Students to help Casco Bay communities plan for a warmer, wetter future

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 7, 2024

Teams of science and design students from prestigious schools like Harvard, Yale and Cornell will be coming to the Casco Bay region this fall to help these coastal communities find ways to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The students – including a team of architecture undergrads from the University of Maine in Augusta – will participate in the Envision Resiliency Challenge. The students from the eight participating universities will be asked to research and design novel ways of living and working in Portland, South Portland and the Casco Bay islands under hotter, wetter conditions next to a fast-warming and fast-rising Gulf of Maine.

Pushing back on veto, farmworker advocates say Mills’ proposal scaled back labor rights

MAINE MORNING STAR • May 7, 2024

Supporters of a bill vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills that would have established a minimum wage for farmworkers say changes the governor wanted would have significantly scaled back existing labor rights and reduced farmworkers’ ability to recoup unpaid wages. Legislators will vote on whether or not to override that veto on Friday. Proponents of the bill were deeply frustrated after the governor’s veto late last month, saying it was “absolutely ridiculous” for Mills to reject a measure she herself proposed. However, Mills said while she supports a minimum wage for agricultural workers, changes made to her bill by the Legislature left her with no choice but to oppose the measure. 

Maine’s high court upholds conviction of man who illegally killed 2nd deer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 7, 2024

Maine’s highest court on Tuesday upheld the conviction of a man who illegally killed a second deer in 2019 and then claimed he faced a mistrial over evidence related to boot tracks in the snow. The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the $1,500 fine and three-day jail sentence given to Richard Peters after a Penobscot County jury found him guilty last year of violating several state laws, such as hunting a deer after having already killed one during the open season.

UMaine researchers developing wood-based alternative to PFAS

MAINE PUBLIC • May 7, 2024

Researchers at the University of Maine are developing a highly refined cellulose coating made from wood that could replace coatings of "forever chemicals" in commercial production. The process refines the wood product, which can come from a variety of sources, to create an effective barrier to oil and grease in products like food containers. UMaine’s Dr. Colleen Walker said the product is currently a white paste, similar in consistency to mashed potato, and one of the challenges is how to apply the coating to consumer products on a commercial scale.

Plan for bio-based heating, power system advances at Millinocket's One North

OUR KATAHDIN • May 7, 2024

Plans have advanced to install a first-in-the-world heating and power system at the One North industrial campus being developed in Millinocket. Fueled by the wood waste of Maine forests and cycled through a “super-critical carbon dioxide” energy conversion turbine, the system is touted as an energy-saving breakthrough. Peregrine Turbine Technologies in Wiscasset said it is collaborating on the project with KMW Energy Group, an Ontario manufacturer of biomass combustion systems, and Our Katahdin, the nonprofit that owns One North, which is a former Great Northern Paper mill site.

Bangor wants to be Maine’s 1st ‘Bee City’

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 6, 2024

Bangor could become Maine’s first Bee City — a national designation that recognizes a city’s commitment to protecting native bee species that have declined in recent decades. The title is awarded through Bee City USA, an initiative by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit that aims to protect invertebrates and their habitats. There are nearly 400 Bee Cities and Bee Campuses across 47 states.

Source to the Sea: Kayakers showcase the Crooked River’s natural filtration system

SUN JOURNAL • May 6, 2024

Crooked River is one of the major tributaries for Sebago Lake watershed, which is one of the cleanest sources for drinking water in the United States. Believing the area may be reaching a tipping point due to more development, Jenny O’Connell wants to showcase the unique connection between the water, forest and even the wildlife in producing what O’Connell claims is “one of the top 50 cleanest water drinking supplies in the country.” O’Connell and three colleagues, including photographer Andy Gagne of Norway, are in the midst of a six-day source-to-the-sea kayak trip to bring attention to the watershed during National Drinking Water Week.

Despite vetoes, labor rights for some Maine farmworkers will increase under new federal rule

MAINE MORNING STAR • May 6, 2024

Despite Gov. Janet Mills vetoing two bills that would have increased labor protections for Maine farmworkers, some agricultural workers will soon benefit from new federal regulations. At the end of April, the U.S. Department of Labor finalized the Farmworker Protection Rule to protect the self-advocacy and safety of farmworkers, while enhancing employer accountability. According to a news release from the DOL, the rule targets temporary workers who are part of the H-2A Visa Program, which helps fill gaps when domestic workers are in short supply. The new rule takes effect June 28. The rule ensures farmworkers employed through the H-2A program are treated fairly.

Long Creek watershed violations cost landlord $650,000

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 6, 2024

A commercial landlord with a checkered environmental record has had to shell out more than $650,000 for clean water violations in the fragile Long Creek watershed on properties he owns near the Maine Mall in South Portland. On Monday, Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that Cornerbrook LLC and CPSP LLC, both owned by Portland real estate giant Joseph Soley, had paid $400,000 in overdue fees to the Long Creek Watershed Management District and $250,000 in civil penalties to the State of Maine.

Greater Lovell Land Trust appoints new director

SUN JOURNAL • May 6, 2024

The Greater Lovell Land Trust has appointed Erika Rowland of Bridgton its executive director, effective June 1. She will succeed Rhyan Paquereau, who was appointed interim executive director in 2023, and who will remain at the trust as stewardship and conservation director. Rowland served as executive director of the trust from 2019-23, where she was responsible for more than 2,000 acres of newly conserved lands.

Promotion of Wabanaki cultural tourism gains momentum in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 6, 2024

Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, the welcome center at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, is slated to open this summer. Designed in collaboration with Wabanaki leaders, it is one of the first major efforts in the state to boost Indigenous tourism. The Contact Station is emblematic of the attention and awareness that’s building around opportunities to increase travel, tourism, recreation and education related to the culture and heritage of the Wabanaki, or “People of the First Light.”

High levels of forever chemicals in Maine birds add to concern about food chain

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 6, 2024

Researchers from the Biodiversity Research Institute and University of Maine are trying to understand how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, move through our environment: from the factory, sewer plant or sludge-spread farm fields to ponds, lakes and rivers to fish, birds, and mammals. Very little is known about how PFAS exposure might impact wildlife health, but some scientists predict wildlife will be affected in many of the same ways that humans are. Most wildlife PFAS research that is underway has focused on whether a species can absorb PFAS and pass it on to humans if we eat them. Preliminary results from tests of 85 loons and 77 eagles, as well as a small batch of Maine ospreys, found forever chemicals in every sample, including some alarmingly high concentrations.

Column: A wise hunter will sometimes break the rules, um, guidelines

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 5, 2024

If you’re new to the sport, it’s always wise to seek out the wisdom and advice of more-experienced hunters, but it doesn’t hurt to be a little skeptical, especially if something seems illogical. In addressing the oft-repeated notion that deer only travel into the wind, Gene Wensel said, “If that were true, they’d all eventually end up in the Pacific Ocean. ~ Bob Humphrey

Column: Yes, there is promiscuity among some species of birds

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 5, 2024

About 95% of all species of birds have a monogamous mating system. A male and a female will develop a pair bond and raise one or more clutches of eggs together. Some birds, like swans, common loons and bald eagles, mate for life with permanent pair bonds. Others, like ducks, change partners every year but maintain a single pair bond each year. Some species with multiple clutches in a season, like the eastern phoebe, may change partners with every clutch. Another type of mating system involving pair bonds is polygyny, where a male maintains pair bonds with multiple females. The red-winged blackbird is an example. The tables are turned in polyandry, where a female has multiple pair bonds with males. Even rarer are polygamous systems, where both males and females have multiple partners in the same breeding season. Woodcocks fit into a fifth category. They don’t believe in pair bonds. ~ Herb Wilson

Column: Maine Trail Center gets generous boost from Mark McAuliffe’s gift

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 5, 2024

he Maine Trail Crew has been a critical component of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club’s efforts to maintain the state’s 267-mile stretch of the AT – plus side trails, shelters, campsites and privies – since 1976. These folks do the heavy lifting, bridge building and rock work, for example, that regular volunteers cannot. But for the past 30 years, the seasonal crew, lacking a home base, has been forced to move six times. That situation is about to change in a big way, however, thanks in part to the generous donation of an MATC member. Mark McAuliffe donated $1 million before his death in October for a facility to house those who maintain the Appalachian Trail, and much more. ~ Carey Kish

Column: When posting pictures of your yard, beware of plant shamers

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 5, 2024

The convenience of computers has stolen some of the joy from life. The internet opens everything up for criticism, including gardening in a phenomenon that some call plant-shaming. My advice on shaming attempts is to ignore them. Yes, every yard should have native plants and some natural areas that are a bit messy with left-behind leaves that support wildlife. But lawns and non-native plants can be part of the yard, too. ~ Tom Atwell

Solar and agriculture are at a crossroads in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 5, 2024

State leaders will discuss how to balance solar growth with agricultural uses when they update Maine’s climate change plan this year. The discussions will include undeveloped land as well, said Anthony Ronzio, deputy director of strategic communications and public affairs in the governor’s office of policy innovation and the future. Although five years have passed since solar array projects began their rapid growth across Maine, the future of their relationship to agriculture in the state remains uncertain. Just one man has made a business out of grazing sheep under Maine’s solar arrays since 2020.

18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 5, 2024

When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement. Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy. But the views are incredible. Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.

Volunteers are keeping an Aroostook wildlife refuge going amid budget cuts

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 5, 2024

Lack of federal funding has reduced the resources needed to maintain Aroostook County’s only designated wildlife refuge to the point where local volunteers are working to keep its trails and gift shop open. After Loring Air Force Base closed in 1994, the U.S. Air Force transferred 4,700 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, creating the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge in 1998. Today, the refuge consists of 5,252 acres in four divisions located within the former Loring base, Caswell, Caribou and Connor Township. The refuge has nearly 13 miles of walking trails but it is primarily an oasis for over 500 native and migratory species of mammals, birds, plants and fish. Aroostook’s refuge, part of the Northern Maine Complex, has no full-time local staff, and has not had an on-site manager since 2017.

Winter storms will change summer experience for some state park visitors

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 5, 2024

isits to some of Maine’s popular state parks and historic sites may not be what you remember, thanks to damage from the major storms in December and January that devastated the state’s landscape. Severe beach erosion and destruction of structures were common on the coast. But even while the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands oversees repairs and restoration projects, attendance in the state’s parks is up 30 percent from last year at this time, thanks to the mild spring. One of the most significant environmental changes at Popham is that the Morse River has shifted its course, and people can no longer safely walk out to Fox Island.