7 Maine fishermen will soon go shrimping for first time in a decade

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 22, 2025

The Maine Department of Marine Resources has selected seven fishermen to go shrimping next month. It’s a rare opportunity — the first time in 10 years that any northern shrimp have been caught and sold in Maine. Federal regulators are launching the program while they consider changing rules that, if passed, will explore the viability of the shrimp fishery’s future more intensively than they have in a decade. But this pilot program isn’t an indication that the fishery will reopen in the near future — or, perhaps, ever.

Blue Hill group could gate property after target practice violation

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 22, 2025

A Hancock County land trust may gate property where people have traditionally hunted, the trust said on social media Wednesday. The Blue Hill Heritage Trust said the gate would limit vehicle access to the group’s Wallamatogus Mountain property, where people who were target practicing with clay pigeons and recreational hikers clashed on Jan. 16 over use of the property. The trust allows hunting with permission on most of its land parcels, but target practicing of any kind is explicitly prohibited.

Environmental officials confirm PFAS contamination in fish from Brunswick spill

MAINE PUBLIC • January 22, 2025

Samples of fish taken near the former naval airbase in Brunswick have been found to be contaminated by PFAS chemicals from this past summer's spill of toxic firefighting foam. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection said concentrations of forever chemicals in softshell clams, blue mussels and oysters were well above what are considered acceptable levels. The results took months to obtain due to complexity involved in testing fish tissue samples, the DEP said.

Peregrine falcon rescued from Bates mill in Lewiston

SUN JOURNAL • January 22, 2025

The falcon had apparently chased a pigeon into the old mill before becoming lost and disoriented in the roughly one acre of mill space. It was estimated the bird had been inside the mill, away from its food and water sources, for nearly a week.

Freight train speeds to increase up to 4 times in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 22, 2025

CSX Transportation, which operates on 481 miles of track and maintains 269 public grade crossings in Maine, will increase some train speeds to 40 mph. That’s up from 10 to 25 mph, depending on track locations. The speed increase follows a 2023 Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram investigation into recent derailments that found the eight companies running freight through Maine are responsible for maintaining their own tracks, mostly police themselves, and too often fail to report accidents and injuries. The majority of nearly 4 million tons of freight traveling through Maine annually consists of pulp, paper, lumber and other wood products, as well as refined petroleum, minerals, chemicals and food.

Scarborough Land Trust protects 32 acres along Beaver Brook

SCARBOROUGH LEADER • January 22, 2025

In another win for conservation, clean water, wildlife and residents of Scarborough, Scarborough Land Trust recently purchased and will protect 32 acres along Beaver Brook. The property consists of mature forests, intermittent streams, wetlands and 1500 ft. along the brook, which flows into the Scarborough Marsh, Maine’s largest contiguous salt marsh and an area of statewide ecological importance. The purchase was funded through grants from the state’s Land for Maine’s Future program, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, and the town of Scarborough Land Bond, as well as donations from generous individuals.

Trout Unlimited seeks to remove 200-year-old dam in Buckfield

SUN JOURNAL • January 22, 2025

The Buckfield Select Board on Tuesday unanimously agreed to enter into a memo of understanding with Trout Unlimited, who wants to remove the Brush Shop Dam on the Nezinscot River, which is over 200 years old. The dam is privately owned. Representatives of the Merrymeeting Bay chapter of Trout Unlimited attended Tuesday’s board meeting to explain the process of removing a dam. Gene McKenna, conservation chairman of the chapter, said the removal would benefit brook trout as they migrate to colder waters upstream. It would also allow the river to return to its natural state. The organization has been involved in the removal of several other dams in the state. The process could take several years as local, state and federal permits are sought.

Opinion: Susan Collins should oppose Russell Vought

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 22, 2025

Here in Maine, we understand that climate change poses real risks. That’s why it’s alarming that a Project 2025 author, who is hellbent on ousting science and public health experts and gutting clean energy investments, could take a powerful post in President Trump’s administration. The U.S. Senate just held a hearing on the nomination of Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget. I’m extremely concerned about his promises to dismantle safeguards and solutions that our communities depend on. Vought wants to remove any consideration of “climate” from the government, as if that might erase the impacts people in Maine are already facing. It’s clear that Vought will use his power to gut investments in clean energy and grid resilience. Sen. Collins should reject his confirmation. ~ Chandler Green, Environmental Defense Fund

Nordic skiing faces uncertain future in southern and central Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • January 21, 2025

After 30 years offering cross-country skiing on its network of trails, Smiling Hill Farm made the tough decision this winter to permanently end the skiing program. The farm has been in Michael Knight's family for over 300 years. He used to groom the trails with his father. But despite his love for the sport, Knight says it's just not viable anymore. Last winter, the farm saw just one good day of skiing. Between grooming, hiring employees, and maintaining rental equipment, cross-country skiing hasn't brought in a profit for the farm in over five years. Ski trails all across Southern Maine have been bare this winter due to lack of snow. Even this past weekend's snowstorm wasn't enough to open cross-country ski trails at Pineland Farms in New Glouster.

Brunswick pushes to curb chemical lawn treatment

TIMES RECORD • January 21, 2025

Brunswick is rolling out rules regulating lawn treatment and pesticide use. Brunswick resident Abbie Sewall, with support from the town Marine Resources Committee and Conservation Commission, is preparing ordinance changes to protect lands in the shoreline protection overlay (SPO) and Brunswick’s coastal waters as a first step. To mitigate stormwater pollution, the goal is to create setbacks where only products approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) are allowed. Dan Devereaux, the town’s coastal resource manager, envisions a swift transition in which property owners in the SPO are given educational resources to replace their garden products with OMRI alternatives.

Trump’s order halting offshore wind disrupts Maine’s efforts to build an industry

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 21, 2025

An executive order that President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office targeting further development of offshore wind complicates, and likely delays, Maine’s budding effort to stand up an industry to capitalize on winds sweeping the Gulf of Maine. At stake are three projects in Maine: commercial offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Maine; a University of Maine research site, also in the Gulf of Maine; and plans to build a terminal on Sears Island to assemble turbines.

Nordic Aquafarms to stop pursuing Belfast fish farm project

MAINE PUBLIC • January 21, 2025

Nordic Aquafarms announced Friday that it will no longer pursue its land-based salmon farm in Belfast, after years of legal challenges from opponents. The company said it has spent tens of millions of dollars on the project, and secured local, state and federal permits; calling the decision a sad day for the Maine economy and aquaculture industry. But the project faced legal setbacks when trying to secure access to Penobscot Bay to draw water and discharge wastewater. Upstream Watch, which has long opposed the project, said it is a huge win for the city, and that the project was ill-conceived, and would have polluted Penobscot Bay.

Trump's order blocking wind power could risk Maine clean energy plans

MAINE PUBLIC • January 21, 2025

Hours into his new term, President Donald Trump hit the pause button on American wind power development. The move may hobble Maine’s plan to meet ambitious clean electricity targets. Trump’s executive order puts a stop to federal leases for ocean wind power. And it suspends permitting and funding for offshore and land-based turbines until federal agencies review the impacts of wind projects. It might affect Maine’s long term goal of using 100% clean electricity by 2040, which leans on building 3 gigawatts of offshore wind. Jack Shapiro, of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said he’s perplexed by the opposition to an industry with the potential to lower energy prices, grow the state’s economy and reduce reliance on electricity made from fossil fuels.

Sustainable refill shop to close its Brunswick location this month

TIMES RECORD • January 22, 2025

Sustainable shop GoGo Refill announced on Tuesday that it will close its Brunswick location by the end of the month. In a social media post, the company said that it “wrestled with this decision for months, and it breaks our hearts” but noted that the closure does not mean that the concept of the shop failed in Brunswick. Owner Laura Marston said that the business was profitable but cosure was the best option based on a number of factors, many of which the company said were “beyond our control.” It offers plastic-free, zero-waste products such as cleaning supplies and toiletries. During two years at the Brunswick location alone, it diverted or “refused” about over 40,000 plastic containers.

Reader Comment Re: When will we stop killing the planet?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 21, 2025

Trump is particularly bothered by the existence of unspoiled land, so industrializing as much as possible is obviously desirable. It will be interesting to see how manufacturers, which have been gearing up to transition to more energy saving devices and cleaner engines will react when Trump says not to bother. It will also be interesting to see how easily we can export manufactured items that no longer meet energy saving guidelines. Grownups in Europe still take climate seriously. Why should they buy these inferior products? Trump is proudly, willfully ignorant of the realities posed by climate change. He deserves whatever he gets in terms of blowback, but we don't. And our children certainly don't. ~ Bevtmaine

Brunswick foam spill contaminated nearby fish, DEP confirms

TIMES RECORD • January 21, 2025

Shellfish living in streams near the Brunswick Executive Airport were contaminated by the August firefighting foam spill, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Tests conducted weeks after a hangar malfunctioned and released thousands of gallons of toxic foam into the nearby environment show elevated levels of PFOA (PFAS “forever chemicals”). “The release of firefighting foam greatly increased the concentration of PFOS in fish from the affected parts of Merriconeag Stream and Mare Brook,” the agency said. “But as there was already a do-not-eat advisory in place, there is no change for fish consumption advice given these latest data.”

Benton cemetery trees cut down, angering some residents

MORNING SENTINEL • January 21, 2025

The last of the century-old pine trees standing high over Goodwin Cemetery were cut down Jan. 10, leaving residents grappling over the loss of a grove that had looked over some of the town’s most historic headstones. The warrant article seeking to cut 20 trees at the cemetery passed at the town meeting last June, allotting a maintenance budget twice as high as in previous years. Yet some residents said they weren’t aware of the tree cutting included in the cemetery maintenance warrant article, and that the matter was discussed only briefly at the sparsely attended 2024 town meeting — leaving the question of why the trees had to come down in the first place. Town officials say the maintenance is necessary to protect historic gravestones.

Letter: Yes, wildfire could rip through Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 21, 2025

The chance of devastating fires erupting here in dry coastal Maine is very real. It happened in 1947. I see tinder everywhere in our Brunswick neighborhood. Despite calling itself a “Tree City, USA,” there is little management of leaves, brush or trees growing into street sightlines. Maine wants to be a forest and we love our trees, but wooden houses, dry leaves and brush piles everywhere with below-normal rain and snow is a recipe for fire. ~ Charles Annable, Brunswick

Column: Let’s test your knowledge of Maine’s game birds, mammals

SUN JOURNAL • January 20, 2025

So you think you know a lot about Maine’s game birds and mammals? Here’s a little quiz, and don’t cheat. What general group of mammals do rabbits and hares belong to? What makes the opossum so distinctly different from other Maine mammals? What strategy do black bears use to while away the winter? What unique strategy do roughed grouse sometimes use to weather long winter nights? What characteristics make woodcock distinctly different from other game birds? ~ Bob Humphrey

Missing fishermen braved ‘wild’ weather as they tried to get home

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 20, 2025

Chester and Aaron Barrett, the father-and-son fishermen from Addison who went missing over the weekend, had planned to drag for scallops close to home on Monday. But they needed to get Chester’s boat, Sudden Impact, from Edmunds back to South Addison, their friend Chris Beal said Monday. When they set out on Saturday morning, they ran into foul weather. They headed for Cutler. But the Barretts and their scallop dragger did not make it to Cutler and were reported overdue that evening. After a Coast Guard search late Saturday and on Sunday, the boat is believed to have sunk en route.