Opinion: Maine lobstermen will not be scapegoated over right whale

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 12, 2024

New England fishermen are bracing themselves for another salvo of regulation and activist pressure after the tragic entanglement death of a right whale that washed ashore on Martha’s Vineyard. Regulators and out-of-state agitators are together impugning one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world for right whale deaths. Their claims are baseless and contradicted by their own data. As agencies and NGOs ponder next steps, they might consider the fighting spirit this last year has showcased among fishermen. While the domestic fishing industry faces many challenges – I haven’t even mentioned the threat posed by offshore wind development – fishermen notched important victories last year. We are resolved to protect our communities our maritime heritage, and our culture of stewardship against all comers. ~ Dustin Delano, New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association

Opinion: With sea levels rising, Mainers need to rise up

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 12, 2024

As coastal communities throughout Maine ramp up their climate action planning in the coming months, addressing the increasing threat of sea level rise is a clear priority. These local efforts reflect the failure of state-level legislation to meet their demand, which has caused individual towns, with limited resources, to feel as if they must pick up the pieces. Legislators have been too focused on rebuilding efforts in response to past storms, and have failed to take into account the need to create protective measures. There are countless ways to take the offensive instead of continuing to play defense. Beyond the fear lies a reminder that climate change is not a mere inconvenience. For many, it is an existential threat. ~ Eden Zumbrun, Bowdoin College sophomore majoring in environmental studies and government & legal studies

Letter: Legislators should support Maine Trails Bond

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 12, 2024

It’s time to invest in a stronger economy, better climate resilience and improved public health for Maine. That’s why I believe our Legislature should pass the Maine Trails Bond this session. The Maine Trails Bond would provide $30 million over four years in competitive grant funding to towns, organizations and clubs. ~ Jon Kachmar, Portland Trails, Portland

Houlton eclipse celebration will include cairn with thousands of stones

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 12, 2024

Dave Hutchinson woke up one January morning with the idea of creating a large eclipse rock on the lawn of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Houlton. Much like ancient stone cairns found in forests as trail markers or as spiritual markers of deaths, profound events or an individual’s sacred journey, the eclipse rock creates a sacred space for attendees, he said. Everyone is invited to leave a stone at the rock during their visit for the April 5 to 8 Eclipse weekend. And with a projected 40,000 visitors for the total solar eclipse on April 8, they could end up with a pretty big cairn.

There are glimmers of Atlantic salmon success in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 12, 2024

Fishing the Penobscot River, I had a memorable Atlantic salmon fishing experience within eye shot of downtown Bangor. Imagine that? Will those days ever return? It is not beyond the realm of possibility. According to a recent news report, “The last wild Atlantic salmon that return to U.S. rivers have had their most productive year in more than a decade, raising hopes they may be weathering myriad ecological threats. Officials counted more than 1,500 of the salmon in the Penobscot River, which is home to the country’s largest run of Atlantic salmon. Since dam removals and restoration of the Penobscot’s River’s water quality, the return of, not only the salmon, but other species as well is a stunning demonstration of nature’s incredible capacity to recover from environmental degradation if given a chance.

Meet the venomous Maine spider that comes out in the winter

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 12, 2024

Arachnophobes may have thought snow- or ice-covered terrain in the state were safe spaces away from spiders. They are wrong. Turns out there is a rather large spider native to Maine that hangs out next to water and is not above taking a stroll across the ice or snow in the winter when temperatures rise above freezing. This is the fishing spider, also known as eight-legged anglers. It’s possible, albeit startling, to spot these large, native spiders on a frozen Maine lake or pond midwinter.

Letter: Zoos seem to care more about profit than animals

SUN JOURNAL • March 11, 2024

The behavior of captive animals is not what one would see in the wild. Animals can have mental health problems. Zoos can’t provide the same space that animals have in the wild. Zoos choose baby animals and leave parents in the wild, also controlling their mating. The animals should be left in the place that they were found. Zoos seem to only put the animals through more stress and put them in a place of bad mental health more than they do any good. It seems like some zoos only care about the profit more than they care about the animals. ~ Faith Hanson, Spruce Mountain High School, Jay, class of 2027

Camden finds herbicide on public beach after neighbors illegally used it

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 11, 2024

Arthur and Amelia Bond, who own a home at 1 Metcalf Road, have already paid more than $200,000 in fines and other fees in connection with their unauthorized use of the herbicide, tebuthiuron, on trees belonging to them and a neighbor in 2021. They’ve entered legal settlements  with the state, the town and their neighbor, and contaminated soil has already been removed from the two private residences. But since the Bonds live so close to Laite Memorial Beach & Park, town officials also hired an engineering firm to test in December whether the herbicide had spread into its soil and groundwater. The results showed trace amounts of tebuthiuron were present in the park. “It was very deliberate and malicious,” said Town Manager Audra Caler. The Maine Board of Pesticides Control is doing its own testing at the Camden beach. Under previous agreements, the Bonds are expected to pay for all state and local remediation efforts.

Rural Maine town grapples with how dam removal could alter its identity

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 11, 2024

Sandy Perkins and her husband, David, live in their dream retirement home along the Piscataquis River, where they can watch kingfishers and loons dive and bald eagles soar overhead. But their property could forever change if residents vote in June to remove the Mayo Mill dam downstream. The town committee tasked with finding a solution to the aging dam and connected facilities says leaving it untouched is not an option. Whether the town decides to remove or restore it, both are expensive undertakings. Dover-Foxcroft residents are grappling with questions about how removing the dam could reshape the town, whose history is deeply intertwined with the river.

The state’s plan to build in Allagash protected zone raises opposition

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 11, 2024

The state’s plans to build storage buildings and make other changes at three ranger stations in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway has raised opposition from a group including guides led by the waterway’s former superintendent. The Maine Bureau of Public Lands received permits in 2023 to construct storage buildings for housing equipment at the Chamberlain, Churchill Dam and Michaud Farm ranger stations. Citizens for Keeping the Wild in Allagash, a group led by former superintendent Tim Caverly, opposes the construction, saying it violates the prime directive to keep the Allagash as wild as possible, specified in 1966 when the Maine Legislature established the 92.5-mile wilderness waterway.

After court ruling, cruise ship passengers visiting Bar Harbor should be cut in half this season

MAINE PUBLIC • March 11, 2024

Bar Harbor officials say the number of cruise ship visitors allowed to come ashore will be cut in roughly half this year, now that a federal district court has ruled that the town can legally impose such limits. Voters approved an ordinance two years ago that places a cap on the number of cruise ship passengers to 1,000 per day. Ships that made reservations before that vote will be allowed to visit this summer, and there will be no restrictions on the number of passengers that can disembark from those vessels. Cruise ships that made a reservation after the vote will be subject to the daily passenger limits, according to a statement from the Bar Harbor town council.

Choose from 30 southern Maine sugarhouses to visit on Maine Maple Sunday Weekend

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 11, 2024

Maine Maple Sunday Weekend is happening on March 23 and 24, when dozens of sugarhouses will open their doors for tours, pancake breakfasts, maple product sales and more. We’ve compiled a list of about 30 sugarhouses in southern Maine, with information on when they’ll be open to the public and what products and activities they’ll be offering, so you can plan a sweet outing and stock up on the state’s liquid gold.

Column: The relative risks of winter mountaineering

TIMES RECORD • March 11, 2024

Consider the relative hazards of winter mountaineering. Unlike driving, most people are not familiar with climbing mountains in winter. In fact, it’s a relatively low-risk activity compared to other winter sports. For instance, an average of six people die each year snowmobiling in Maine. Sadly, every winter a few Maine skaters, fishermen and other adventurers fall through the ice and drown. There are also occasional downhill skiing fatalities in Maine. Eight years ago, a friend died in Baxter State Park of a presumed heart attack while hiking on park roads in winter. I can’t find any record of a recent winter mountaineering death in Maine due to the elements. As with most endeavors, fitness, experience and equipment need to be factored into the equation. Be well-prepared for the conditions. ~ Ron Chase

Island park honoring North Pole explorer closed for season due to storm damage

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 11, 2024

The state has decided to close Eagle Island State Historic Park, the 17-acre summer home of North Pole explorer Adm. Robert Peary, for the summer tourist season after back-to-back winter storms in January washed away the island’s only pier. Despite heavy storm damage across the coast, including a monthlong closure at Reid State Park in Georgetown, Eagle Island is the only Maine park damaged so badly during the Jan. 10 and 13 storms that the state decided it should remain closed for the season.

Using fire to manage forests

MAINE MONITOR • March 10, 2024

While overall a fairly wet state, Maine has seen an increasing number of wildfires in recent years, as droughts intensify, development increases and more and more people venture into the woods. (Almost all wildfires in Maine — 92% — are started by humans. Make sure those campfires are out!) The wildfire risk in Maine is projected to increase “significantly” in coming years, according to the Maine Forest Service, as temperatures rise, droughts increase, and summer soil moisture drops. One of the ways to reduce this risk is by fighting fire with fire. While insurance challenges remain, Logan Johnson, executive director of Maine TREE, said he expects fire to become a bigger part of the forestry management in Maine.

A backcountry skier has died on Mount Washington in icy conditions; 2 others injured

ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 10, 2024

The steep bowl at Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington has long made it a favorite spot for expert skiers and snowboarders who are seeking adventure beyond the comparative safety of the state’s ski areas. But hard and icy conditions on Saturday turned the bowl deadly. Madison Saltsburg, 20, died after falling about 600 vertical feet down the ravine in the afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Two other skiers suffered serious injuries after falling and hitting rocks and ice. The previous night a 23-year-old hiker from Kentucky was rescued from the mountain after going off trail and into the Ammonoosuc Ravine. The hiker “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic.”

Opinion: Sky gazers, beware – April’s solar eclipse coincides with mud season

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 10, 2024

On the afternoon of April 8, a total solar eclipse will pass through the Katahdin region of Maine. Some have expressed interest in watching it from a special spot in the wilderness – perhaps in Baxter State Park, where Katahdin is located. Baxter State Park is closed to most uses during April. The weather and conditions on the ground are impossible to predict, and this year is no exception. All trails on Katahdin are closed during April; all roads in Baxter State Park are closed in April; and the park is completely closed to camping in April. Many excellent viewing locations have been designated as “star parks” in and around our communities, and some businesses and organizations are planning special events for the weekend and on April 8. ~ Kevin Adam, director, Baxter State Park

Letter: Bold climate action requires carbon pricing

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 10, 2024

We all need to join forces and compel Congress to take bold climate action, all of which should start with putting a price on carbon pollution. There’s a brilliant policy for doing this swiftly, equitably and effectively by shifting the economy off polluting fuels and onto green alternatives. It is referred to as “cash-back carbon pricing,” and entails fees charged to fossil fuel producers for the CO2 generated in burning the fuels; collecting all fees and returning them equally to every American household monthly. This economic maneuver would swiftly reduce demand for, and thus burning of, fossil fuels. ~ Cynthia Stancioff, Camden

Columbia Falls to vote on land-use plan prompted by park proposal

QUODDY TIDES/MAINE MONITOR • March 9, 2024

Residents of Columbia Falls will vote at their March 19 town meeting on accepting a new land use plan along with a code of ordinances that were developed in response to the Worcester family’s Flagpole of Freedom Park that was proposed two years ago and has now been dropped. Since the $1 billion for-profit patriotic themed park honoring veterans was initially unveiled in March 2022, the town has spent two years doing its due diligence with respect to planning for any largescale commercial building projects.

Solar farm projects downsize to comply with new Maine law

QUODDY TIDES/MAINE MONITOR • March 9, 2024

A 2023 change in Maine law means that two of four Nexamp solar farm projects in Washington County will lose over half of their generating capacity when online. Nexamp Communications Manager Keith Hevenor explained the company is continuing to work within the new framework and will try to modify those projects affected by the change in the net energy billing (NEB) law that now limits megawatt (MW) production for the farms in question to 1 MW or less. Originally the projects in Lubec and Eastport were expected to produce 2.7 MW each, or enough power each to serve about 450-500 average single-family homes. Rebecca Schultz, Natural Resources Council of Maine senior advocate for climate and clean energy, wrote, “This bill puts in place a cost-effective successor program for distributed generation, directs the Governor’s Energy Office to pursue federal funding to focus the benefits of solar on low and moderate income Mainers, and directs the Public Utilities Commission to properly account for both costs and benefits of these small and medium-sized solar projects.”