The No’s and CMP won as the shut down vote lost, 233,198 to 161,181.
1981: Proposal for popular election of the PUC. CMP defeated it, 144,647 to 90,333.
1982: Nuclear Power II: A second proposal to close Maine Yankee was defeated, 256,124 to 201,617.
2021: The Corridor: CMP lost 59% to 41% but a jury ruled the vote came too late in the power line construction schedule to stand in the way of its completion.
2023: Public Power II: The utilities have greater access to campaign funding though that is not a guarantor of success.
What will be the verdict this time? You decide. ~ Paul Mills
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 21, 2023
My wife and I are new residents of Maine, having moved here a year ago from our lifelong home in Nebraska to join our family. Nebraska is the only state in the U.S. served by a publicly owned power system. We have closely followed the claims surrounding Question 3. Having heard the arguments against the proposal from its well-funded opponents, I think it is important to hear what a real customer experiences from public power. Nebraskans enjoy some of the lowest electric rates in the nation, given in part that the citizens are the shareholders. Operational profits are reinvested into grid improvements, power generation (including an ever-expanding number of green energy projects), good salaries for its employees, or passed along to the ratepayers in the form of low rates. Our experiences with public power were consistently positive. ~ Mike Mullally, Veazie
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 21, 2023
The owners of CMP and Versant claim that what has been an excellent investment for them would be a disastrous one for Mainers. The numbers show otherwise. These regulated monopolies enjoy guaranteed rates of return on equity of about 10%. In 2022, according to the annual report of Avangrid, CMP’s base for a specified rate was over $2 billion. The cost of debt issued is also covered by rates charged to consumers. The almost risk-free returns appeal to the shareholders of these utilities. The priorities of these public utilities will only change under new ownership. The need for Pine Tree Power is urgent and the time is now. ~ Marianne Hill, PhD economist, South Portland
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 21, 2023
Farmers’ Almanac has released its Winter 2024 extended weather forecast, saying the next few months will be cold and snowy in Maine. The forecast doesn’t say the weather will be colder and snowier than normal, but it does confidently predict cold temperatures and snow in northern New England as soon as the first week of November.
SUN JOURNAL • October 21, 2023
For 18 months people in this newspaper have been saying how Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque and his minions want to destroy the lake, make money, poison our water, etc. But essentially the same scientific based standards my mayor and I, along with dozens of committee members and staff, advocated for are now essential for the protection of our drinking water. The State Drinking Water Program has endorsed the city ordinance changes to ensure our waiver of filtration remains intact. ~ Dan Bilodeau, Auburn
SUN JOURNAL • October 21, 2023
There are things I haven’t seen on Pine Tree Power commercials. First, Central Maine Power is building a billion-dollar transmission line. Is this going to be included in the takeover? Pine Tree Power will not be buying power generation, so will it include other supplier offers, or will we start getting two power bills? Will Pine Tree Power try to take over the power suppliers next? What is the payment on a $13.5 billion bond? If the state can float a $13.5 billion bond, will it reduce the state bond rating? ~ Jim Hodsdon, Lewiston
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 20, 2023
A prized variety of buckwheat grown in northern Maine and used increasingly in locally made gluten-free food products is the focus of research at the University of New Hampshire for its exceptional nutritional, medicinal, drought-tolerant and disease-resistant qualities. Crop scientists are studying tartary buckwheat at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at UNH, where researchers are seeking highly nutritious and resilient crops that can be grown in a wide range of soil types and withstand scorching temperatures, downpours, droughts and pests.
BLOOMBERG • October 20, 2023
As lawmakers around the world weigh bans on cancer-linked “forever chemicals,” many manufacturers are pushing back, saying there often is no substitute for the compounds. Maine has passed legislation to effectively outlaw the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in nearly all products by the early 2030s. Dozens of other states are also considering curbing their use. The European Union’s Chemical Agency has proposed a widespread ban. In response, Ford Motor Co. warned Maine state officials in May that “there is no commercially available technology that exists in the world today” that can replace a PFAS-containing thermoplastic used for electric vehicle batteries. Earlier this month, the U.S. Defense Department said that banning PFAS, used in weapons systems, information technology, and machinery, “would greatly impact national security.”
