Gulf of Maine warming research resumes with NASA support

TIMES RECORD • November 27, 2024

As Bigelow Laboratory’s Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series approaches its 25th year, NASA awarded the program funding to continue regular cruises on the R/V Bowditch. The research suggests that factors beyond weather are contributing to the observed changes, linking the warming phenomenon to saline North Atlantic Slope water entering the Gulf of Maine. If they can more accurately measure the Gulf of Maine’s warming rate, scientists can better predict the future impacts of climate change — at least, that’s the hope.

Maine drought persists despite recent rain

MAINE PUBLIC • November 27, 2024

The rain of late last week failed to ease Maine's drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported Wednesday that more than two-thirds of the state remains in a "moderate drought" condition and the western edge of the state is "abnormally dry." The southern tip of York County is said to be in extreme drought. More much needed precipitation is expected in Maine on Thanksgiving, though some will be in the form of snow that could complicate travel.

Pass the cranberries: Maine growers embrace intense demand of holiday season

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 27, 2024

Maine cranberry growers had a good season, said Charles Armstrong, a cranberry expert at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension who assists farms in pest management. According to his calculations, the state’s 20 farms harvested approximately 500,000 pounds of berries, equating to about $850,000 for growers. Now, growers have to navigate the intense demand that comes with the holiday season.

Moon Machar, Portland: Making the outdoors accessible to asylum seekers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 27, 2024

Nyamuon “Moon” Nguany Machar describes her work as “sowing seeds.” Machar, 34, of Portland heads #WEOUTSIDE, a program that gives asylum-seeking kids an opportunity to explore the great outdoors. “The outdoors, being barefoot outside and really connecting with nature, goes hand in hand with our mental health,” Machar said. “It goes hand in hand with who we are.” A collaboration between the Maine Association for New Americans – where Machar serves as community wellness program coordinator – and the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust, #WEOUTSIDE fosters belonging among Maine’s immigrant communities.

In lawsuit, AG alleges oil companies deceived Mainers about climate change

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 26, 2024

Attorney General Aaron Frey made Maine the ninth state to file a “climate deception” lawsuit against oil giants Tuesday, alleging that they chose profits over following early science that showed likely irreversible climate effects from fossil fuels. The targets of the Maine lawsuit are the oil giants Exxon, Shell, Chevron, BP and Sunoco as well as the American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s major trade group.

A Maine factory is selling a new product to get PFAS out of crops

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 26, 2024

A new twist on an ancient agricultural practice is playing out at farms throughout Maine and the nation. Biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from heated organic biomass such as forest and agricultural waste, is the subject of several research studies now underway on Maine farms. When added to tainted soil, it is showing promise in reducing the uptake of forever chemicals in crops, researchers said.

Digital tool reveals Northern Maine's rare old forest

MAINE PUBLIC • November 25, 2024

Maine is the most heavily forested state in the country. But after generations of logging just a few stands of valuable old growth trees remain. Now, for the first time, researchers can find those old trees with incredible precision. John Hagan’s nonprofit, Our Climate Common, used light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, elevation data collected from flights over Maine. That mapped out old forest across 10.3 million acres in Maine’s unincorporated townships. Almost all that land is privately owned and logged repeatedly. The method, which maps the height of trees, is 94% accurate. "Now we know where it is. We know who owns it. We know how fast we're losing it. So now we're pivoting to OK, how are we going to conserve it?" Hagan said. Just 3% of the north woods can be considered late successional or old growth forest.

Letter: Limit residential development to protect Maine lakes

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 25, 2024

My fishing expeditions throughout northern and eastern Maine are among my most sacred memories. However, throughout our state’s 6,000 natural bodies of water, a decline in water quality seems to be a recurring issue. It is essential that we fight to prevent degradation of water quality so that future generations may enjoy the beauty that our thousands of lakes, ponds, and rivers have to offer. Forestry operations and run-off from residential areas do not help. Lakes with high levels of phosphorus tend to have frequent algae blooms, which poses threats to the health of both the lake and the organisms that live in it. One way to protect our lakes is to limit residential development. Writing letters of concern directly to forest management companies is one way to make your voice heard and encourage change. ~ Logan Drillen, Dedham

Brunswick residents fear contaminated well water related to foam spill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 24, 2024

Seven households in Brunswick that have shared test results with the Bangor Daily News that show their private wells have PFAS contamination at levels above the limit of 4 parts per trillion that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to start enforcing in 2029 — although the standards will only apply to public drinking water and not to private landowners. The Brunswick contamination was found after an incident last August in which 50,000 gallons of water contaminated with PFAS-laden firefighting foam spilled out of a hangar at the Brunswick Executive Airport and into the surrounding environment.

Dissecting the latest decisions on Maine dams

MAINE MONITOR • November 24, 2024

The terms dictating the vast influence of many Maine hydroelectric dams were last drawn up a generation ago, often by the same paper companies that first harnessed the rivers’ power for their mills downstream. Since, the dams have swapped hands among a slew of corporate owners —  permanently altering the watersheds and landscapes they occupy. While fishery research and concepts of tribal sovereignty progressed, the dams stayed grounded in the past. But in the past few years, the regulatory floodgates opened, releasing a deluge of legal filings and environmental impact studies. Those living in the dams’ shadows have a brief window to sort through the bureaucratic debris and make their own recommendations about how the dams should be operated, or in some cases, removed.

After post-pandemic boom, Maine’s tourism industry seeks path back to growth

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 24, 2024

Leaders in Maine’s tourism industry say they aren’t overly worried about a 9% drop in summer visitors this year, but they’re watching the numbers closely to see what the future holds in a post-pandemic world. A total of 7.8 million tourists visited Maine this summer, a 9% drop from the summer of 2023. And the number of days visitors stayed in Maine fell 15%, according to a report released last week by the Maine Office of Tourism. Visitor numbers have been declining since 2021, while the overall number of days spent here by tourists had been increasing until the drop this year. Direct spending by visitors this summer was relatively flat after years of growth since 2021

Are Maine Audubon’s turkeys the safest birds in the state this Thanksgiving?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 24, 2024

Visitors to Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm in Falmouth are often welcomed near their cars – not by staff or volunteers – but by little dinosaur-like greeters. The two-legged, brown-feathered creatures with long necks and bright red wattles forage for food along the trails and raise their young in the meadows. Without the threat of hunting in this protected reserve, wild turkeys seem undisturbed by the people they encounter as they go about their turkey business. As Thanksgiving approaches, these may be the safest turkeys in Maine. And they know it.

Column: On the hunt for conservation success

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 24, 2024

How can the impulse to protect the environment be consistent with the act of killing wildlife? Hunters were some of the first conservationists. Sportsmen like Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot were champions for transformational legislation like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which regulated hunting seasons and set “bag limits” on how many game birds could be shot per day. Hunters also offered vital support for the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937, which created an excise tax on the sale of firearms, ammunition and fishing gear. Funds raised are returned to the states, where they support professional wildlife management and state-owned recreational lands. The economic impact of hunting in Maine is estimated at nearly $400 million. There is concern that a decline in hunting will hinder conservation efforts. To address this, new mentoring programs seek to engage young people in hunting. ~ Ed Robinson, author of the Nature Notes from Maine book series

Editorial: Maine Legislature must lock in climate efforts

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 24, 2024

When the time comes, our legislators in Augusta owe it to the Maine Climate Council to promptly and effectively act on the good and valuable work carried out by that new body this year. If the reshuffle in D.C. will lead to the upending of priorities feared by many, the time to act on those endangered priorities is now. The only relevant costs when it comes to climate – indeed enormous – won’t be borne by ratepayers but by our children and our grandchildren. Maine alone can’t stop climate change – there is no argument there. But a critical mass of us must understand that mitigating it is a necessarily collective effort.

Opinion: Climate change is threatening Nordic skiing in Maine

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 24, 2024

As a recreational Nordic skier, I have witnessed climate change wreak havoc on our winters. In the short four years of high school, winters grew warmer, slushier and muddier than ever before. Maine’s winters have reportedly warmed 5 degrees Fahrenheit and shortened by three weeks in the past century. Winter recreation, which includes Nordic skiing, contributed $68 million to the state economy in 2022. We need large-scale action. Start by reading the updated “Maine Won’t Wait” when available. Encourage your local officials to apply for a grant from Maine’s Community Resilience Partnership program to increase sustainability. Assist in the direct execution of “Maine Won’t Wait” by volunteering your time to the Maine Climate Corps Network. ~ Caitlin Sweeney, of Gray, student at Cornell University

Letter: Maine’s outdoor enthusiasts have plenty to celebrate

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 24, 2024

The passage of the $30 million Maine Trails Bond will benefit hikers and trail maintenance groups alike. It can be easy to take fantastic trails for granted. However, the thousands of miles of trails in Maine are sustained largely by the hard work of land trusts, environmental nonprofits and outdoor clubs. The Trails Bond will support these groups. Over 422,000 Mainers voted for the first ever Trails Bond, showing their representatives that funding for outdoor recreation should be a priority. ~ Lila Weiser, Portland

Mainers are giving up on vacationing on MDI

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 23, 2024

As the numbers of tourists who come to Bar Harbor each year remain at all-time highs, many Mainers who want to visit the town and Acadia National Park are deciding to stay away. After 25 years in which annual visits hovered between 2 million and 2.8 million, the number of tourists who visit Acadia and Bar Harbor began to grow a few years before the pandemic. In 2021, the estimated visits to Acadia shot up above 4 million, and the decline since then has been minor.

Sen. Angus King introduces bill to preserve and manage public lands

FOX NEWS • November 22, 2024

A new bill recently introduced by Senator Angus King could have a big impact in Acadia National Park -- it would increase funding to continue fixing aging infrastructure in Acadia and National Parks across the country. "America's greatest idea -- national parks -- needs investment," said Eric Stiles, president and CEO of Friends of Acadia. There's a new effort in the works to repair and maintain our national parks.

Judge dismisses lobstermen’s challenge to law requiring tracking devices on boats

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 22, 2024

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by five Maine lobstermen who alleged that the state’s rule requiring tracking devices on their boats was in violation of their rights against unreasonable search and seizure. Although the judge dismissed the suit against the commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, he encouraged the lobstermen to appeal the decision because it raises “significant Fourth Amendment issues.”

Column: Where are the birds? Many are on the move

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 22, 2024

Every year around this time, we get many questions along the lines of “where are the birds?” as people start to see fewer activity at their feeders. It’s not a huge mast year, but mountain ash and winterberry both produced a ton of fruit. These fruit-bearers reportedly also over-produced across the boreal forest, in Canada, so this winter we don’t expect to see some of the beautiful birds that these often attract. Another reason you might see fewer birds in your backyard: many of our summer birds have migrated south for winter. Millions of birds don’t survive their long migrations, as habitat loss and threats during their movements make that journey ever harder. It’s also important to consider the choices you make that can help these birds, from the coffee you buy (consider “bird friendly” shade-grown options) to the way you treat your windows at home or at work (consider applying materials – like stickers or screens – to reduce collisions). ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox