Canton residents approve moratorium on solar farm projects

RUMFORD FALLS TIMES • January 12, 2024

Eighteen town residents approved a moratorium for solar farm projects in town without any questions or comments during a special town meeting at the Town Office on Thursday. The moratorium of 180 days will allow time for the town’s planning board to “develop suitable regulations governing such facilities,” the meeting article stated. Currently, there is one solar farm on Edmunds Road in Canton, but there are “at least three other possible (solar farms)” interested in having their businesses in town, Selectman Chair Brian Keene said.

Portland Harbor dredging project to finally move forward

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 12, 2024

A long-awaited dredging project along the Portland waterfront is finally moving forward after more than a decade of planning, advocacy and delays. The Maine Department of Transportation said Friday that it will put the multiyear project out to bid this spring and hopes to begin work this fall. The project will restore berthing space and boat access along the working waterfronts where sediment has gradually built up between the commercial finger piers. It will be the first time that part of the harbor has been dredged in more than 70 years.

Mainers batten down for another round of historic flooding

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 12, 2024

High winds and massive storm surges swept away whole homes on Wednesday in this town along Maine’s midcoast. On Friday, residents raced to clean up debris a day before a similar storm was set to strike. Maine’s coast will be hammered around midday Saturday with storm surges of up to 4 1/2 feet that will combine with the highest tide of the season. The potential for flooding along the Down East coast is the highest observed in more than a decade, the National Weather Service in Caribou said.

Maine companies look to biochar as a climate solution, to capture carbon and improve soil health

MAINE PUBLIC • January 12, 2024

In a former biomass plant in Greenville, wood chips are flowing from hoppers into long tubes about three feet in diameter. Pat Jones is the president of Clean Maine Carbon, which burns wood in high-temperature, low-oxygen conditions known as pyrolysis. “It starts out as wood" he said. "And as you can see when we come over here what comes out the other end is biochar.” In the quest for climate solutions, Jones is among the Maine entrepreneurs banking on this charcoal-like substance. They say it can bind up carbon for decades, and improve agricultural soils at the same time. A second biochar facility, Standard Biocarbon in Enfield, hopes to start production in the next few months, and aims to produce about 1,200 tons annually.

Coastal Maine could see a nearly 15-foot high tide during Saturday storm

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 12, 2024

The Maine Emergency Management Agency is warning Mainers to stay alert to changing weather conditions ahead of the weekend storm. Gov. Janet Mills has also declared a state of emergency for coastal communities that were impacted by Wednesday’s storm. Officials are urging residents to stay away from the coast when possible, as major coastal flooding is expected. Many areas are continuing to recover from flooding that swept through coastal regions during Wednesday’s wind and rain storm.

Storm closes Reid State Park and access to Lily Bay is limited

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 12, 2024

One state park is closed because of storm damage and access to another is limited due to a staffing shortage, according to a spokesman for the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. Reid State Park in Georgetown saw the most damage in Maine’s park system from Wednesday’s storm. Lily Bay State Park in Beaver Cove will offer limited access this winter due to lack of staff.

More frequent storms erode the luster of living on Maine’s coast

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 12, 2024

While beachside living will never go out of fashion, some Mainers are beginning to factor proximity to the Maine coast into their housing decisions. Stronger storms and rising sea levels will sharply raise coastal flooding risks over the next 30 years, and the same areas hit hard by floods earlier this week may see an even bigger storm on Saturday. “I knew better than to have oceanfront property, because I respect Mother Nature for what she can bring, and we’re seeing it,” said Mike Haggett, a weather forecaster who lives two miles from the Maine coast in Kennebunk and has a devoted following on his Pine Tree Weather website. Maine has seen sea levels rise 8 inches since 1950. They are expected to rise another 1.5 feet by 2050 and 4 feet by 2100.

Maine’s historic landmarks under siege from powerful storms

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 12, 2024

With another storm looming Saturday, efforts to cleanup rubble from the midweek storm and stabilize what remains is adding a sense of urgency at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and other hard-hit areas along the state's coast.

Dover-Foxcroft committee wants to replace town’s iconic dam with a park

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 11, 2024

A committee responsible for finding a solution to Dover-Foxcroft’s deteriorating dam and connected facilities wants to remove them and build a riverfront park. The town partnered with three groups in 2022 to study the Mayo Mill dam and plan for its future. The Atlantic Salmon Federation, Nature Conservancy in Maine and Inter-Fluve looked at how to make the dam compliant with state and federal regulations and improve fish passage. The town acquired the dam on the Piscataquis River in downtown Dover-Foxcroft in 2007. The 12-foot-high, 150-foot-long concrete structure is aging and faces challenges, including fish migration and long-term maintenance and operations costs.

Appointment to state board stalls in Legislature following concerns from mining opponents

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 11, 2024

The nomination of Thomas Dubois to the Land Use Planning Commission stalled in the Maine Legislature on Thursday, days after environmental advocates and an Augusta lawmaker raised concerns before the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry on Monday. The committee voted 7-5 Monday against endorsing Dubois’ nomination before sending it to the Maine Senate, which took the rare step of sending the nomination back to the committee Thursday. The Land Use Planning Commission is a nine-member board with planning and zoning authority in the state’s unorganized and deorganized territories,

Renewables grew rapidly in 2023, but must grow faster still to meet climate change target, IEA says

ASSOCIATED PRESS • January 11, 2024

The world’s renewable energy grew at its fastest rate in the past 25 years in 2023, the International Energy Agency reported Thursday in its first assessment since nations agreed in December on ambitious new targets to slow dangerous climate change. The report forecasts that solar power and onshore wind energy deployment through 2028 is expected to more than double in the United States, the European Union, India and Brazil, compared with the last five years. China, already the global leader in renewable energy, will likely account for 60% of the new clean energy capacity that will become operational by 2028.

Mills declares civil emergency for coastal counties dealing with flood damage

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 11, 2024

Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday declared a state of civil emergency for all of Maine’s coastal counties because of significant flood, wind and wave damage from this week’s powerful storm. The declaration allows the state to marshal resources to assist communities that have been hard hit, specifically in eight counties along the coast – Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York. It also positions the state to seek federal disaster relief funds. “One thing is abundantly clear: these extreme weather events are becoming more and more common,” Mills said.

Editorial: Maine needs to pick a location and move forward with offshore wind port

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 11, 2024

The Mills administration is expected to file an application for a permit to construct a new port to support a new offshore wind industry, both of which will require lengthy state and federal permitting processes. The decision on where that port should be can be guided by a simple notion: It is reasonable to propose building a port on an island that was purchased specifically for a port (with a large portion later set aside for conservation). Especially when doing so would align several vital state economic and environmental objectives, including a necessary transition to cleaner energy sources. Port facilities to support Maine’s nascent offshore wind industry are very far from fruition, but pursuing them on Sears Island could meet a decades-old goal for the state-owned land, while helping Maine meet some of its climate and economic goals.

Where's Aldo (when we really need him)?

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • January 11, 2024

Considered by many to be the father of wildlife ecology and the United States’ wilderness system, Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast. Among his best known ideas is the “land ethic,” which calls for an ethical, caring relationship between people and nature. Happy birthday, Aldo Leopold (January 11, 1887 - April 21, 1948).

Maine receives $15 million federal grant to install nearly 600 electric vehicle chargers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 11, 2024

Maine has received a $15 million federal grant to install nearly 600 electric vehicle charging stations in more than 70 cities and towns, increasing the number available by more than 50%. The Biden administration on Thursday announced the funding to pay for 62 DC Fast Charger ports and 520 Level 2 charging ports. The 582 ports will add to the 1,019 already in operation at 467 sites. Building out an EV charging network has been a critical part of the debate in Maine over establishing new rules requiring electric vehicle use. The proposal has drawn criticism from car dealers, Republicans and others who say EVs are too costly for many Mainers and that EVs don’t have the charging range to drive across the state’s vast rural areas.

Warmer, wetter weather leading to floods, outages, property damage

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 11, 2024

The flooded streets, power outages and property damage that have rocked Maine over the last month have served as an emphatic reminder that the Pine Tree State is both wetter and warmer than it was 100 years ago. State climatologist Sean Birkel says that every season, including winter, has seen an increase in precipitation over the last century, largely due to climate change.

Letter: LD 1156 would help improve Maine’s outdoor accessibility

SUN JOURNAL • January 11, 2024

Thanks to the United States Access Board we now have rules governing outdoor spaces regarding accessibility. Making these changes, as with anything, requires funding. LD 1156 would go a long way toward making the changes to our outdoor spaces in Maine and in turn making Maine’s outdoors more accessible to everyone. I have worked for the past three years assessing Maine’s trails for accessibility. There are more than 6,000 miles of existing trails that could be greatly improved if the funding existed to fix the low-hanging fruit of accessibility barriers. I urge everyone to strongly support this bond to allow more people to enjoy what Maine has to offer. ~ Enock Glidden, Albany Township

Farmington select board considers tree ordinance, support for trail bond

DAILY BULLDOG • January 10, 2024

The Farmington selectboard met on Tuesday evening. Marc Edwards, of the Natural Resources of Maine, sought the selectboard’s support for the Maine Trails Bond Initiative. The bond, managed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands, will be worth $30 million over four years and will be available for trail design, development, building, and maintenance throughout the state. Around 460 towns, businesses, and organizations have signed a letter that will go to the state legislature as an example of state-wide support for the bond. Selectman Joshua Bell spoke out in support of the initiative, citing the value of local trails like the Whistle Stop, that are well-used and loved by the public. The board voted to have Town Manager Erica LaCroix sign the letter of support on behalf of Farmington.

Green Activists Block Franklin County LUPC Nomination in Proxy Fight Over Pickett Mountain Mine Project

MAINE WIRE (Maine Policy Institute) • January 10, 2024

At a hearing on Monday, Maine’s committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, held a confirmation hearing for Tom Dubois, the representative of Franklin County on the Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC). But Democratic lawmakers, acting at the behest of the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) and other liberal nonprofits, turned Dubois’s confirmation into an hour-and-a-half debate about a coming vote on the Pickett Mountain mining development in Northern Maine. The committee failed to confirm Dubois, leaving Franklin without a representative on the LUPC.

Maine lobster industry’s defamation lawsuit still pending as similar case in Massachusetts is dismissed

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 10, 2024

A defamation lawsuit filed 10 months ago by a handful of Maine lobstermen’s groups will continue even though a similar suit brought by Massachusetts lobstermen was dismissed Tuesday. Five plaintiffs, including the Maine Lobsterman’s Association and the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, sued the California-based Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation in March 2023 after the organization’s Seafood Watch program included lobster on a “red list” of food consumers should avoid. Seafood Watch cited the industry’s impact on the endangered North Atlantic right whale as the reason for the designation. The suit argued that reasoning was not only false but has caused substantial harm to the plaintiffs and the Maine lobster brand.