Column: Protecting gardens from pests without harming beneficial insects requires great care

SUN JOURNAL • July 3, 2025

Here are some recommendations on what you should and shouldn’t do to keep your yards wildlife friendly for the upcoming growing season. Be aware that many of the “friendly” sounding products are still insecticides and will have secondary harms. Your goal is to kill something, and it is hard to only affect the targeted pest or species. Many insecticides are effective at killing a pest, but they do not discriminate and will often kill other insects that are actually beneficial to have around. Make sure you use them as directed and in moderation. With all the declines we are seeing across most bird populations, we need to be helping from the bottom up. Start by planting native plants in your yard (mainenativeplants.org). These will host native insects, which feed the next generation of birds. That’s the best thing you can do to help! ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Rumford Falls Hydro bad for river, conservation groups say

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 2, 2025

A coalition of conservation groups is challenging a Maine Department of Environmental Protection water quality certification for the Rumford Falls Hydroelectric project. Trout Unlimited and Friends of Richardson Lake were joined by American Whitewater, Maine Rivers, American Rivers and the Conservation Law Foundation to argue that the Rumford Falls Hydroelectric Project deprives a key section of the Androscoggin River of essential water flow, degrading aquatic habitat and diminishing ecological and recreational values. The group claims the Maine Department of Environmental Protection should not have certified Rumford Falls Hydroelectric’s compliance with water standards in August 2024, which enables the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to award Rumford Falls Hydroelectric its license to operate.

New proposal would increase protections for sharks and rays under CITES

SEAFOOD SOURCE • July 2, 2025

Proposals to increase protections for multiple shark and ray species were recently published by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ahead of the organization’s 20th meeting in November – CoP20. The proposals include added protections for whale sharks, oceanic whitetips, wedgefish, and manta rays. Under the new proposals, whale sharks, whitetips, and manta and devil rays would be listed under CITES Appendix I – the highest level of protection for wild species. ~ Chris Chase, Portland, Maine-based executive editor of SeafoodSource

Conservationists press for Androscoggin River upgrade: ‘This is not optional’

TIMES RECORD • July 2, 2025

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay is calling on state regulators to upgrade the water quality classification the Androscoggin River from Gulf Island north of Lewiston to Lisbon’s Worumbo Mill, arguing the river’s quality has long exceeded minimum standards and now merits a higher classification under state and federal law. In a 19-page comment submitted ahead of a June 30 deadline, the nonprofit backed a proposal from Grow L+A, a Lewiston-Auburn-based revitalization group, to reclassify the river between Gulf Island Pond and Worumbo Dam from Class C to Class B — and sharply criticized the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for declining to recommend the change. The group’s argument hinges on a key provision of state law: “When the actual quality of any classified water exceeds the minimum standards of the next highest classification, that higher water quality must be maintained and protected.”

Midcoast Conservancy preserves 327 acres as forever-wild in Montville and Freedom

PENOBSCOT BAY PILOT • July 2, 2025

Midcoast Conservancy, a regional land trust, has protected 327 acres of ecologically vital forestland and wetlands in the northern headwaters of the Sheepscot River in Freedom and Montville. The acreage includes a crucial river system for many species, including the endangered Atlantic salmon, which can only be found in eight U.S. rivers. The addition of the parcels expands Midcoast Conservancy’s Northern Headwaters Preserve to over 1,750 contiguous acres — an area of great significance in the Sheepscot watershed, surrounded by protected lands on its northern and eastern boundaries.

Body of missing 15-year-old swimmer recovered from Hallowell quarry

CBS 13 • July 2, 2025

The Maine Warden Service says the body of a 15-year-old boy was recovered from an old quarry in Hallowell Wednesday afternoon. Officials said the teenager was swimming with three 16-year-old friends at the time of the incident.

Trump's policy bill would eliminate home efficiency incentives

MAINE PUBLIC • July 2, 2025

Incentives to help homeowners improve efficiency and save on their power bills would be eliminated under a major policy bill championed by President Trump. Under the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit would phase out at the end of the year. That program provides incentives to weatherize homes, install heat pumps or replace hot water heaters and boilers with more efficient models.

Hiker airlifted off the Appalachian Trail in western Maine after injuring leg

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 2, 2025

Rescuers airlifted a hiker with an injured leg from the Appalachian Trail in western Maine on Monday. Franklin Search and Rescue took to the trail near East Madrid Monday evening to help wardens from the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and firefighters from Phillips, Kingfield and Rangeley to evacuate the hiker.

Friends of Casco Bay to host annual meeting in Freeport, July 9

TIMES RECORD • July 2, 2025

Friends of Casco Bay will host an evening of community, creativity and conversation at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport. “Past, Present, and Future of Casco Bay,” the organization’s 2025 Members Annual Meeting, invites the public to a conversation about what it takes to protect Casco Bay across generations. The feature presentation of the evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m., will be a special panel discussion featuring three generations of saltwater stewards: Casco Baykeeper Emeritus Joe Payne, current Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca, aquaculture apprentice Michael Scannell and youth activist Natalia Mbadu.

Brunswick to present environmental lectures at Curtis Memorial Library

TIMES RECORD • July 2, 2025

The Town of Brunswick will present two environmental lectures at the Curtis Memorial Library in July. The Pesticide Ordinance Kickoff Presentation is from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, in the library’s Morrell Meeting Room. Join Brunswick’s environmental planner, Ashley Charleson, to learn about the town’s plan to develop a community pesticide and fertilizer ordinance. The second lecture is July’s Sustainable Brunswick – Pollinator Gardens from 4:30-6 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, in the Morrell Meeting Room. Discover how your backyard can become a sanctuary for pollinators and a vital part of local ecosystem health. Both lectures will be recorded and available about one week following the presentations.

In praise of Maine’s dead zones

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 2, 2025

We’re camping on a remote island in Upper Pierce Pond, Somerset County, trying to dodge wet summer weather and catch a few of the pond’s famed landlocked salmon. To the east, waves build and whitecaps unfurl in white streaks. From the west, a loon calls out, and the call is lost on the wind. There are few distractions, few unnatural sounds, save for the occasional outboard fixed to a square-stern canoe — guides and anglers from Cobb’s Camps, puttering around, trolling deep for trout or salmon. There’s no cell service here, no Wi-Fi network to join. Pierce Pond — like many of Maine’s remote waterways — exists in a dead zone where cellphones are useful only as cameras and clocks. After a day or so, time slows. My blood pressure drops and I am not thinking of the next thing I need to do.

Why I didn’t shoot the coyote behind my house

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 2, 2025

I was OK with the bobcat behind my house, and loved having a fox around. However, that coyote was an unwelcome sight. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s furbearer management plan describes how tolerant we are of coyotes. Hint: We are not. While I don’t want coyotes around, maybe it’s OK to have coyotes nearby if the result is a reduction in deer densities. Maybe predation could help reduce the population a bit. Hunters harvest thousands of does each year, but it’s not enough. I can’t guarantee that I won’t shoot a coyote if I see one while I’m out in the woods, but for right now, the one behind my house is safe.

Bigelow Laboratory in East Boothbay to host open house for all ages, July 11

TIMES RECORD • July 1, 2025

After a break in 2024, Bigelow Laboratory’s annual Open House is back from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 11. Visitors of all ages are invited to visit the institute’s East Boothbay campus at 60 Bigelow Drive to meet researchers and engage in a day of fun science activities. The staff looks forward to visitors explore the brand-new Harold Alfond Center for Ocean Education and Innovation, which opened this spring and represents a 40% increase in Bigelow Laboratory’s footprint.

Column: Every hiker you encounter on Katahdin has a story to tell

SUN JOURNAL • July 1, 2025

I remember sitting on Joe Lelansky’s porch and listening to all his stories: about perilous hikes along the mountain’s deadly Knife Edge; about encounters with moose or bear up on the mountain; about eating bean hole beans or beef stew at Chimney Pond en route to the high peaks. I enjoyed talking to Joe immensely at the time and we became fast friends. But I also had no real appreciation, back then, for what he was telling me. Why so much joy over a single mountain? Why so much passion for this dense patch of wilderness that practically bordered on romantic love? I get it now, and I kick myself for not having a taste of that mountain before Joe died so that we could talk deeper into the night about that wild and wonderful place. Every single person you encounter there has some kind of story to tell, and those stories are always worth listening to.

Maine CDC urges residents and visitors to prepare for active mosquito season

WABI-TV5 • July 1, 2025

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is urging residents and visitors to prepare for an active mosquito season due to the warm and rainy weather. The Maine CDC says infected mosquitoes in Maine can spread three viruses: Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, and West Nile virus. Symptoms from mosquito-borne diseases can range from mild to severe while many people may show no symptoms. The Maine CDC says that if some severe infections go untreated they can lead to death or long term-health problems.

Gov. Mills says GOP bill will hurt Maine residents

MAINE PUBLIC • July 1, 2025

Gov. Janet Mills said the reconciliation bill will dramatically shift costs from the federal government to Maine, and those are expenses the state cannot absorb. President Trump campaigned on lowering the cost of living, Mills said, but this bill finances tax cuts for the wealthy without bringing down costs for everyday goods. She said the bill will drive up energy costs, hurt rural hospitals and slash food assistance. The bill will hurt residents across Maine, Mills said, especially those in rural areas.

Trump's policy bill would eliminate home efficiency incentives

MAINE PUBLIC • July 1, 2025

Incentives to help homeowners improve efficiency and save on their power bills would be eliminated under a major policy bill championed by President Trump. Under the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit would phase out at the end of the year. That program provides incentives to weatherize homes, install heat pumps or replace hot water heaters and boilers with more efficient models. "These are things that really end up saving a lot of money in the long term for families. Those credits ending at the end of the year are going to have significant impact," said Anya Fetcher, a federal policy advocate at the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

Maine joins 14 other states in challenging Trump’s energy emergency

MAINE MORNING STAR • July 1, 2025

President Donald Trump’s energy emergency declaration, enacted through a Jan. 20 executive order, has drawn frequent criticism from environmentalists who argue the order serves as a front to expand the use of fossil fuels over clean energy resources. Now 15 states, including Maine, are suing the Trump administration, arguing the emergency order could bring them serious harm.

Opinion: Legislative roadblocks are driving up Maine’s energy costs

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 1, 2025

Maine is facing a growing energy affordability crisis, and one of the root causes is policy. Time and again, decisions from the Maine Legislature made energy more expensive. For example, Maine first began trying to import clean hydropower from Canada in the 1980s. The New England Clean Energy Connect Project is close to coming online to deliver 1,200 megawatts of Canadian hydropower to the New England grid in Maine. Yet this, and projects like it, have been met by fierce resistance, fueled by misinformation and political rhetoric. Then there’s Maine’s net energy billing program, which enables residents and businesses to offset electricity costs with solar generation. This program has been subject to constant legislative changes. Finally, there’s the mother of all legislative blunders — the decision to deregulate Maine’s electricity markets. Maine’s energy future depends on cooperation — not conflict. ~ Scott Strom, Waterville, former state representative

Here’s another reason to hate ticks

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 1, 2025

For a female tick, fall is the last best chance to be in prime egg-laying condition for next spring. To successfully reproduce, the female tick needs a male tick to fertilize her eggs, a full meal of blood and a spot under the leaf litter to spend the winter in a dormant state. The result of this dormant state can be quite startling, because the female tick can survive the entire winter without a host. There are examples of people placing ticks in jars for weeks, or even months, only to see the insect suddenly start to lay eggs after all that time.