Maine farmers affected by PFAS contamination can now apply for state aid

MAINE PUBLIC • March 18, 2024

Maine farmers affected by the presence of so-called "forever chemicals" on their land can now apply for financial assistance. The state is taking applications for its $60 million PFAS fund, which will provide farmers with financial aid to offset up to two years of lost income because of PFAS contamination. Farmers can also receive support for equipment and infrastructure to convert their operations to new products and methods. The fund will also support PFAS research, and be used to purchase contaminated farmland from landowners seeking to sell. The state says it plans to launch more support programs.

U.S. announces full ban on asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use

ASSOCIATED PRESS • March 18, 2024

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products. The final rule marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled regulations governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture and water purification.

Maine’s Saltwater Wetlands Under Pressure, March 27

MAINE MONITOR • March 17, 2024

In partnership with the Wells Reserve, The Monitor is brining a panel of experts together for a discussion moderated by editor Kate Cough. The March 27 in-person and online event will explore how Maine's tidal wetlands are some of the most at risk, threatened by rising seas and surrounded by development, with little space to migrate.

Indigenous tribes and high-tech extraction flow into Maine maple syrup’s sweet history

SUN JOURNAL • March 17, 2024

More than 100 sugarhouses, farms and maple producers across Maine are preparing for the 41st Maine Maple Sunday Weekend March 23 and 24. The event falls toward the end of the sap running season and is a boon to sugarhouses across the state as an opportunity to promote maple products and to showcase the process itself. While the syrup process continues to evolve with extraction and boiling technologies, it has become more erratic due to climate change. Maine Maple Sunday Weekend has almost always fallen on the midseason of sap running, with the frigid nights and warm days of spring being ideal, but producers cannot count on it as a rule anymore.

Can a farm generate solar power and blueberries at once?

MAINE MONITOR • March 17, 2024

How can agricultural lands support both crops and solar panels without hurting the other’s bottom line? Solar developers and agriculture researchers from the University of Maine have been studying the issue for two years at this 12-acre, four-megawatt project in Rockport. The so-called dual-use array, built by Boston-based BlueWave Solar, is operated by Navisun, a Massachusetts solar power producer that distributes the electricity to Central Maine Power’s energy grid. Sweetland manages the blueberry fields on behalf of the landowner, who leases the land to Navisun and receives a share of the blueberry profits. The ongoing development of such projects comes as Maine is chasing both ambitious renewable energy goals and seeking to preserve agricultural lands for local food production. The state hopes to rely on in-state producers for 30 percent of food consumption by 2030, up from 10 percent in 2020. 

Trekking through tribal lands as the Penobscot Nation plans to reacquire 30,000 acres

MAINE MONITOR • March 17, 2024

The Trust for Public Land is working with the Penobscot Nation to return 30,000 acres near Mount Katahdin to the tribe. The parcel would create a contiguous stretch of conserved land from existing Penobscot Nation holdings near the East Branch of the Penobscot River all the way to Jackman and Moosehead Lake, combining to form 1.2 million acres. This move in northern Maine fits into a nationwide effort to return ancestral lands to Native tribes. The federal Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, a decade-long initiative that concluded in December, restored nearly 3 million acres to tribal ownership and paid over $1.69 billion to individuals. Within the nonprofit realm, The Nature Conservancy, The Conservation Fund and the Trust for Public Land have worked to return hundreds of thousands of acres to Indigenous groups.

New science on Maine’s climate future and a call for hope

MAINE MONITOR • March 17, 2024

The Maine Climate Council’s scientists say they’re adding many more “human dimensions” to their forthcoming report. Crucial among those is hope, said the Island Institute’s Susie Arnold. “It turns out that hope is more than a feeling. Just as we can measure changes in climate variables, scientists also measure hope,” she said. “Hope can be taught, it can be learned and, importantly, it can be restored…. Hope is more than optimism — it’s about taking action.

Plan to watch the eclipse from a wild mountain summit? Be ready for harsh conditions

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • March 17, 2024

Big crowds are expected in the Adirondacks, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Green Mountains of Vermont and in remote parts of Maine for the total solar eclipse on April 8. Backcountry experts say caution is warranted. Stay off of remote mountain trails on the day of the eclipse. Across the Northeast, outdoor groups and state officials are urging people to watch from places that don't put you at risk.

Saco River Wildlife Center, already outgrowing space to care for wild animals, enters its busy season

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 17, 2024

There are about 20 wildlife rehabilitators across the state, mostly in southern and central Maine. There are none in northern Maine. Some treat a small number of patients, while others have larger facilities equipped to handle more animals and more complex cases. All of them play an important role because the state does not have the resources to handle that type of work. Last year, the Saco River Wildlife Center treated more than 900 patients – more than it ever had before – and briefly closed intake because it could not handle any more animals. The center has since raised $25,000 of the $250,000 needed to renovate the property into a facility that can accommodate more animals and has a dedicated space for a volunteer veterinarian to treat patients.

Coastal land conservation event draws a crowd

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 17, 2024

What Maine Coast Heritage Trust initially called a “small event” raised over $78,000 for coastal land conservation. The March 7 fundraiser called Tides of Change drew 300 people to Maine Beer Co. for an evening in support of land conservation. Guests enjoyed craft beer and cocktails, charcuterie, pizza and local oysters, as well as live music downstairs and nature-focused visual arts upstairs. Since 1970, Maine Coast Heritage Trust has worked with a variety of partners to protect 337 islands and 180,000 acres of Maine’s coast.

Column: Should we expect an early appearance from frogs and salamanders?

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 17, 2024

One of the coolest events of the year for any herper (a fan of herpetology; aka the amphibian and reptile people) is the Big Night. The big night typically happens on the first warm and rainy night of the spring (45 degrees or warmer) when the majority of amphibians – frogs and salamanders – emerge from the burrows where they overwintered and journey back to the vernal pools they were born in, to breed. Conditions for a Big Night may not occur until April, but it is a good idea to be prepared because you often don’t know if the weather conditions will be just right until just before it happens. Maine Audubon is hosting a webinar on March 28 called “Herp” Tales: Lessons from Maine’s Reptiles and Amphibians. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Opinion: We can conserve our way to a more stable climate

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 17, 2024

Mainers have had plenty of reminders of the impact of climate change. Conservation is a vital climate strategy. Wetlands absorb water and minimize flooding and damage to homes and businesses. Tidal marshes soak up storm surges and reduce erosion. Eelgrass beds and healthy coastal wetlands store carbon and filter out harmful chemicals from the water, while providing critical habitat for many of Maine’s commercially harvested fish, shellfish and baitworm species. Reconnecting rivers brings the return of sea-run river herring and endangered Atlantic salmon – which means more food for wildlife, healthier river ecosystems, and more vibrant fisheries along our waterways and in the Gulf of Maine. Maine’s iconic forests hold over 2 billion metric tons of carbon. Protecting these natural places protects all of us. ~ Kate Dempsey, Nature Conservancy in Maine, and Kate Stookey, Maine Coast Heritage Trust

Letter: Hold polluters accountable

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 17, 2024

During two storms in January, Mainers experienced the power of rising seas and the havoc wrought by increasingly intense storms. The World Health Organization estimates that 3.6 billion people in the world already live in areas highly vulnerable to climate change. As many as 1 million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, and entire ecosystems are unstable. Why are candidates avoiding this issue? It has been convenient for the biggest polluters to divert attention from themselves by focusing on how private citizens can make carbon-saving changes. However, the strongest carbon mitigation will occur when major polluters change. ~ Eleanor Morse, Peaks Island

Letter: Memorable comparisons between Biden and Trump

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 17, 2024

Biden’s deep memory of scientists urging the U.S. to address the climate change that has set the world on fire, once again resulting in additional hundreds of billions aimed at adopting sustainable, nonpolluting energy. Trump’s memory, shaped by his relationship with Big Oil? “Burn, baby, burn.” ~ Michael Petit
Portland

Video of a rare golden eagle

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 17, 2024

It is very rare to see one golden eagle in Maine, let alone two as you will observe in this video footage from frequent Outdoors contributor Allie Ladd. The second eagle is the one that starts a squabble. Golden eagle sightings are much less frequent in Maine than those of bald eagles. Golden eagle nesting pairs haven’t been tracked here since 1997, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

In photos: Portland Bike Party holds a St. Patrick’s Day outing

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 16, 2024

About 75 people of all ages pedaled the 5.5-mile St. Patrick's Day course, beginning at Thomas Knight Park and continuing to Willard Beach for a customary dance stop before looping back.

Why Americans pay so much more than anyone else for weather disasters

WASHINGTON POST • March 16, 2024

The United States suffers the world’s second-highest toll from major weather disasters, according to a new analysis – even when numbers are adjusted for the country’s wealth. The report released late last month by Zurich-based reinsurance giant Swiss Re, which analyzed the vulnerability and damages of 36 different countries, suggests that weather disasters may become a heavy drag on the U.S. economy – especially as insurers increasingly pull out of hazardous areas. Last year, the United States experienced 28 billion-dollar disasters.

As storms intensify, Machias debates solutions for its deteriorating dike

MAINE MONITOR • March 16, 2024

Catastrophic winter storm surges are showing no mercy as the debate drags on about the best remedy for a rapidly deteriorating Machias dike. Last fall a temporary span was built over the dike after portions of the foundation gave way. Then, in early January, back-to-back violent storm surges flooded Machias, besieging the dike and forcing the town office to relocate. The storm that hit last Sunday further eroded the dike’s foundation and ripped out portions of the adjacent Down East Sunrise Trail, rendering the popular recreational path impassable. Sunday’s assault got everyone’s attention. On Monday, nearly two dozen officials from Machias, East Machias, state agencies and conservation groups met on the trail to survey the damage. The conservation groups say the Down East Sunrise Trail also needs significant improvements.

Opinion: The state must slow Casella’s rush to expand landfill

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 16, 2024

Casella Waste Services is currently pushing Maine officials to extend its contract to manage the state-owned polluting Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town. The problem is that this contract still has a decade to go, and the company is attempting to push this process ahead prematurely to expand the landfill and commit Maine to many more decades of toxic landfill pollution. It’s time for Maine to adopt zero waste goals at the front-end of the waste stream to reduce, reuse and recycle, and to safely compost organics – in line with the state’s solid waste management hierarchy. Infrastructure and programs must be developed regionally, and control and accountability for operations should be kept local. Casella must be held to the due process of the law now, not granted a VIP pass to its proposed landfill expansion. ~ Jackie Elliott, Don’t Waste ME; Nora Bosworth, Conservation Law Foundation

Janet Mills proposes rolling back dune protections to build offshore wind port

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 15, 2024

Gov. Janet Mills wants to roll back protections for the sand dunes that partially make up the state’s preferred site for a landmark offshore wind terminal. The Democratic governor’s bill, which was submitted this week by Rep. Gerry Runte, D-York, a member of the Legislature’s energy committee, is aimed at clearing the way for the terminal. The Mills administration picked Sears Island in Searsport over nearby Mack Point as its preferred staging ground for shipping wind components out to sea. The state’s preference for Sears Island has been controversial, and it has been opposed by some conservationists plus an eclectic coalition of conservatives, progressives and tribes. Mills’ move to roll back existing environmental laws could add fuel to their arguments.