Conservation fundraiser in Freeport to benefit Maine Coast Heritage Trust

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 6, 2024

A fundraising event for Maine Coast Heritage Trust Thursday will feature former state representative Hannah Pingree as the keynote speaker at “Tides of Change: Climate Action Through Conservation.” The event is from 6-9 p.m. on March 7 at Maine Beer Company, 525 U.S. Route 1, Freeport. Proceeds will support MCHT’s ongoing efforts to protect and steward Maine’s coastal lands and waters. Tickets are $100. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mcht.org/tides-of-change.

New list of thousands of products with ‘forever chemicals’ in Maine includes BIC razors and floor finishes

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 6, 2024

BIC razors and 3M Scotch restickable mounting squares are among the common household products containing PFAS chemicals that are sold in Maine, according to an analysis of industry reports made public on Tuesday. Sixteen more manufacturers reported thousands of products to Maine officials since the beginning of this year. They  add to the 41 companies made public in January that reported nearly 1,000 brand-name products sold with so-called “forever chemicals” in them. The products show a prevalence of the chemicals in common household cleaners, apparel and floor finishes. Notable among the new companies filing is 3M Co., which reported to the state that it sold more than 20,000 products with intentionally added PFAS in the United States in 2021 and 2022, said Mike Belliveau, president of the Portland-based nonprofit Defend Our Health, which obtained and analyzed the records. Those products also are sold in Maine.

Maine state chamber continues call for surgical approach to PFAS law

SPECTRUM NEWS • March 6, 2024

The head of the state chamber of commerce called on Maine lawmakers Wednesday to take a more tempered approach to regulating the harmful chemicals known as PFAS, warning that a broad law unfairly targets all businesses. A 2021 Maine law requires manufacturers of products with PFAS to report the presence of the chemicals to the state. The original law set a Jan. 1, 2023 reporting deadline, which sparked pushback and led regulators to grant extensions to 2,500 companies worried about compliance. Since then, lawmakers extended the reporting deadline to Jan. 1, 2025, but starting in 2030, Maine will not allow products to be sold in the state if they have PFAS unless regulators determine it’s an “unavoidable use.” 

Orrington trash plant receives $650K in funding days after it’s sold again

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 6, 2024

After a new company took over the Orrington trash incinerator in an effort to finally restart it, Penobscot County pledged $650,000 to help manage the tons of waste still in the plant. The Eagle Point Energy Center bought the plant Friday, Orrington Town Manager Chris Backman said Tuesday at a Penobscot County Commission meeting. The plant, formerly known as Penobscot Energy Recovery Co., foreclosed in May and stopped accepting trash from Orrington in September. Nearly 8,000 tons of trash remain inside the facility, which started burning trash in the 1980s. The company’s goal is to start processing trash in early 2025, Backman said. The 44 towns and communities that used the incinerator are taking their trash to Juniper Ridge landfill.

Maine compromise would exempt some industries from ban on ‘forever chemicals’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 6, 2024

State regulators have introduced a new compromise plan to regulate the sale of products containing forever chemicals. The proposal by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection would exempt some federally regulated industries such as the automotive, aeronautical and defense sectors from an impending 2030 ban on the sale of products that contain forever chemicals, even if a safer chemical alternative is available. Some of Maine’s major manufacturers have threatened to move work out of state or even leave if the 2022 law wasn’t changed.

Returning native plants to the Maine landscape

SOUTH PORTLAND SENTRY • March 6, 2024

This past year, South Portland launched its 100 Resilient Yards program in an effort to promote organic land care and biodiverse landscapes. There was astounding interest in the program, with over 430 applications. After choosing 100 sites, we provided technical expertise and resources to help residents begin to transform their properties into resilient, organic landscapes founded on healthy soils. By the end of the program, with the help of eight partner organizations and 25 amazing volunteers, we had established 30 new vegetable gardens, planted nearly 250 native plants, and helped connect community members. It was a resounding success, and yes, please stay tuned – we are in the process of putting together a follow-up program for 2024.

Opinion: The most effective climate policy deserves our backing

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 6, 2024

For my lifetime, capping global warming at 1.5˚C was the goal. I’m 20 now, and we’ve passed it. What does that mean for our future? I don’t know, but I’m scared. And I do know that we have the opportunity now to make things better, and we need to act on it. While an overwhelming number of policies will be necessary to combat climate change, carbon fee and dividend is the single most effective policy the U.S. could enact to reduce carbon pollution. Please take two minutes to help save our future by asking Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins to support carbon fee and dividend legislation, and thanking Congresswoman Chellie Pingree for her support. ~ Katharine Gage, Bowdoin College sophomore

Opinion: Dream big and support the Maine Trails Bond

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 6, 2024

I have been a professional trail planner, designer, and builder for nearly a decade. Since my youth, I have been an avid trail user. Maine is woefully behind the rest of the country with trail infrastructure. And the best option for improvement and expansion today comes in the form of the Maine Trails Bond. The Maine Trails Bond is not just about repairing and building cool trails, its about repairing and building incredible communities. I moved here because I know this is one of the best places to live, work and raise a family. I urge the Legislature to support the Maine Trails Bond. It’s time to dream big. ~ Steve Kasacek, Outdoor Sport Institute and leadership team of the Maine Trails Coalition

Letter: Cause of climate change needs media attention

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 6, 2024

Five years ago, when natural disasters occurred, the media did not make the connection to climate change so they have made progress. Now they should discuss the causes of climate change, explaining that burning fossil fuels is responsible for 75% of CO2 emissions. Renewable energy is now more economical to build than fossil fuel plants. Our government subsidizes fossil fuels and the fossil fuel industry greenwashes their business. It is time the media starts pointing this out. ~ Nancy Hasenfus, Brunswick

Letter: Clean car standards would save money, reduce pollution

SUN JOURNAL • March 6, 2024

As a mother, soon-to-be-grandmother, daughter, caretaker, neighbor, landlord, dog walker, member of a faith community and active citizen, I stand in strong support of adopting the Advanced Clean Car II standard. I strongly urge the Board of Environmental Protection to adopt the proposed ACCII standards, which would save Mainers money, reduce harmful air pollution, and aid in Maine’s efforts to address climate change. ~ Kerry Read, South Paris

‘My worst fear became a reality’: Maine warden tells how he survived fall through ice

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 5, 2024

Maine Warden Nick Bartholomew told his story Tuesday for the first time after he went through the ice on his snowmobile last week while searching for an overdue snowmobiler on Moosehead Lake. “I immediately recognized the feeling of my snowmobile going through the ice and into the water. Before I knew it, I was in the water, swimming as my snowmobile sank below me,” Bartholomew said. He was wearing a float coat and a helmet when he went into the water. He got his arms up on the good ice, kicked his legs and pulled himself out of the water onto the ice. Social media is teeming with mentions of snowmobiles having broken through the unsafe ice this winter. One man died this season. The State does not have an actual count because people don’t report them as they should.

First baby right whale of season dies from injuries caused by ship collision

ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 5, 2024

The first confirmed baby right whale of the year has been found dead from a collision with a ship, a devastating blow for the vanishing species. North Atlantic right whales number less than 360 and they are vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Federal authorities were notified of a dead right whale stranded off Georgia on Sunday. Right whales migrate from their calving grounds off Florida and Georgia to feeding grounds off New England and Canada. The federal government has been working on new ship speed rules designed to protect the whales from injuries and deaths.

New England News Nation & World A whale native to the North Pacific is sighted off New England. Climate change could be why

ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 5, 2024

Scientists have confirmed the presence of a whale off New England that went extinct in the Atlantic Ocean two centuries ago – an exciting discovery, but one they said that illustrates the impact of climate change on sea life. Researchers with the New England Aquarium in Boston found the gray whale while the crew was flying 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, on March 1. Gray whales typically live in the northern Pacific Ocean.

Study finds endangered golden eagles in parts of Maine for the first time in years

WMTW-TV8 • March 5, 2024

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is studying golden eagles in Maine, and they are asking for help. The department launched a study of the eagles, which are endangered in Maine, in January. Officials say information has been reported about golden eagle observations at seven new locations, six of which are in towns where golden eagles have not been documented in the last 10 years. Golden eagles are a species of concern throughout their eastern range due to the small population, vulnerability to human-related threats, and considerable gaps in knowledge about habitat use and movement. The last known pair of breeding golden eagles disappeared from the state in 1997.

North Yarmouth joins Cumberland, Falmouth, Yarmouth in planning for climate change

FORECASTER • March 5, 2024

North Yarmouth held its first Climate Action Plan forum last month, joining neighboring towns of Cumberland, Yarmouth and Falmouth in preparing for climate change. The year-long planning process is led by the Greater Portland Council of Government and a Climate Action Planning subcommittee. The purpose of the plan is to develop strategies that will reduce town-wide emissions, build resilience, and prepare for a changing climate.

Letter: Maine Trails Bond increases access to our natural world

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 5, 2024

The Maine Trails Bond would provide $30 million in funding for trails, which is greatly needed after the devastating wind and rain storms this winter. Maine’s hiking and recreation draw so many people from around the country to our state. To make sure Maine’s outdoor recreation economy and tourism continue to grow, we need to repair storm damage and invest in the creation of more trail systems. The Maine Trails Bond would also help ensure that all Mainers have an equal opportunity to use trails. This investment would help to build the necessary infrastructure, such as ramps, so that trails are accessible to more people. Call and email your legislators to talk about why these trails are important to you. ~ Deb Smith, Executive director, Maine Recreation and Park Association

State removes snowmobile from Moosehead after warden goes through ice

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 4, 2024

The Maine Warden Service retrieved a snowmobile from Moosehead Lake Saturday that went through the ice last week while Warden Nick Bartholomew was searching for a man who was reported missing. The warden was crossing an area during the search that had solid ice just two days before when Bartholomew’s sled suddenly broke through the ice. Bartholomew was able to get out by himself but he suffered frostbite on his ears. The department removed the sled from Moosehead Saturday. Mark Latti, communications director for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, stressed that people need to be really careful and check ice thickness every few feet.

New Rumford Community Forest blends outdoor recreation and natural assets

TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND • March 4, 2024

A new 446-acre Community Forest within five minutes of downtown Rumford has been permanently protected by Trust for Public Land, the Town of Rumford, Inland Woods + Trails, and the Northern Forest Center, with funding from the State of Maine’s Land for Maine’s Future and the U.S. Forest Service Community Forest and Open Space Program. The Rumford Community Forest includes 437 acres of hardwood and mixed-wood forest and 22 acres of wetlands and streams. This supports a broad array of wildlife, maintains the water quality of nearby public wells, and absorbs floodwater to help minimize local flooding. The land was formerly permitted for 257 residential and condominium lots, which would have significantly impacted the adjoining Black Mountain viewshed, local water supplies, wildlife habitat, and would have intensified future flood events in Rumford and Mexico.

Letter: New EV goals are manageable

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 4, 2024

Tim Kirner’s Feb. 9 op-ed, “Any Mainer can buy an electric vehicle. No one should have to,” is misleading. The program would actually require all new vehicles sold in Maine to be electric or plug-in hybrid by 2035. Buyers wanting the flexibility of gasoline can buy a hybrid. The used vehicle market, where two-thirds of Mainers buy their cars, would be unaffected. ~ Allen Armstrong, Portland

Column: Some new creature might be inhabiting your backyard birdhouse

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 3, 2024

Q: “Something has been chipping away at the entrance to my bluebird nesting box, almost as if (it) is trying to widen the opening. What is going on?” A: A fairly diverse group of birds will use cavities, but other animals— particularly mice, chipmunks, and squirrels—are very fond of cavities and all the protections they provide. An easy homemade option: make a guard by adding an additional board around the birdhouse entrance, with a hole the same size as the one in the birdhouse. Just adding this extra half inch or more of material that a predator would need to gnaw through will likely be enough to deter them. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox