Editorial: Mitigation of climate change must not be lost to its management

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 9, 2024

For years, sensible, proven policies have languished on desks and in legislative chambers at the state and federal level. It is as if we were not in a clear state of emergency, as if addressing climate change were not the burning imperative of our time. It is the federal picture that requires the most correction. America needs national policies to arrest the descent into what the head of the U.N. calls “climate hell.” We seem eerily good at bracing for and braving the tumult that a changing climate throws our way – and less good at working to arrest the change. If we settle for political candidates who do not prioritize climate change – or for candidates who act too slowly or not at all, or who belittle or deny the climate crisis out of ignorance, convenience or a toxic mix of the two – it becomes an accurate preview of a very disturbing future.

Letter: Maine making progress on climate change

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 9, 2024

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by climate change or think individual actions are too small to matter, but that’s not true. Every bit helps, and taking action can help with climate anxiety. Even better, these personal actions don’t only help the health of the planet – they can make things better for you, your family and your neighbors. ~ Erica Bartlett, Portland

5 summer hikes within an hour of Bangor

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 9, 2024

Don’t miss out on the lush, green woods of Maine. Hit the trails and see all the splendor nature has to offer. Not everyone has the time (or energy) to take a road trip to some of Maine’s hiking destinations. That’s OK. All of these hikes are within an hour of Bangor and offer treks for all levels.
• Northeast Penjajawoc Preserve in Bangor
• Hothole Pond Trail in Orland
• Furth and Talalay sanctuaries in Surry
• Mead Mountain in Orland
• Kenduskeag Stream Trail in Bangor

Mainers are finding ways to homestead without their own land

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 9, 2024

Facing steep real estate  prices, Maine’s beginning farmers and homesteaders increasingly rely on people they know to find land and resources they can use. Many lease, often for just a year or two at a time; many don’t know if they’ll ever own. Accessing land is the primary hurdle for people who want to start farming, according to Bo Dennis, the beginning farmer program specialist at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Each year, more of the beginning farmers he works with operate on land leased year-to-year, without a path to buy.

A 21-foot sculpture honors the tribes that hunted swordfish in the gulf of Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 9, 2024

A 21-foot sculpture of a swordfish now stands on the shore of North Haven island, its long, sharp bill pointing toward the sky as Penobscot Bay glitters behind it. Designed by Camden artist duo Billy Sims and Ann McClellan and woven together out of willow by volunteers and local students, the new piece of artwork is a striking tribute to the Wabanaki people who hunted swordfish off the island some 5,000 years ago.

Portland’s working waterfront showcased at annual open house

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 8, 2024

The past, present and future of Portland’s working waterfront were on display Saturday in a variety of events and exhibits that gave unusual public access to the city’s increasingly precious harbor resources. Locals and visitors from across the country turned out for the ninth annual Walk the Working Waterfront, an interactive open house showcasing the fishermen, seafood producers and wholesalers, restaurants, nonprofits and other Commercial Street purveyors who call Portland Harbor home. A display outside the Gulf of Maine Research Institute showed that sea level along Commercial Street is expected to rise about 1.5 to 3 feet by 2050, which would put most of the area underwater.

Ceremony on Saturday showcases new trail system that connects Norridgewock and Madison

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 8, 2024

Officials from Norridgewock and the surrounding towns celebrated the grand opening of the Madison Branch of the Kennebec River Rail in a ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday. The new portion of the trail spans from Oakland through Norridgewock to Embden and provides a gravel trail to walk, run, bike, drive an ATV or snowmobile, the latter two of which are the biggest draw for the trail.

Facing the devastation of its ash trees, Portland aims to diversify tree species

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 8, 2024

The emerald ash borers, a species of beetle, has been decimating New England’s ash trees for years and is killing hundreds of trees in Portland. Mark Reiland, the city arborist, estimated there are 600 ash trees in the city and most of them are infected. In the next five years, he said about 500 will have to come down. “Unfortunately there are entire streets we’ll have to clear cut,” he said. The city had tried to save some trees last spring by injecting insecticide into their trunks in an effort to kill the beetles, but the treatment wasn’t as successful as they hoped. As the ash trees come down, a variety of new tree species will go up.

Opinion: Caring for the Gulf of Maine signals deep appreciation

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 8, 2024

World Oceans Day is today, June 8, and ocean health is something Maine can celebrate every day. The Gulf of Maine is a special place. Named for our state, it stretches from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia with 70,000 square miles of life as deep as the Empire State Building and as cold as the refrigerator in your kitchen. We appreciate the ocean for the fishing industry that brings us dinner and jobs, for the cool summer breezes that bring visitors from hot summer cities. We appreciate the ocean for its variety of glorious animals – from humpback whales to harbor porpoises, from periwinkles to codfish, from osprey to eiders. Our appreciation, though, needs to extend to care because the Gulf of Maine is struggling with the same threats that poison the world’s oceans. ~ Jeffrey McCarthy, professor of environmental humanities, Belfast

A new guide for writing about the Wabanaki Nations

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 8, 2024

The Wabanaki Alliance has released a new guide aimed at promoting more respectful language and accurate information when reporting on Indigenous peoples in Maine, as well as their history, land, and culture. The online style manual covers the four federally recognized tribes in Maine, known collectively as the Wabanaki Nations. They are the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe. The Alliance is a confederation of organizations and individuals supporting the full restoration of federal rights to those tribes.

3 teens shoot their turkeys at same time after a countdown

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 8, 2024

Cassidy Blackstone, Carson Cushman and Wyatt Allen, seniors at Mars Hill High School, pose with the trio of Tom turkeys they shot all at the same time on opening day before heading to classes.

6 insider tips for visiting Acadia National Park during busy season

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 8, 2024

Acadia National Park can be a tricky place to navigate, especially at the height of summer, when thousands of people are moving around the park, slowing down to take in the stunning views, then darting after empty parking spots. But don’t let that intimidate you. The following are a few tips for visiting Acadia during the summer and fall, when traffic is wild but the weather can’t be beat.
• Try visiting early in the morning or in the afternoon.
• Be flexible about where within the park you explore.
• Invest in a weather-resistant, detailed trail map.
• Use the Island Explorer bus system rather than driving a private vehicle.
• If parts of the park are closed, it’s for good reasons.
• Dogs are welcome in most places in the park, but not all places, and only under certain circumstances.

Maine graduate credits outdoor program with keeping him in school

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 7, 2024

Alan Emery fell in love with the outdoors, and that’s what kept him in high school, he said. The only one among his seven siblings and cousins to graduate from high school, Emery, 18, said the early morning outdoor ed program is what kept him in school. Research shows that outdoor education programs lead to improved academics, fewer discipline problems and happier students, said Korah Soll, founding director of the Rural Aspirations Project, who has been working with East Grand School for several years. For senior class vice president Emery, activities like harvesting and butchering a moose, camping overnight along the Allagash, taking on white water challenges, canoeing lakes, skiing, fishing, camping and open fire cooking built confidence and taught him lifelong skills, he said.

‘Lost on a Mountain in Maine’ Book-turned Movie Gets Premiere Date

Z107.3 • June 7, 2024

The tale of a young boy who gets separated from his traveling companions and somehow survives 9 days lost in the Maine woods was a compelling story to read. But now, after years of working on the project, Don Fendler's "Lost On A Mountain In Maine" is set to hit the big screen this summer. “We are premiering Lost on a Mountain in Maine as a special presentation at The Maine International Film Festival this July 13th at 7 pm. The film will get its national release in theaters later this fall. MIFF Festival pass-holders can purchase tickets to the premiere at MIFF.ORG now, or individual tickets will be available for purchase on June 14th." The Maine International Film Festival will show "Lost On A Mountain In Maine" at the Waterville Opera House located at 1 Common Street in Waterville.

Pingree bill would aid coastal homeowners amid increasingly frequent storms

MAINE MORNING STAR • June 7, 2024

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine introduced legislation this week designed to aid coastal homeowners amid increasingly frequent storms. Pingree and U.S. Rep Greg Murphy (R-NC) put forward the Prevent Environmental Hazards Act on Wednesday.  The bill is meant to provide homeowners covered by the National Flood Insurance Program enhanced flexibility in the face of natural disasters. The bill allows National Flood Insurance Program payouts for buildings that have been condemned because of frequent erosion or flooding, permits advance payments for demolition or relocating of up to 40% of a home’s value or $250,000, caps payouts at 40% if an owner doesn’t act before a building collapses.

Maine households are worst offenders on food waste, according to DEP study

MAINE MONITOR • June 7, 2024

Close to half – 40 percent – of the solid waste stream in Maine is made up of organics, according to a study released by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in late May. Every year, we waste around 361,000 tons of food, the equivalent of more than 9,000 fully loaded semi-trailer trucks. Households are the worst offenders, accounting for around 35 percent of all the food waste in the state. Agriculture is next, at 25 percent, followed by food manufacturers, grocery stores and restaurants. 

The UN says more aquatic animals were farmed than fished in 2022. That’s the first time in history

ASSOCIATED PRESS • June 7, 2024

The total global volume of fish, shrimp, clams and other aquatic animals that are harvested by farming has topped the amount fished in the wild from the world’s waters for the first time ever, the United Nations reported Friday. The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, in its latest report on fisheries and aquaculture — or farming in water — says the global catch and harvest brought in more than 185 million tons of aquatic animals in 2022, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

On World Oceans Day, Midcoast leaders eye future of waters on which so many rely

TIMES RECORD • June 7, 2024

Word Oceans Day has Midcoast communities and industries that rely on the sea are weighing the future amid surging storms and warming waters. World Oceans Day on June 8 isn’t just about enjoying beaches, argued Harpswell Town Administrator, Kristi Eiane. “It’s about respecting marine resources and acknowledging how our choices make an impact,” she said. When the United Nations first announced the holiday in 2016, its main priority was to reach the “30 by 30” goal; to protect 30% of the earth’s land, water and seas by 2030. While that may seem like a lofty goal, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) Director of Community Programs Monique Coombs hinted the key could be within reach.

Watch these rare triplet moose calves near Baxter State Park

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 7, 2024

Wayne Clukey of West Enfield couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw these three babies tagging along with their Mom near Baxter State Park on Wednesday. Triplet moose calves are very rare, at one in 105,000, according to National Geographic, and these three seem to be thriving. Calves stay with their mom for a year.