Maine’s lobster industry broke records. Inflation tells a different story.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 21, 2025

The value of Maine’s lobster fishery and the money lobstermen earn on the docks have hit new highs in the last five years. But the state Department of Marine Resources is highlighting a blind spot in that understanding of the lobstering economy. Adjusting dollar values and earnings to account for inflation dramatically shifts the outlook for the industry. And it challenges perceptions from the general public that lobstermen are financially thriving. Lobstermen have said rising costs of bait, fuel, gear and labor are leading to fewer trips on the water — and pose a threat to one of the state’s biggest economic engines.

Column: Go see the alewives as they migrate up Maine rivers — and hurry

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 21, 2025

Mother Nature has surprised me lately, exceeding my expectations with her natural phenomena: First, there was last year’s total eclipse, then the Northern Lights and now, the alewives, which, if you hurry, you can still see making their way up Maine’s rivers and streams. Dams, pollution and other impediments in Maine’s rivers led to the species’ disappearance from some bodies of water for as many as hundreds of years. Recent recovery efforts — such as removing dams, installing fish passageways and stocking lakes — have worked so well, however, that they can now be fished in greater numbers. Make a point to get to your nearest alewife viewing site or make a plan to do it next spring. The perseverance of this fish, in the face of both physical and ecological hurdles, is something to behold. ~ Leslie Bridgers

Coastal communities celebrate National Bike Month

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 21, 2025

With the weather in Maine getting warmer and the sun starting to shine more often, May is the perfect month to start getting outside. May also happens to be National Bike Month, established in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists. This year, Biddeford and Saco each declared May to be celebrated as National Bike Month in the twin cities, encouraging residents to use the month as an opportunity to get on their bicycles. Bike month is a “powerful opportunity” to highlight the role of walking and bicycling in building vibrant, healthy and connected communities, Bicycle Coalition of Maine Executive Director Andrew Zarro said.

Opinion: Maine needs a climate superfund

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 21, 2025

We must urge our state lawmakers to pass the Maine Climate Superfund Act. This measure will hold polluters accountable and ensure that Mainers are not left responsible for fixing a crisis they did not cause. Maine’s youth are leading the charge because we refuse to accept the status quo — one where we and our neighbors bear the environmental and financial burdens of a crisis created by fossil fuel corporations. Now is the time for bold, fair and necessary action. We cannot accept complicity. Our future depends on it. ~ Jackson Chadwick, Maine Youth for Climate Justice

Browntail moth caterpillars are out in force in Brewer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 20, 2025

According to a recent update from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, browntail moth caterpillars are thriving in Brewer. The report states that, of the surveyed and monitored areas across the state, the invasive browntail moth caterpillars sampled in Brewer are developing faster than caterpillars at other monitoring sites. According to the state agency, the caterpillars sampled from the Brewer sites are roughly 20 percent larger than the caterpillars at other sites. The accelerated development means that the Brewer area is likely to see mature browntail moths earlier than other locations around the state.

Westbrook to host ‘Paddle the Presumpscot’ canoeing trips this summer

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 20, 2025

Just imagine paddling on a pristine section of the Presumpscot River that historians say the long-ago Wabanaki Chief Polin loved. Discover Downtown Westbrook is recreating the thrill with a fun-filled and educational series of canoeing events available beginning in June. The program is titled “Dusk to Dark: A Paddle on the Presumpscot.” The series is a community tourism venture to promote Westbrook.

Maine Calling: Maine's Land Trusts

MAINE PUBLIC • May 20, 2025

Maine's 80-plus land trusts serve multi-faceted roles, from creating nature trails to hosting workshops to growing food. These charitable organizations work with property owners to ensure that land is managed for the public good. We learn about the range of programs and goals of Maine's diverse land trusts. Panelists: Angela Twitchell, Maine Land Trust Network; Jordan Kelley, Great Works Regional Land Trust; Stacy Brenner, Maine Farmland Trust. VIP Callers: Colin Brown, Downeast Coastal Conservancy; Steve Walker, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust; Matt Markot, Loon Echo Land Trust.

America's Top Hunting Destinations

24/7 WALL STREET • May 19, 2025

As of 2023, the latest year of available data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, only about 15.6 million Americans were licensed hunters. Every state has a unique ecology and regulatory environment. Any number of factors related to hunting — ranging from bag limits and available hunt-able public land to diversity and abundance of game — also vary across the 50 states. Ranked on the number of hunting licenses, tags, permits, and stamps issued to out-of-state visitors in 2023, Maine is listed at #36.

Maine resilience projects face yet another funding setback

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 19, 2025

Just a month after the Trump administration canceled a popular grant program and millions of dollars for local Maine climate resilience projects along with it, Maine municipal officials are facing yet another potential federal funding setback. This time the administration is downsizing the Hazard Mitigation and Grant Program, a multibillion-dollar program that states have long used to protect vulnerable homes and infrastructure from floods and other disasters,

Officials say Bucksport fish farm is still moving forward

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 19, 2025

Seven years after it was proposed and amid growing doubts about its future, the backers of a land-based fish farm in Bucksport say they are still discussing a project there. Whole Oceans, which initially planned to produce 20 metric tons of Atlantic salmon annually on the site of the town’s former paper mill, let its local building permits expire last year. Since then, there has been skepticism about whether a facility will still be built and if the company will stay in town. Local officials recently said they were preparing for the possibility of the company selling its property or scaling down the proposal significantly. But Whole Oceans says it is not departing Bucksport and it still plans to build in town.

Maine man dies after falling from fishing boat

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 19, 2025

Chadd Brewin, 33, had been fishing on Cobbosseecontee Stream in West Gardiner with his father-in-law, 67-year-old Claude Latouche on Monday when Brewin fell over the side of the boat. His father-in-law held onto Brewin while steering the boat back to shore. When Latouche got close to the shoreline, the boat capsized and he also fell into the water. Latouche was able to get both himself and Brewin to shore, before calling 911. Brewin was still alive when emergency medical services arrived and provided medical aid. Brewin was transported to Maine General, where he later died.

Former longtime Bangor city forester dies at 89

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 19, 2025

Rolland F. Perry, for whom Bangor City Forest is named, died Thursday at the age of 89. Perry was the city’s forester for 42 years and was responsible for planting many of the trees lining Bangor’s streets today. By the time he retired in 2006 when he was 70, he had planted 812,809 of them. His goal was 1 million. But Perry’s legacy has far outlived his career. Perry established tree nurseries to replace thousands of trees along residential streets. “Rolland has bestowed the city of Bangor with shady, mature tree-lined streets, as well as left his legacy behind in many of the city’s parks, cemeteries and municipal properties in the form of planted and pruned trees,” said Ben Arruda, the city’s current urban forestry manager.

Peru takes custody of dozens of farm animals lacking proper care

SUN JOURNAL • May 19, 2025

The town has taken custody of cattle, goats, pigs, chickens and rabbits from 50 Stagecoach Road after an investigation showed they did not have “adequate shelter, food or water,” according to a court order requested by Animal Control Officer Eric Giroux. Justice Philip Mohlar granted the order May 5 in Rumford District Court, the day it was filed. The order names the defendants as Denise and Steven Letarte of Rumford.

Endangered whales gave birth to few babies this year as population declines

ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 19, 2025

A vanishing species of whale gave birth to few babies this birthing season, raising alarms among scientists and conservationists who fear the animal could go extinct. The whale is the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers only about 370 and has declined in population in recent years. The whales give birth to calves off the southeastern United States from mid-November to mid-April, and federal authorities have said they need to have at least 50 calves per season to start recovering. The calving season produced only 11 mother-calf pairs.

Lawmaker seeks to refine ‘overly broad’ PFAS definition to allow for some pesticide use

MAINE MORNING STAR • May 19, 2025

Rep. Amy Arata, a Republican from New Gloucester, got approval from legislative leaders to introduce a late-session bill (LD 1982) to change how PFAS substances are defined in state law. She believes the current definition is overly broad and could include chemicals that don’t pose the same long-term health problems as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer and weakened immune systems. Arata’s proposal is for Maine to adopt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s narrower definition for PFAS. Arata is largely concerned with farmers being unable to use certain pesticides. The Department of Environmental Protection opposes the bill because the state already has a process to seek exemptions to use products with PFAS that would otherwise be prohibited under the state ban.

Maine marine scientist elected to America’s oldest honorary society

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 19, 2025

A University of Maine marine scientist has earned a place among the likes of George Washington, Albert Einstein, Duke Ellington and Madeleine Albright as members of the nation’s oldest honorary society. Bob Steneck is one of nearly 250 members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences this year. His four decades of research at UMaine have impacted how lobster fisheries research is conducted — and, in working closely with fishermen, focused on research to support the industry and its harvesters.

Maine Calling: New Life for Old Towns: Focus on the Outdoors

MAINE PUBLIC • May 19, 2025

Maine is widely known for outdoor recreation and eco-tourism. Some towns are making the most of that reputation by drawing visitors and supporting businesses centered on the great outdoors. We’ll learn how community leaders, businesses and venues in places like Rockland, Biddeford, and Westbrook are re-energizing their local economies. Panelists: Anne Ball, Maine Downtown Center; Carolann Ouellette, Maine Office of Tourism. VIP Callers: Kristina Cannon, Main Street Skowhegan; Amy Grommes Pulaski, Discover Downtown Westbrook; Captain Tyler Waterson, A Morning in Maine, Rockland; Delilah Poupore, Heart of Biddeford.

A fisherman is missing off the Down East coast

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 19, 2025

A clam fisherman is missing off the coast of Milbridge. Alton Wallace, 51 of Milbridge was reported missing about 4 p.m. Sunday when he failed to return home after a day on the water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Searchers found his 14-foot skiff near Pinkham Island.

Letter: Nature should be for all, not a few fishermen

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 19, 2025

The May 3 column by Chris Sargent, “It was my secret fishing spot. Then a land trust bought the property and ruined it.” implies: Beware fishermen, the land trusts are after you and they must be stopped! The use of the word “my” in the headline denotes some inherent exclusive right of possession. Does he own the property? Does he have some Indigenous right to it as his and his only? I think not. This “me, my, mine” culture grows daily. A safeguarded area of land, without secret caches and misplaced rights of ownership, is a good thing. ~ Cheryl Harry, Orono

The battle behind the Maine salmon sold at grocery stores

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 19, 2025

Maine has a controversial and outsized role when it comes to Atlantic salmon. It’s the only remaining state where what’s known as the King of Fish can be farmed in ocean net pens. But it’s also the only state where endangered wild Atlantic salmon survive, in a handful of rivers. To salmon conservationists, those two are at odds, pointing to concerns that the pens could be contaminating surrounding waters and putting wild salmon at risk. Wild-caught Atlantic salmon hasn’t been sold commercially since the fishery was closed in 1948, but Maine companies have been raising them since the 1970s. Proposals for multiple land-based fish farms in Maine have failed to take shape in recent years. The biggest threats to wild salmon conservation efforts are dams and culverts blocking the fish from good upstream habitat, along with international fishing and changing water conditions.