Staff urges land-use planning board to reject Pickett Mountain mine rezoning

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 3, 2024

The staff of the planning and zoning board that oversees Maine’s most rural areas is recommending the rejection of a proposal to rezone 374 acres of land about 20 miles east of Mount Katahdin to create a metallic mineral mine at Pickett Mountain. The recommendation comes before a Feb. 14 meeting where the Land Use Planning Commission is slated to vote on the rezoning bid from Wolfden LLC of Ontario. Wolfden needs that permit before it can ask the state Department of Environmental Protection for a mining permit. “The project does not represent environmentally responsible mining,” the Feb. 2 staff memo reads.

Augusta family sought help removing lead paint from its home. Now, lead levels are worse than ever

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • February 3, 2024

Every year, hundreds of children in Maine are poisoned by lead, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. More than half of Maine homes may have lead paint. But shoddy work done by a licensed lead abatement contractor, and approved by a regional agency, has raised concerns about the oversight of a Maine program meant to protect children from lead poisoning.

Letter: Passenger rail to Bangor should be a no-brainer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 3, 2024

What are the Department of Transportation and the state of Maine thinking? How imperative it is to have public transportation, especially Amtrak service from Bangor! Boston is our nearest big city and I can attest to the countless hours driving there for cancer care for loved ones. To have safe, reliable train service to points south is a no-brainer!

Letter: Maine Trails Bond would provide critical funding

SUN JOURNAL • February 3, 2024

I write to encourage the Legislature to pass the Maine Trails Bond (L.D. 1156). Trail use has increased significantly over the past few years, resulting in wear and damage. This, combined with recent extreme weather events, makes the $30 million investment the bond would provide even more important for addressing maintenance and repair needs. Very little money goes toward Maine trails. The bond would provide us with this much-needed funding to maintain existing trails and build new trails across the state. It’s worth the investment to help our outdoor recreation economy that generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year. ~ Kevin Slater, Newry

Flagpole of Freedom project dropped

MAINE MONITOR • February 2, 2024

Nearly two years after announcing the plans, Worcester Resources is abandoning its proposal to build a billion-dollar park centered around the world’s tallest flagpole in the woods of Washington County, according to the company’s attorney, Tim Pease. Pease said he did not know the reason for the company’s change of heart. But the news came as residents in the tiny hamlet of Columbia Falls are set to vote in March on a new Code of Ordinances that would prohibit large-scale developments like the proposed 2,500-acre park. 

Maine Calling: All About Beavers

MAINE PUBLIC • February 2, 2024

Beavers are known for many distinctive traits: big buck teeth, flat tails, dam-building—and felling trees and damaging property . Learn about the interesting history and behaviors of these large rodents, how they help the environment, and what the state does to manage their population. Panelists: Amanda Demusz, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife; Leila Philip, author of “Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America” and professor, College of the Holy Cross.

Letter: Casco Bay Trail Alliance offers safer cycling solution

SUN JOURNAL • February 2, 2024

The Casco Bay Trail Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to plan and support a 72-mile off-road trail loop between Portland, Lewiston-Auburn and Brunswick. This multipurpose trail would support recreation for hikers and bikers alike. The Maine Department of Transportation has recommended postponing a decision on this proposal until 2025. In the meantime, I welcome those who are seeking a safer area for recreation to write to their state representatives, as they will be tasked to vote on legislation pertaining to this development. Information about this effort can be found in great detail at cascobaytrail.org. ~ Jenny Johnson, Auburn

National Park Foundation Supports Contact Station in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument With $1 Million Gift

FRIENDS OF KATAHDIN WOODS & WATERS • February 1, 2024

The National Park Foundation will make a $1 million contribution  to the Monumental Welcome Campaign, supporting completion of Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The donation is made possible by the National Park Foundation’s fiscal year 2024 federal appropriations, and brings the Foundation’s total campaign giving to over $2 million. Nearly $30 million has been raised towards the campaign goal of $35 million, which will provide $31 million for Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, $2.7 million for Park Priority Projects to protect natural resources and enhance visitor experience, and $1 million for future Wabanaki Directed Projects.

Maine Calling: Toboggan Racing

MAINE PUBLIC • January 31, 2024

Toboggans can be just for wintertime fun—or for competitive racing. As the 33rd U.S. National Toboggan Championships are about to kick off at the Camden Snow Bowl, we talk with toboggan experts about what goes into riding and racing, what role Maine has played in this sport, and what goes into crafting a toboggan. Panelists: Maile Buker, leader of A Flying Flock toboggan team from Portland; Holly Anderson, chairwoman, organizing committee, U.S. National Toboggan Championships. VIP Callers: Jonathan Maxcy, toboggan championship race winner; Bella Feracci, The Apprenticeshop, where they teach workshops on toboggan making.

Maine elver fishery avoids drastic quota cut

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 30, 2024

Interstate regulators recently considered reducing the catch quota for juvenile eels in Maine by more than 20 percent — which would have meant much less income for fishermen — but they ultimately decided to leave the limits unchanged. The catch quota for Maine’s juvenile eels, also known as elvers, will remain 9,688 pounds for 2025 and beyond.

Opinion: The 2024 election just might turn on climate change

BLOOMBERG • January 30, 2024

A recent study suggests anxiety about global warming might be what kept Donald Trump from a second term in the White House in 2020, and it could deny him again this year. As far-fetched as that sounds, it’s a reminder, at least, that support for the climate fight runs deeper in this country than many — especially Republican leaders — might think. Denialist rhetoric may turn on hard-core Republican primary voters. But it risks turning off almost every other constituency in a general election, including younger Republicans who increasingly want their party to get serious about the climate. It’s not just good policy; it’s good politics to boot. ~ Mark Gongloff

MaineCF awards $470K to environmental initiatives across the state

MAINE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION • January 29, 2024

The Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) has awarded $469,623 to 25 conservation initiatives around the state. The foundation’s Maine Land Protection grant program awarded $127,199 to three nonprofit organizations and donors with advised funds at MaineCF awarded an additional $105,000 to three more organizations. In total, the grants will conserve nearly 2,300 acres.

Maine Lobster Industry Faces off against Conservationists over Whale Protections

FOOD TANK • January 29, 2024

Maine lobster fishers recently won reprieve on new federal regulations to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whales. According to the Maine’s Lobstermen Association, The regulations could dramatically change lobster fishing practices, impacting fishers and Maine’s island communities who depend upon this resource. The North Atlantic right whale population is declining, with 340 individuals left and fewer than 70 breeding females, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The Center finds fishing gear to be a leading cause in the species’ spiral towards extinction.

Baxter State Park

FORESTRY.com • January 23, 2024

Explore Baxter State Park, Maine’s wilderness gem with majestic Mt. Katahdin, diverse wildlife, and thrilling outdoor adventures. Located in the remote wilderness of Maine, Baxter State Park is a breathtaking expanse of natural beauty and tranquility. Established through the vision of former Governor Percival Baxter, this 200,000-acre park is a testament to unspoiled nature, featuring the majestic Mount Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak, as its crown jewel.

Business group urging lawmaker to scrap PFAS reporting deadline

MAINE PUBLIC • January 29, 2024

In 2021, Maine became the first state in the nation to adopt a law that bans PFAS "forever chemicals" from most consumer products starting in 2030. That same law requires manufacturers to begin reporting "intentionally added PFAS" to state environmental regulators starting this January. But state lawmakers are considering potential changes to the law in response to concerns raised by businesses — particularly whether to once again push back the start date for product reporting. On Monday, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce held a virtual press conference with several businesses and organizations to make their case to scrap the requirement altogether.

Running Tide oyster hatchery in Harpswell changes ownership

HARPSWELL ANCHOR • January 29, 2024

The former Running Tide oyster hatchery at George J. Mitchell Field in Harpswell has been sold to a local entrepreneur for an undisclosed sum, parties involved in the transaction said this week. The buyer, Topsham entrepreneur Matt Nixon, said he would continue to operate the facility as an oyster hatchery and would retain three of Running Tide’s former employees. Nixon, who owns Muddy River Farm Aquaponics LLC in Bath, said the Harpswell hatchery will operate under the name Merrymeeting Shellfish Co.

Composting company now collects food scraps from customers in central Maine

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • January 29, 2024

Residents in the Kennebec Valley now have a more sustainable alternative to chucking food waste into a trash bin. They can have it picked up from their doorstep, to be turned into compost. ScrapDogs Community Compost, based in the Midcoast town of Washington, has expanded its operation to cover parts of central Maine, including Augusta, Fairfield, Hallowell, Waterville and Winslow.

Officials urge precaution as ice conditions vary widely across Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • January 29, 2024

This winter's rain and mild temperatures have made ice conditions especially variable on Maine's lakes and ponds. Mark Latti of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says conditions can even vary on one body of water. He says people don't often know the areas where currents can weaken the ice. "Be aware of where you are," Latti says. "And while one part of a lake may be alright, as you get towards an inlet or outlet, or maybe there's a spring there, there's probably not going to be as much ice. And so be careful around there." Latti says ice is considered safe when it's at least four to six inches thick. Its color should be blue or clear.

Madison-based TimberHP aims to be fully open this year as more public financing arrives

MORNING SENTINEL • January 29, 2024

The $500,000 in financing approved by the quasi-independent Finance Authority of Maine is expected to help create and retain more than 100 jobs in Somerset County by allowing the manufacturer to buy equipment needed to produce its full product line later this year, the agency said in a statement. TimberHP, a division of Belfast-based GO Lab Inc., uses renewable resources to produce wood fiber insulation products, according to the company’s website. The products are the first of their kind in North America. The company began operations last year in Madison at the former Madison Paper Industries mill on Main St., which closed in 2016. The renovation of the mill, funded largely through public-private partnerships, cost about $150 million.

The University of Maine System has reduced its fossil fuel holdings since leaders voted to divest

MAINE PUBLIC • January 29, 2024

The University of Maine System says it has reduced its investments in fossil fuels since trustees voted two years ago to divest from the industry. Kelly Regan, a partner with investment firm NEPC, told trustees on Monday that the system has recently moved to specific "fossil fuel-free" index funds and management strategies. "I'll say that both of those investments have done well, in 2023, given the fact that energy, as an asset class, had negative returns," Regan said. After years of student pressure, the system voted on a plan to eliminate fossil fuels from its investments by the end the decade.