Opinion: Science and industry must shape future of Maine’s fisheries

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 18, 2025

No one has a bigger stake in sustaining healthy fisheries than Maine’s community-based fishermen. Challenges abound, but there is also hope when we focus on solutions. To adapt to the new reality, we need to recognize that we have a system that is in the process of breaking and adopt innovative approaches that draw on the expertise of both scientists and fishermen to address a growing problem. Reinvesting in collaborative research recognizes fishermen as ocean stewards. This is not just about rebuilding fish stocks. It’s about rebuilding hope and trust in our science and management. ~ Graham Sherwood, Gulf of Maine Research Institute; Ben Martens, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association

Column: This coyote bill flies in the face of good management practices

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 18, 2025

Another coyote protection bill, LD 716, is once again is in the legislative hopper. The coyote hunting season currently is year-round. The bill limits the coyote hunting season to between Oct. 1 and March 31. The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine had this to say about the bill: “These legislators want to protect coyotes for six months of the year so they can thrive. That means more fawns will die, more coyotes will kill deer in wintering areas, more cats and dogs will die and domestic animals will be on the menu.” ~ V. Paul Reynolds

How the local debate over solar has grown more heated in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 18, 2025

Community solar farms have multiplied across Maine since 2019, with support from the state government. They particularly flourished in 2024, when a record-breaking amount of solar capacity came online. The state’s solar capacity is projected to more than double in the next five years. At the same time, towns such as Trenton are frightened by larger projects and continue to resist them, in some cases with increasing hostility, putting in moratoriums and ordinances to limit developments. That resistance has more recently caused companies to give up trying to work in the state. The pushback could challenge Maine as it tries to reach a goal of using 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. Still, some towns have welcomed the solar arrays. Maine had the second-highest volume of community solar installations in the nation last year and broke its own record for installation.

Freeport residents unite to tackle climate change

TIMES RECORD • March 17, 2025

On March 12 at Meetinghouse Arts, Freeport Climate Action Now (FreeportCAN) held a climate forum exploring solutions to climate change at individual, local, state and federal levels. From policies to grassroots efforts in neighborhoods, climate action is happening, and it’s working — or so the event sought to prove. The gathering aimed to provide participants with actionable steps for climate progress in 2025 and beyond. To connect with any panelist speakers or get involved with FreeportCAN, contact climate@freeportcan.org.

Tides of Change: Climate Action Through Conservation

MAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST • March 17, 2025

Land conservation is one of the most effective ways to reduce the negative impacts of climate change. Join a one-of-a-kind, interactive fundraiser to learn more about the role land conservation plays in a changing climate and how you can help make a difference for the place you love. At Maine Beer Company, Freeport, March 27, 2025, 6 - 9 pm.

A Tale of 25,000 Culverts

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY • March 17, 2025

Culverts are human-made structures built to channel water beneath roads, bridges and other infrastructure. They’re necessary wherever roads intersect with waterways. An undersized or ill-placed culvert can easily get clogged or collapse. This leads to flooded and damaged roads. The impact is also severe on wildlife and natural habitat—when water can’t flow under roads naturally, the movement of sediment and nutrients is disrupted, and fish and wildlife struggle to migrate up and down stream to complete their life cycle. In 2006, TNC started working with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to collect data on road-stream crossings. Ultimately, after 13 years, the teams assessed more than 25,000 crossings—over 90% of the total found in Maine. Upgrading undersized culverts is a powerful action that communities and private landowners can take to boost their climate resilience and reduce risks to people and buildings, while simultaneously making profound ecological impacts.

Conservation Lobby Day, April 3, 2025

MAINE CONSERVATION VOTERS • March 17, 2025

One of the best ways you can make positive change for the environment and climate right now is to join others from across the state in Augusta to speak directly to lawmakers on Conservation Lobby Day. Join MCV at the State House on Thursday, April 3, from 8 AM to 12 PM. Here’s what it’s all about: Members and activists from around the state gather together in Augusta to hear from leaders fighting to advance climate action, further environmental justice, and protect the environment. We then help facilitate opportunities for you to talk with your lawmakers about issues that affect you and your community and legislation that will make a difference.

Acadia National Park closes carriage roads during spring thaw

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK • March 17, 2025

Starting March 18, the National Park Service will close carriage roads to all users until further notice to protect the roads during spring thaw, also known as “mud season.” Warmer weather and wet conditions soften the carriage roads and make them susceptible to damage. Walking, bicycling and riding horses in such conditions can cause ruts and potholes that channel water and exacerbate erosion. The NPS will reopen the carriage roads once the gravel surface dries out and becomes firm enough to prevent damage. Visitors can help us protect the carriage roads for decades to come by respecting this temporary closure. 

Column: Green Birds of Maine

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • March 17, 2025

Green is the color associated with St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the U.S. The black head of our beloved common loon in breeding plumage can show an iridescent green color in just the right light. That’s true also of a few other black-headed waterfowl that we see regularly in Maine including the male common merganser, common goldeneye, and greater and lesser scaup. Male wood ducks (which are just now returning across the state), have a green head and crest. The male mallard is famous for his green, shiny head, and several other ducks that are regular in Maine have spots of green in the head including the green-winged teal (also in the wing) and the American wigeon.  We can’t leave out the subtly beautiful lime green that you can see this time of year on the back of the head of the male eider, contrasting with the black cap and white cheek and body. We have just touched on a few of the green birds of Maine. ~ Jeffrey V. Wells and Allison Childs Wells

Bill proposes visual barriers around solar farms in Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • March 17, 2025

State lawmakers heard competing testimony Monday on a bill that would require solar farm developers to shield their projects from public view. Sen. David Haggan said his bill aims to protect the Maine's scenic beauty by requiring some form of barrier around large arrays of solar panels. The Hampden Republican also told members of the Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee that the measure will protect the views and property values of neighbors of solar energy developments that can cover dozens of acres of land. But Rob Wood, director of the Bureau of Land Resources at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection testified that the agency already has the ability to regulate the visual impacts of solar farms. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce also testified against the bill.

Unsafe levels of forever chemicals found at Brunswick golf course

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 17, 2025

Unsafe levels of chemicals have been found in the well water of a golf course about a mile and a half southwest of the Brunswick Executive Airport, the location of Maine’s largest documented spill of firefighting foam laced with toxic forever chemicals. The state thinks this contamination may be a result of the Navy’s past activities, not the spill. Brunswick wants the Navy to sample the monitoring well at the former Harpswell Road quarry and other monitoring wells on the western border of the former naval air station. Even trace amounts of some PFAS are considered a public health risk. While manufacturers can no longer use two variants of the chemicals, large amounts of “legacy” PFAS-containing foam are still out there.

UNE students aid Biddeford Pool Conservation Trust in coastal restoration

BIDDEFORD-SACO-OOB COURIER • March 17, 2025

The digging and planting of 12,000 dune-grass stalks executed by University of New England students and community volunteers was aimed at making a local beach more climate resilient a year after two historic storms washed away the sand dunes. But the project led by the Biddeford Pool Conservation Trust with assistance from UNE last week also offered students a front-row seat to the impacts of climate change along the Maine coast. UNE has worked with the Biddeford Pool Conservation Trust for several years to understand the changes taking place in the dunes. It’s the first time the trust did this kind of restoration work, but it won’t be the last, said Lucie Fontein, the conservation trust’s president.

Maine farm using hemp to help clean up ‘forever chemicals’

WABI-TV5 • March 17, 2025

One family-run farm in Downeast Maine is helping not only their local community but tackling an environmental issue. Ben Edwards is the owner of Schoppee Farm in Machias. The 1,500-acre farm has been in his family for eight generations. Edwards, who has a background in biochemistry and medicine, reopened its doors six years ago. What once was a dairy farm is now being used to grow organic hemp. “Hemp is cannabis with less than 0.03% THC. So, any amount of our product is not going to hurt anyone,” Edwards explained. “Worst thing that is going to happen is you get a good night’s sleep.” In addition to growing hemp outdoors and selling natural products, Edwards is also researching how the plant can be used to clean up PFAS.

Northern Maine ice carousel may have shattered 5 world records

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 17, 2025

A small group of northern Mainers may have once again broken world records with its most recent ice carousel. The Northern Maine Ice Busters, a group which currently holds the world record for the largest ever ice carousel, may have shattered five new records over the weekend when it carved out the first ever international ice carousel between the United States and Canada on the St. John River between Van Buren and St. Leonard, New Brunswick.

King, Pingree demand answers on why USDA cut local food programs

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 17, 2025

Sen. Angus King joined dozens of Senate colleagues to demand that the U.S. Department of Agriculture reinstate funding cut last week for programs that connect schools, community organizations and food banks with locally sourced food. In a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, King, I-Maine, and 30 senators charge that cutting $1 billion to the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs “poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country” at a time when food prices and food instability are rising nationwide. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, meanwhile, helped organize a group of more than 80 House Democrats who voiced “deep dismay and concern” over the cuts in a separate letter to Rollins.

Legislative committee votes against bill to shorten coyote season

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 17, 2025

A bill that would have eliminated year-round hunting of coyotes was voted ought-not-to-pass Monday afternoon by the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. LD716, An Act to Restrict the Hunting of Coyotes, would have established a six-month hunting season from Oct. 1 through March 31. The bill was opposed by Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Professional Guides and several others. Humane World for Animals (formerly The Humane Society of the United States), Maine Animal Coalition and Sierra Club Maine Chapter were among those who spoke in favor of it. The committee on Monday voted unanimously ought-not-to-pass and it died.

Native seeds preserved, protected to counter surging invasives

TIMES RECORD • March 17, 2025

Ash trees, mainly brown ash, are cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and wetland ecosystems in the Northeast. However, they’re under threat due to the spread of the emerald ash borer. The Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik (APCAW), a collective of forest caretakers, works to raise awareness of ash trees’ significance and the efforts, such as seed banking, to conserve them. “Maine, so far, is the only state with non-quarantine habitats free from emerald ash borer,” said Emily Baisden, seed center director at Wild Seed Project. “Studying these helps us plan ahead and learn. We hope that by working with basket makers, foresters and scientists, we can store or distribute emerald ash borer–resistant seeds.” 

Governor Mills Proclaims Maine Agriculture Week and Celebrates Maine Agriculture Day at the State House

MORNING AG CLIPS • March 17, 2025

Governor Janet Mills has officially proclaimed March 17-23, 2025, as Maine Agriculture Week, a time to honor and celebrate the farmers, producers, and agricultural businesses that provide food, fiber, and economic strength to Maine communities. As part of this weeklong recognition, Maine Agriculture Day at the Legislature will take place on Tuesday, March 18, at the State House in Augusta. The day will feature a Hall of Flags showcase from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with exhibits from farmers, producers, and more than thirty agricultural organizations highlighting the diversity and innovation of Maine’s agriculture sector.

Rep. Pingree and Democratic lawmakers demand answers after USDA cuts

MAINE PUBLIC • March 17, 2025

Maine Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is co-leading a group of more than 80 U.S. lawmakers who are demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the agency canceled two programs that supported local farms, food banks, and children. The programs gave funding to state, tribal, and territorial governments to purchase locally grown food and distribute it to food banks, schools, and child care centers. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the lawmakers called the USDA's decision to cancel funding for the programs "reckless and cruel." They say the decision comes at a time when farmers face increased costs and uncertainty and families continue to grapple with high grocery bills.

Sledding the County - Maine Snowmobile Association

WAGM-TV8 • March 17, 2025

“Mother Nature’s been really, really tough on us. She delivered some good snow back in December, then took it all away from us. We finally go the snow we needed, it wasn’t a sticky snow that you could make a base, but once it came the clubs were ready to go. With this week’s warm-up coming, it’s really gonna put a crunch on the season… There are some area clubs that have stopped grooming for the year.” The Maine Snowmobile Association says planning for next season needs to start now. The MSA has been busy working with state officials to secure new funding, something he says is increasingly important given the challenges clubs are facing.