Brookfield: the dam king of Maine

MAINE MONITOR • June 2, 2024

About a quarter of the electricity generated in Maine comes from hydropower, and most of that is produced by Brookfield Renewable, which owns dozens of dams in the state, from Saco to Millinocket. In all, Brookfield generates about 87 percent of the hydropower and 21 percent of the wind power in Maine. It has also begun generating a growing amount of solar power, as well as some from biomass. Brookfield’s parent company is a sprawling investment firm based in Canada that claims more than $925 billion in assets, with real estate, energy and infrastructure projects across the globe. As Maine pushes toward its goal of running on 80 percent renewable energy by 2030, Brookfield appears poised to play an outsize role in the transition. Yet aside from some high-profile conflicts over fish passage at its dams, Mainers rarely hear about this mega-corporation.

Tent caterpillars have returned to Aroostook in hungry droves

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 1, 2024

In the early 1980s, anyone in Aroostook County had only to utter two words to make people cringe: tent caterpillars. Black, blue and yellow-striped forest tent caterpillars surge every few years. Now they’ve returned with a vengeance to northern Maine. Infestations are so extensive that the insect larvae cover trees and buildings. Despite the “ick” factor, they’re harmless to humans. But as they crawl by the hundreds, they want only one thing: fresh, green leaves. An army of caterpillars can eat enough leaves to do some damage — and then they turn into moths and lay eggs.

Stop to Smell the Roses in this Brunswick Garden

DOWN EAST magazine • June 2024

When Robin Robinson, a retired nurse, and David Robinson, a retired landscaper, moved into her family’s 1846 Greek Revival on a quarter-acre lot, in 2015, they inherited an antique apple tree, a few lilacs, and a hemlock and pin oak planted by Robin’s grandmother. Now, Robin says, “We’ve maxed out every inch.” Each garden is oriented around a sculpture, seat, or both. “We have a penchant for collecting statuary, although we don’t take it very seriously,” David says. Beneath the old apple tree, a stone sphinx with the face of Madame de Pompadour (18th-century mistress to King Louis XV of France) reclines next to a wrought-iron bench and chair in a bed of purple heuchera, lily of the valley, and variegated hostas. The owners of this perennial-and-sculpture garden welcome visitors.

Eastport wants cruise ships. Federal staffing problems may complicate that.

MAINE MONITOR • June 1, 2024

Businesses in Eastport, the easternmost city in the United States, struggle with sparse population, available labor and a short tourist season. So when cruise ship travel began picking up, the city’s Port Authority scrambled to take advantage of the thousands of passengers who could disembark to spend money in the seaside community. Then COVID hit. Eastport is finally beginning to recover from that economic drought and was looking forward to cruise ships again arriving in even greater numbers. But a new wrinkle has emerged. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says that due to staffing shortages, there is a question whether it could handle screening four vessels due from Canada between mid-September and mid-October. That has left local officials frustrated.

Crews rescue stuck moose Friday afternoon in Auburn

SUN JOURNAL • May 31, 2024

Police, public works and wildlife crews Friday rescued a young moose that became lodged between a garage and a tree near a home on Josslyn Street. The moose had been stuck for hours before a neighbor noticed the animal’s predicament and called for help. After he was dislodged, the moose was placed in a warden’s truck and taken for medical treatment. The animal will be go to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray or possibly released, depending its health.

Native plants make climate-resilient landscapes

MAINE MONITOR • May 31, 2024

Our home sits on about an acre of land on the Megunticook River in Camden, and we bought it in late fall, so the landscape has been mostly dormant during our time here so far. In the past six weeks or so, it’s come alive. Our hope is to restore much of this property into a more natural meadow, with space to walk, play and grow food. One way to achieve the most resilient and pollinator-friendly version of this transformation, experts say, is to cultivate native plant species. “When we talk about non-native plants, it’s not that they’re evil plants,” said Tyler Refsland of the Wild Seed Project, a Maine-based nonprofit. “A lot of them are highly successful, like dandelions…they’re edible, they have a lot of uses and even some pollinators use them.” 

‘The worst I’ve ever seen’: York County highlights storm damage, vulnerability during state commission tour

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 31, 2024

Friday morning, members of the state’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission gathered in Old Orchard Beach to hear from York County municipal officials about the extensive damage from two January storms. Town managers from Old Orchard Beach to Kittery described the extensive damage in their communities, detailed ongoing efforts to repair their infrastructure, and said they need support to help them prepare for future storms. They also called on the state to provide more guidance and support for small communities to navigate the complex and time-consuming process of getting reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Pulitzer Center backs Maine Maine Morning Star project on firefighting and PFAS

MAINE MORNING STAR • May 31, 2024

A year-long reporting project to examine how PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) permeate firefighting work, endangering health and overburdening small departments, has received support from the renowned Pulitzer Center, the organization announced Friday. Independent writer Marina Schauffler and the Maine Morning Star are one of nine Fellows and news partners chosen for the Pulitzer Center’s inaugural StoryReach U.S. cohort. The project will involve reporting in-depth stories and exploring innovative engagement activities to expand the reach and impact of journalism with audiences across the United States. 

Miss the northern lights? Maine might have another chance to see them this weekend

MORNING SENTINEL • May 31, 2024

Another solar storm is forecasted to wash across much of Canada and the northern U.S. Friday night, potentially bringing a brightly colored night sky with it. The best time to catch a glimpse of the aurora will be after sunset and before moonrise between 9 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.

The plans for Maine's floating wind port, explained

MAINE PUBLIC • May 31, 2024

The state of Maine wants to build a $760 million port that can specifically accommodate the assembly and deployment of floating wind turbines. The plans also call for the construction of a heavy-lift, semi-submersible barge that can launch the foundations needed to support floating wind turbines. Maine, as it competes for federal grant funding, is trying to position itself as an ideal location for such a port. There's a lot on the line.

Opinion: How to cure loneliness in Maine? Invest in public spaces.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 31, 2024

Half of American adults report feeling lonely. Fortunately, communities of all sizes have a key tool already in place that can help: public parks. Unfortunately, the federal government currently applies a high population threshold when funding parks. Cities must be larger than 30,000 residents, which means only Portland, Lewiston and Bangor are eligible in Maine. The Outdoors for All Act would lower the threshold to 25,000 residents for cities seeking park funding through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership. ~ Betsy Cook, Maine state director, Trust for Public Land

Column: Here are tips for identifying Maine’s 17 sparrows

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2024

Sparrow songs defy categorization. Some species sing beautiful melodies, while others emit mere buzzes and trills. Some sing nothing more than a hiccup. It’s no wonder sparrows perplex birders. Fortunately, sparrows sort themselves out. Each species is very particular about its preferred habitat. Except in migration, each is found only in very specific places. There are 17 birds with “sparrow” in the name that regularly occur in Maine. Three only wander into Maine during migration. One, the American tree sparrow, is only here in winter. Of our 13 nesting sparrows, several are easy. ~ Bob Duchesne

Belfast is trying to make it easier to bike and walk in the city

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2024

The city of Belfast has launched a new effort to make it easier for people to get around town by bicycle, wheelchair or foot. It’s now working with the state Department of Transportation and a consulting firm to seek input and develop the active transportation plan. The city’s pedestrian, transportation and accessibility committee is leading the effort.

Major hazardous materials attack training planned across Maine next week

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2024

If you see a military helicopter, the bomb squad or people in hazmat suits next week, it might just be a test. More than 30 federal, state and local agencies, including police, emergency responders, the National Guard and the Coast Guard will converge at several locations around Maine from June 3 to 6 to practice responding to a variety of natural and man-made disasters. The exercises will take place across the state with significant activity in and around Casco Bay in Portland and South Portland, Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, the Kennebec County town of Winthrop and the Aroostook County town of Houlton.

Interior Sec. Deb Haaland to deliver keynote at Maine Democratic Party convention

MAINE MORNING STAR • May 30, 2024

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will deliver the keynote address at the Maine Democratic Party convention on June 1, the party announced Thursday. Haaland, a former U.S. representative from New Mexico, was one of the first Native American women elected to Congress. She was then nominated by President Joe Biden in 2021 to head the U.S. Department of the Interior, which stewards public lands, becoming the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. Haaland will focus her speech around the stakes of the upcoming 2024 election.

New England States Should Go Big in Developing Offshore Wind

USC • May 30, 2024

An analysis released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that the risk of electricity blackouts over the winter—when energy demand is high during periods of extreme cold from December through February—decreases with the amount of offshore wind power deployed. UCS submitted the study to the Maine Governor’s Energy Office to inform a request for proposals that the Maine Public Utilities Commission will issue for developing and constructing offshore wind projects. The findings, however, should influence all New England states that are considering how to beef up winter electricity reliability and lower consumer costs.

EPA officials discuss plans to clean up toxic sites from Maine's industrial past

NEWS CENTER MAINE • May 30, 2024

Leaders with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gathered in Portland Wednesday to discuss Brownfield Grants and industrial clean-up in the state. This follows an announcement earlier this month that communities across Maine would receive $33 million in these EPA Brownfield Grant funds, which are used to clean up and assess land that has been contaminated by pollutants and other hazardous materials. Backers of the effort at the EPA see the grants as a vehicle to both eliminate environmental damage in an area and free up space to launch economic development projects. The latest batch of funding will go towards nine grants in eight Maine communities as well as four existing grants (to expedite work at the sites).

Injured hiker rescued from Chick Hill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 30, 2024

An injured hiker was rescued Wednesday afternoon from Chick Hill in Clifton. The hiker suffered leg injuries about 100 yards up a steep section of trail about 3 p.m. Chick Hill, known as Peaked Mountain on the map, is about 1,160 feet tall and located off Route 9.

Maine joins Biden administration in bid to modernize nation’s aging grid

MAINE MORNING STAR • May 30, 2024

Maine is among 21 states joining a push by the Biden administration to modernize America’s aging electric grid, which is under pressure from growing demand, a changing power generation mix that includes lots of wind and solar and severe weather. The administration, which has set a goal of a carbon-free power sector by 2035, announced Tuesday that the states had joined what it called the “Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative,” which is intended to “help drive grid adaptation quickly and cost-effectively to meet the challenges and opportunities that the power sector faces.”