Maine’s backyard beehives see highest survival rate in 8 years

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 30, 2025

Maine beekeepers reported the lowest rates of hives lost last year since the state’s apiary program began surveying them in 2016. Honeybee hives regularly die off from a number of threats including parasitic disease-spreading mites, pesticides, starvation and unpredictable weather conditions. But Maine data has shown that trend dropping, which an expert thinks might be due to education efforts. Along with producing local honey, honeybees pollinate about 80 percent of all flowering plants and most of the fruit and vegetable plants people rely on.

Trump tariffs may roil Maine energy prices, and lobster, lumber markets

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

Tariffs that are central to President Donald Trump’s economic policies could destabilize markets for many Maine products from lumber to lobsters to electricity. The president has said he will impose tariffs of 25% of the value of a product imported from Mexico and Canada beginning Saturday. Essentially a tax, a tariff could lead to higher prices because businesses typically pass the cost onto consumers, fueling inflation. And they drive other countries to respond with a tax on U.S. goods. Tariffs on products from Canada, which is Maine’s biggest trading partner, would send powerful ripples across the state’s economy. Maine brought in $4.4 billion of goods – fuels, oil, electricity, wood pulp and more – from its neighbor in 2024. A 25% tariff will cost Maine electricity ratepayers $8 million to $10 million a year.

Maine Republican legislators write Trump asking for further action to stop offshore wind

MAINE MORNING STAR • January 30, 2025

Maine Republican legislators wrote a letter to President Donald Trump thanking him for his recent action on offshore wind and asking him to take it a step further.  The letter sent Thursday was authored by Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport). Offshore wind was a key issue for Paul in her reelection campaign last year. “Common sense, economics and environmental concerns are against the offshore wind projects proposed by Democrats for the Gulf of Maine,” Paul said Thursday. She went on to say that she and her Republican legislative colleagues “are asking his administration to finish the job before irrevocable harm is inflicted on marine wildlife, coastal communities and our quality of life.”  

So far, Portland has seen less snowfall than any winter in the last decade

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

Meteorologist Jerry Combs said only 16.6 inches of snow have fallen in Portland since Oct. 1. During the same time frame in 2015, the center recorded 53.3 inches of snowfall. Snow for Portlanders has long been an important conduit for activities like skiing and sledding, that make the long winters fun. The National Weather Service is predicting 2 to 3 more inches of snow may fall on Friday evening followed by a couple of more inches on Sunday afternoon. Combs said this pattern of a few inches of snow falling every few days is likely to continue over the next week or so, but he said there are no major storms on the horizon.

Insurance claim will only cover a fraction of the Brunswick spill costs

TIMES RECORD • January 30, 2025

The entity on the hook for the disastrous toxic foam spill in Brunswick last August, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, reported that it received a $250,000 payout after the incident, covering just a fraction of the costs it has racked up. The payout makes a mere dent in the $781,000 cleanup bill the authority had accrued as of Dec. 31, 2024. An airport insurance policy through the Maine Risk Management Bureau underwritten by Chubb Insurance — was denied due to a PFAS-exclusion clause. A second policy claim with Acadia Insurance was denied for the same clause.

Maine’s already got 31 state symbols. A reptile, amphibian and dog could be next.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

Even though Maine already has 31 official state symbols — including a soil type, soft drink, fossil and insect — there seems to be a tendency to focus on what we don’t have. Take for example proposals before the legislature this session. State Rep. Laurie Osher (D) presented a bill to name the spring peeper as Maine’s official amphibian and the wood turtle as state reptile. A bill to declare a state dog was brought by Rep. David Boyer (R).

Slow down, wood turtle. Here are what Maine’s state symbols should be.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 30, 2025

This legislative session, Maine lawmakers will decide whether to name the Seppala Siberian sled dog, spring peeper and wood turtle our official state dog, amphibian and reptile, respectively. Whoa. Before we add multiple cold-blooded creatures to our increasingly chaotic catalog of state emblems, can we take care of some more low-hanging fruit? Surely the potato is a shoo-in for state root vegetable. And how has the Maine Italian not yet been named our state sandwich? If California has named denim as its state fabric, we should do the same for flannel. The Bean Boot long ago should have been named our state shoe. We’ve got to prioritize. The Legislature needs to establish an Office of Maine State Stuff. If it looks like it’s going to get killed for lack of funding, I’ll volunteer as director. ~ Leslie Bridgers

Trump tariffs worry lobster fishermen in Maine and Canada

SPECTRUM NEWS • January 30, 2025

Leaders from the U.S. and Canada’s lobster fishing communities came together in Bar Harbor Wednesday to tackle what they said are pressing issues facing the industry. At the top of mind at this year’s 21st annual meeting was the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on Canadian products. “These tariffs, if they actually happen, will badly impact Maine harvesters and the Maine lobster sector — just as it will impact Canadians,” said Geoff Irvine, the executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada.

Portland jetport parking expansion earns planning board approval

MAINE PUBLIC • January 29, 2025

After nearly a year of debate, the Portland planning board has approved plans for a jetport parking expansion. The plans call for the paving of new surface lots to accommodate a growing number of air travelers parking for longer periods of time. All told, the project would add a net total of 265 new parking spaces. Nearby residents and planning board members had expressed concerns about the project's environmental impacts on nearby wetlands and trees that provide a buffer between the airport and the surrounding neighborhood.

Land trust acquires 1,400 acres in western Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • January 29, 2025

The Greater Lovell Land Trust has completed the largest purchase in its history, buying more than 1,400 acres in Western Maine. The acquisition of family land adds to existing conservation land in Sweden and Lovell, including seven miles along the Kezar River, the land trust said. Together, there are now about 2,700 acres of contiguous protected land that includes wildlife habitat, wetlands, and recreational trails. The purchase was partially funded with a $1 million grant from the Land for Maine's Future Program and financial support from the Open Space Institute, Nature Conservancy in Maine, Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and Maine Community Foundation among others.

Scarborough council passes long-debated wetland setbacks

SCARBOROUGH LEADER • January 29, 2025

The Scarborough Town Council last week passed a 25-foot setback from wetlands for new developments in a 5-2 vote. Recent meetings and public hearings revolving around the setbacks have garnered a healthy amount of public comment. Many residents have expressed support for the setbacks and some say they would rather see one larger than 25 feet. Those opposed, most of whom were local developers, argued the one-size-fits-all approach would hamper their present and future efforts of development.

South Portland petitions Maine DEP to take action on unused oil tanks

SOUTH PORTLAND SENTRY • January 29, 2025

An upcoming license renewal would permit Portland Pipe Line Corporation to store and transfer 11 billion gallons of crude oil through its oil tanks in South Portland annually. Last week, the city sent a letter to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection urging the agency to require air emissions modeling to assess potential health risks in order to renew the license. Or, the city’s letter suggests, the DEP could “accept a voluntary agreement” from the corporation to permanently decommission tanks currently out of service.

Another, weaker, earthquake shakes same area off coast of York

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 29, 2025

Maine experienced another earthquake Wednesday morning, but this one was much weaker than the one that rattled the region Monday. The 2.0 magnitude earthquake happened at 3:15 a.m. about 5.5 miles off the coast of York Harbor. The magnitude 3.8 earthquake on Monday — the fifth largest in Maine history — was felt as far north as Bangor and south as New York City.

Group of Maine lawmakers trying to block Sears Island wind port

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 28, 2025

A new effort is underway in the Legislature to derail the Mills administration’s plan to build a wind port on Sears Island. Proposed legislation — backed by six Republicans, a representative of the Passamaquoddy tribe and a Democrat — directs the state Department of Transportation, with the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, to extend the island’s conservation easement to cover all of Sears Island. Rep. Reagan Paul, R-Winterport, said, “The Maine DOT has been trying to industrialize Sears Island for decades and has spent millions doing so.” Sears Island is a 941-acre tract off the coast of Searsport. In 2009, it was, by agreement, divided into two parcels: about 600 acres were placed in a permanent conservation easement held by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust and 330 acres were reserved by the Maine Department of Transportation for future development. The site is eyed for a wind port to assemble wind turbines and other equipment for use in the Gulf of Maine.

Snowy Owls in Winter 2024/25

MAINE AUDUBON • January 28, 2025

Snowy Owls are coming south! This is always a fun and exciting time for birders and owl aficionados as we get an opportunity to see one of the most charismatic and endearing animals. For a time, it was thought that these birds coming south were in poor health, but more recent work involving tagging and translocating birds has shown the majority of these birds are healthy. This is also shaping up to be a big winter for Barred Owl sightings in Maine. A few tips on how to find them and how to view them in the best way. Finding them: habitat is key. Snowy Owls tend to be along the coast where they catch lots of sea ducks. Barred Owls occur in most mixed forests, often roosting in or around hemlocks. Viewing: If an owl turns its head to look at you or in your direction, or if you have made eye contact, then that is your sign to start backing up.

Wilderness, The Last Frontier

NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER • January 24, 2025

Given President Trump’s first-day pronouncements, the likelihood of new wilderness designations appears to be fading. Where opportunities were once ample in Alaska, for example, Trump sent a message in a Day 1 Executive Order that was the opposite of prioritizing land for protection from development. That means a nation that once swore to take heed of the ideals of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold — to protect its wildest places to ensure future generations have “a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it,” as President Johnson said when he signed The Wilderness Act into law in 1964 — no longer sees value in unbridled nature. 

Questions about how updated definition of ‘coastal wetland’ would impact landowners, developers

MAINE MORNING STAR • January 27, 2025

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is looking to update the definition of coastal wetlands in some areas of statute, but lawmakers have questions about how much it could affect landowners and developers along the state’s 3,500 miles of shoreline. Rather than reference the highest annual tide to define the area of a coastal wetland, the department is proposing a switch to the highest astronomical tide. Naomi Kirk-Lawlor, who represented the DEP, said the highest astronomical tide would be a “more consistent delineator.” after a series of severe storms and flooding events last winter. Gov. Janet Mills earmarked more than $21 million in her supplemental budget last year to rebuild working waterfronts. There have also been multi-million dollar federal investments to make Maine’s infrastructure more resilient to the effects of climate change. Maine Audubon and Sierra Club Maine testified in support of the bill.

Want to Help Wildlife? There’s a Community Science Project for Everyone

MAINE AUDUBON • January 28, 2025

Community Science is your chance to join friends, neighbors, students, and teachers in collecting valuable scientific data on wildlife in Maine. Your sightings will help us better understand, protect, and conserve Maine native wildlife and habitat. From projects led by Maine Audubon to others spearheaded by the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, there’s something for everyone. Maine Audubon Projects: Loon Count, Marsh and Stream Explorers, Signs of the Season, Vernal Pool Stewardship Award, Backyard Bumble Bee Blitzes. Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Projects: Maine Amphibian and Reptile Atlas, Maine Golden Eagle Study, Rabbit Sightings, Maine Owl Pellet Project.

Military uses drones to search for old rocket debris at midcoast beach

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 28, 2025

Nowadays, Reid State Park is best known to many Mainers as one of the state’s finest sand beaches. But during World War II, visitors would not have been eager to enter the beach area that was soon to become a park. That’s because flight crews from Brunswick Naval Air Station practiced firing test rockets at a barge anchored just off Mile Beach, littering the area with warheads and rocket motors. Federal officials have advised that the unexploded ordnance poses no threat to the public, but they have periodically returned to the midcoast beach to search for it, including over the last year, in the wake of the twin storms that pounded the state’s coast in January 2024. Officials said that the storms uncovered underwater munition debris inside the state park and that researchers had surveyed about 30 acres of its sand dunes and shallow water to produce a map of “hot spots.”