Amphibians on the march for their Big Night

MORNING SENTINEL • May 4, 2025

On warm, rainy spring nights, hundreds of volunteers stake out roads across Maine to do what they can to usher some of the state’s smallest creatures across to the road to ensure the next generation of amphibians will live to take the same trip in years to come. Maine’s annual spring migration brings throngs of frogs and salamanders down from the forested uplands to shallow seasonal or vernal pools, where amphibians gather to breed each night. But the migration paths often take them across the state’s network of paved roads, putting them at risk of death from traffic. Greg LeClair, biologist at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, sought a solution to the carnage. He founded Maine Big Night, a community science project that invites volunteers across Maine to help amphibians safely cross dark roads while collecting data to support long-term species survival.

Trail or rail? Brunswick to Augusta rail trail nears vote, but questions remain

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • May 4, 2025

State lawmakers could soon approve a rail trail almost two decades in the making, providing a potentially crucial economic and recreational link along the Kennebec, Cathance and Androscoggin rivers. Lawmakers on the joint transportation committee voted 11-2 on April 15 to recommend allowing construction of the 33.5-mile Merrymeeting Trail, sending the project to a potential vote in front of the full state Legislature, where the fate of the trail hangs in the balance. The trail would replace the existing state-owned Lower Road railroad tracks connecting Brunswick to Augusta. The line hasn’t been used consistently since the 1980s, but the corridor would be preserved for rail in the future, per state law.

Editorial: It’s about time lobster regulation was informed by lobster fishery

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 4, 2025

The state of Maine last week announced it has undertaken to conduct the first survey of commercial lobstermen in almost 20 years. Too infrequently are the primary sources of each of our state’s most valuable and vital industries — and none of greater cultural importance than lobster fishing — asked for their informed, experienced read. Fishermen were kept on the sidelines of the process of ropeless gear testing in 2023, which fueled already-pulsing distrust of a technology that was suspected to lead to inefficiency. The survey needs to be exhaustive…without asking too much. It’s a tall order, one that’s important Maine makes its very best effort to fulfill.

One of North America’s oldest apple trees found on Maine island

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 4, 2025

A rare, historically significant French apple tree recently discovered on a Verona Island farm is one of the oldest in North America. Called the Drap d’Or de Bretagna, the cultivar came from the Brittany region of France and was likely brought to Maine by Castine’s early French settlers in the late 1600s. The tree, believed to be a direct descendant of early plantings, was rediscovered by a group of local “apple explorers.”

Motorsports could be the next big draw to Aroostook County

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 4, 2025

If the trend of less snow in northern Maine continues, motorsports may be the next crucial tourism draw, event promoters told a Caribou crowd Thursday. More than 100 people gathered for the annual tourism summit hosted by Aroostook County Tourism. Snowmobiling, a longtime staple of Aroostook County’s winter economy, has taken a hit with diminished snowfall in the past two years. To maintain its economic stability, the area needs attractions to lure visitors north whether the snow is dependable or not.

States’ nuclear energy growth needs federal action to follow Trump’s vocal support

MAINE MORNING STAR • May 3, 2025

President Donald Trump and his team have signaled a strong interest in continuing to strengthen federal support for nuclear power. And more blue states have also started to embrace nuclear power, which has traditionally been more favored by Republicans, to reach climate goals and grow electricity capacity amid anticipated increases in demand. But even as interest in states grows, the cost of building nuclear infrastructure remains an impediment only the federal government is positioned to help scale.

Golden eagle: The king of birds

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 3, 2025

In the late 1960s, Maine was home to a few pairs of golden eagles, though their numbers had steadily declined since the 1950s due to the widespread use of pesticides like DDT. According to the late Peter Vickery, author of Birds of Maine, 10 to 12 pairs of golden eagles historically nested in Maine, mostly in the state’s western mountains. It would be a significant milestone for biologists to document the first nesting golden eagles in Maine in more than four decades. As a lifelong golden eagle enthusiast, I’m hopeful that the species will once again raise youngsters in our state. ~ Ron Joseph

Mainers join 'No Mow May' to aid pollinators, but concerns about ticks arise

WGME-TV13 • May 3, 2025

Some Mainers might be participating in “No Mow Way.” It can help pollinators like birds, bugs, butterflies and bees. But can it cause consequences with ticks in your yard? “Taking the month of May off from mowing our lawn, allowing some of the flowering plants to grow and bloom and provide that source of necessary food for those pollinators,” said University of Maine Tick Surveillance Program Coordinator Griffin Dill. He says it’s the edge of the yard where your lawn meets the forest that you’re most likely to see ticks. “Letting that grass grow for a month isn’t going to suddenly create a tick problem. If there are ticks around the home landscape, it’s because the habitat is there, the suitable habitat is there for those deer ticks,” Dill said.

Never forget, all roads are private in the North Maine Woods

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 3, 2025

With countless lakes, ponds and rivers, miles of hiking trails and scores of campsites, the North Maine Woods is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise with more than 100,000 people visiting the region every year. The 3.5 million acres also is a privately owned working forest and while its owners are happy to allow access to the land over thousands of miles of dirt roads, visitors need to know the rules of those roads for safety’s sake. And the most important rule of all to remember is logging trucks always have the right of way.

Column: It was my secret fishing spot. Then a land trust bought the property and ruined it.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 3, 2025

I’ll never forget the first time I laid eyes on what would become my favorite trout fishing spot for years. I fished that stretch of the stream each spring over the years, and I even found a few more hidden gem spots farther upstream. But things changed when a local land trust purchased the property. I’ve only fished there a handful of times in the last few years because the steep muddy banks where I would occasionally see one or two other boot tracks are scarred by wide, manicured hiking paths. A gravel parking area with signs and maps guide hundreds of people to those old fishing holes. Ironically the land trust that manages the property around the stream pledges: “To lead in conserving land, water and wildlife habitat.” Are parking lots, trails, signs and trash what true conservation looks like these days? ~ Chris Sargent

Trump administration seeks to expand offshore oil and gas drilling, including in Gulf of Maine

MAINE MONITOR • May 2, 2025

As part of the Trump’s administration’s effort to expand fossil fuel production in the United States, the Department of the Interior announced that it would accelerate the permitting process and seek new oil and gas lease sales in offshore waters, including in the Gulf of Maine. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the permitting changes — which speed up review under the National Environmental Policy and Endangered Species Acts, among others — would cut the review process down to several weeks. Environmental groups and Maine lawmakers decried the moves while oil and gas industry representatives celebrated them. A group of New England Senators, including Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, introduced legislation to ban offshore drilling in waters throughout New England.

Our public lands shouldn’t be sold to the highest bidders to fund tax cuts

PISCATAQUIS OBSERVER • May 2, 2025

How many of us have been transformed by our public lands and wild places? These are the moments that define and fulfill us, in treasured places like Acadia National Park, Katahdin and the Appalachian Trail, plus nearly 60 national historic and natural landmarks in Maine. And though Mainers have a special relationship with public lands, these places belong to Americans everywhere. Congressional leaders aligned with the White House are considering selling public lands to the highest bidder to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. If public lands are sold off, the rich and powerful could sell the rights to mine and drill in places where we once hiked and camped. If these places are sold, they’re gone for good. It’s time for our leaders in Washington to stand up for the “essential democracy” of our public lands — not for the Trump administration and their billionaire buddies. ~ Jeremy Sheaffer, The Wilderness Society Maine director

Here’s what Trump’s budget proposal cuts by agency

WASHINGTON POST • May 2, 2025

The Trump administration is proposing major cuts to federal government spending in its 2026 budget request, which was released Friday by the White House. The budget proposes to cut what’s known as non-defense discretionary spending by $163 billion — about 23%. The proposal calls for a nearly 55% cut to the budget of the EPA, a 30.5% cut to the Interior Department, an 18.3% cut to the Agriculture Department, and a 9.4% cut to the Energy Department. At the same time, Trump is seeking $1 trillion in defense spending, a 13 percent increase.

Maine adopts 'nature-based' shoreline erosion rules

MAINE PUBLIC • May 2, 2025

New rules adopted by Maine regulators will make it easier to get permits to stabilize shoreline erosion — as long as projects use biodegradable materials and native plants. The standards were drafted at the direction of the state Legislature and approved by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection. And they are paired with stricter standards for installing larger more intrusive erosion control measures.

Federal funding for Maine Sea Grant restored

MAINE PUBLIC • May 2, 2025

The University of Maine announced today that the federal government has restored $4.5 million in Sea Grant funding, which had been terminated in February. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in March that it would renegotiate the grant award after U.S. Sen. Susan Collins intervened on the school's behalf. The agency notified UMaine this week that it would restore the funds. The money will allow the program to continue for the three remaining years of the original four-year award. In 2023, the University estimates the Sea Grant helped generate more than $23 million. There are 34 Sea Grant programs across the country and Maine's was the only one terminated by the Trump administration.

In settlement, the USDA agrees to end Maine funding freeze challenged by state AG

MAINE PUBLIC • May 2, 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to halt efforts to freeze federal funds for child nutrition programs in Maine. In exchange the state will drop its lawsuit against the agency. The settlement agreement closes a lawsuit brought by Maine after the USDA yanked $3 million in federal funds. The move was unlawful and didn't follow a procedure required to halt funding. The funding freeze was one of several moves made by the Trump administration to punish Maine. Gov. Janet Mills took a few rhetorical swipes at President Trump and his administration, saying "we took him to court and we won."

Maine: Right to Hunt and Fish Receives Bipartisan "Ought to Pass" in Committee

NRA • May 1, 2025

On Wednesday, April 30th, the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife voted "Ought to Pass" on LD 820, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Establish the Right to Hunt and Fish. This legislation, presented by Rep. Elizabeth M. Caruso (R-Caratunk), would change Maine's constitution to ensure that the rights of hunters are not infringed. This bill now heads to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. If this bill receives a 2/3 vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, Maine voters would have the opportunity to vote on the Constitutional Amendment at the ballot box. 

State announces grants aimed at preparing Maine towns for climate change

MAINE PUBLIC • May 1, 2025

Over 150 communities throughout the state will receive a total of $8 million in resilience grants aimed at preparing Maine for storms, rising seas, wildfires, and extreme weather Governor Janet Mills announced today. The community resilience grants, now in their fourth year, have provided over $18 million in funding for projects throughout the state, including stormwater drainage, wildfire management planning, stabilizing shorelines, and upgrading public buildings.

Senators Introduce Bipartisan “America the Beautiful Act”

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • May 1, 2025

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and colleagues today announced the introduction of a bipartisan conservation bill, the “America the Beautiful Act.” The legislation builds on the 2020 landmark “Great American Outdoors Act.” “People travel from across the globe to experience the natural beauty of America’s public lands – from Maine to Montana and across the nation. However, deferred repairs on aging infrastructure like roads and trails can become unsafe and diminish the visitor experience for those enjoying our public lands and National Parks. The America the Beautiful Act will help protect our lands and the visitor experience,” King said. The “America the Beautiful Act” reauthorizes the Legacy Restoration Fund through 2033 and increases funding to $2 billion per year to address the maintenance backlog in national parks and public lands.

Maine softens limits on riprap in new shoreline restoration rules

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 1, 2025

State environmental regulators have approved new rules for shoreline restoration projects in Maine that streamline how they will be handled and encourage more use of natural solutions, after agencies were swamped with project applications following 2024’s devastating winter storms. But those regulators have also loosened the newly approved rules after engineers and construction firms spoke out against an earlier version of the proposal, which would have put stricter limits on the use of riprap, a material consisting of large rocks that’s often used in shoreline restoration.