Guest column: A restoration experiment at the Brunswick Town Commons

For generations, American chestnut trees fed people and wildlife throughout eastern North America.Tragically, at the turn of the 20th century, ecological disaster struck. A fungal pathogen accidentally introduced from Asia swept through killing entire forests of American chestnuts. For the past three years, volunteers have joined the town arborist to plant wild-type chestnut seedlings in the Brunswick Town Commons as part of an ongoing restoration project. So far, of five dozen chestnut seedlings planted in the Town Commons, about half have survived, a hopeful sign. Globally, 30% - 51% of tree species are threatened with extinction. The chestnuts in the Brunswick Town Commons represent an important effort at biodiversity restoration and at recovering a crucially important tree species in North America — indeed, in the world. ~ Jym St. Pierre, Brunswick Town Commons Committee

Republicans make Biden’s EV push an election-year issue as Democrats take a more nuanced approach

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 2, 2024

Republican allies in the petroleum industry have spent millions on ads that say President Biden's tax credit for EV buyers will cost Americans their freedom. But interviews with about 20 voters in the pivotal industrial heartlands of Ohio and Michigan reveal a more complicated dynamic among people who may decide the winner of November’s presidential and Senate elections.

Maine stocks PFAS-laden waters with fish, warns ‘do not eat’

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 2, 2024

Chock-full of forever chemicals, the fishing holes next to Fairfield’s youth athletic complex on Industrial Drive are believed to be some of the most polluted waters in Maine – yet the state still stocks these ponds every year with hatchery-raised brook trout for local children to catch. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said it puts brook trout in the ponds for kids to catch for fun, not for sustenance, and that it warns against eating anything caught from these waters. But scientists question the department’s decision to stock a water body that it knows is badly contaminated.

Agriculture is a growing part of Maine’s economy, despite fewer farms, farmland and farmers

SUN JOURNAL • June 2, 2024

The 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture shows there are fewer farms in Maine than just five years ago, fewer acres available to be farmed and fewer farmers. Farms are a driver of the economy in Maine, worth just under $1 billion. Yet, there were 7,036 farms in 2022, down from 7,646 in 2017. Ninety-seven percent of the farms are small, family-owned. More than 82,000 acres of Maine farmland fell out of agricultural production within five years. Dairy farms have been particularly hard hit, with the number of dairy farms cut in half between 2010 and 2022. Key challenges facing the agriculture sector include an aging workforce, labor constraints and costs, high costs of production, lack of control over pricing for some commodities, climate change, PFAS, the cost of land and development issues.

Humor: The goat invasion is upon us

SUN JOURNAL • June 2, 2024

According to a bulletin I am just now receiving there are “lots of goats” in Livermore Falls. Authorities would not confirm nor deny that the goats are shooting lasers straight out of their eyes and vaporizing innocent civilians. OK, that last part isn’t true, but the rest is. When I read the headline for the first time, I got a “War of the Worlds” vibe and immediately set out to determine how I can best protect myself and my alleged loved ones from this goat invasion. So far, the best I can come up with is to jump up on the roof of my car where the goats can’t reach me. Sign up for my newsletter for further survival tips. ~ Mark LaFlamme

Birding: Color patterns can vary within same species in different locations

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 2, 2024

Biologists commonly use comparative techniques to try to understand variation. Bergmann’s Rule says that birds and mammals that live in higher latitudes or higher elevations are generally larger in size than animals from lower altitudes or from temperate and tropical habitats. Allen’s Rule looks at the same gradient and predicts that the smaller body appendages like ears, tails, limbs, or bills should be smaller in arctic or montane species. Both rules can be explained in terms of heat loss. ~ Herb Wilson

Canoeing: Enthralled with the serviceberry blooms on South Pond in Warren

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 2, 2024

Serviceberry is one of the first flowering trees of spring in southern Maine. South Pond in Warren proved to be a superb spot to enjoy the white flowers accentuated against backdrops of deep blue sky and the shoreside greens of hemlock and pine. South Pond has a colony of cottages adjacent to the boat launch site, and some at the far southern end of the pond, but for the most part this 2-mile long pond offers seclusion and lots of bird life. We paddled for three hours; circling the lake and then snaking our way up to Route 1 via high water in a sprawling bog at the northern end of the pond. ~ Michael Perry

Letter: State should welcome public input on wildlife plan

CENTRAL MAINE • June 2, 2024

Every 10 years, state fish and wildlife agencies are required to develop a state Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) to receive federal funding. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) is updating its plan. A major component is compiling a list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Unlike other states which are soliciting public input, Maine is developing its 2025 WAP with no formal or informal process for doing the same. The SCGN list is being developed behind closed doors. The only time the public will be allowed to provide input will be after the list is already made and the plan is a done deal. IFW refuses to give those who do not hunt, some 90% of Maine people, a seat at the proverbial table. If you support democracy, contact IFW Commissioner Judith Camuso and request a formal process for public participation early on in the process, long before the SCGN list is developed, and the plan is drafted. ~ John Glowa, South China

Letter: Federal bill takes on climate change

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 2, 2024

The fact that 78% of Maine physicians surveyed said that climate change threatens their patients’ health (“Climate change is already affecting Mainers’ health, doctors say,” May 27) is both alarming and unsurprising, as most of us are clearly dealing with ticks, heat and anxiety. But it was surprising and refreshing to learn that the American Medical Association in 2022 called upon its members to advocate for policies that limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, support a rapid clean energy transition, etc. If any AMA members (or anyone else, really) is looking for such a policy to advocate for, please read up on Carbon Fee and Dividend (there’s a Wiki), also known as carbon cashback. ~ Cynthia Stancioff, Camden

Veterinarian shortage is killing Maine livestock

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2024

Maine farmers and homesteaders have struggled to access veterinary care for decades. A shortage of vets who treat large animals is made more complicated by the small and scattered nature of Maine livestock operations, according to state veterinarian Stefanie Bolas. A recent federal rule outlawing over the counter animal antibiotic sales has also increased demand for vet visits. With more inexperienced people raising livestock at home post-pandemic, unable to get a vet or facing increased costs when they do, some are teaching themselves medical procedures and turning to Facebook for guidance. A lack of access to livestock vet care could have a negative impact on the food supply and human health. Eighteen veterinarians serve thousands of livestock in Maine. Five treat just horses and five focus mostly on pets and small animals. Farm vets make less money than their small animal counterparts.

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.