Column: Passenger trains are Maine’s missing link

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 23, 2025

Another summer with more big traffic jams on the way to Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The breathtaking air and scenery of MDI seems worth it. MaineDOT is clearly out of ideas, but there’s another one we haven’t properly considered: passenger trains with full-size buses. In the 19th century, visitors reached Maine’s coast by train or boat. Then came the great automobile romance and demise of passenger trains. If trains stopped in Bangor, it’s a 40-minute bus ride to Bar Harbor. Yet MaineDOT and the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority that runs the Downeaster insist new riders would be minimal and necessary investments would be pointless. Worldwide, train travel is booming. A new study determined 260,000 passengers would ride trains to Bangor yearly. ~ Douglas Rooks

327 Acres permanently protected as forever-wild in Montville and Freedom

MIDCOAST CONSERVANCY • July 22, 2025

327 acres of ecologically vital forestland and wetlands in the northern headwaters of the Sheepscot River have been permanently protected. This is 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 these parcels expands Midcoast Conservancy’s Northern Headwaters Preserve to over 1,750 contiguous acres. This conservation success is the result of powerful partnerships with Northeast Wilderness Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and generous support from Maine Community Foundation and The Butler Foundation. The two newly protected parcels, located in Montville and Freedom, contain significant headwater streams, wetlands, and mature forests that provide critical habitat for wildlife and contribute directly to the health and resilience of the Sheepscot River. These lands are especially important for the recovery of the endangered Atlantic salmon.

Maine’s endangered piping plover population sets record high

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 22, 2025

The population of endangered piping plovers in Maine has reached a record high this summer. Laura Minich Zitske, director of Maine Audubon’s piping plover and least tern project, said the 174 pairs of nesting birds documented this year reflects the state’s sustained effort to protect the species. “It takes a village to raise these guys,” she said. Multiple organizations have been involved in the protection of plover habitats since they were listed as an endangered species in 1986, including the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, countless municipalities, private landowners, and volunteers.

Opinion: Maine has a vested interest in Earth and space science research

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 22, 2025

In my 75 years, I’ve witnessed serious loss of beach and estuary extent in Maine owing to rising sea level. Meanwhile, “100-year” storms seem to occur every few years, destroying our electric transmission infrastructure and roads. Utilities apply to the Public Utilities Commission for recovery funds in the form of rate increases for electric transmission, which have tripled in recent years. Localities find themselves in need of more tax revenue to repair and maintain public works in the face of such storms. Insurance companies make coverage for coastal properties unaffordable. Maine may be a largely rural state with a sparse population, but it is nevertheless profoundly affected by Earth and space phenomena. We can ask our congressional representatives to resist arbitrary and ill-considered budget cuts that interfere with essential research work being conducted by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, among others. ~ Thom Moore, retired NASA scientist

Opinion: Maine needs to brace for natural disaster

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2025

Between 2022 and 2024, Maine experienced an extraordinary nine natural disasters, each severe enough to merit presidential disaster or emergency declarations. Today, recovery is still underway. As the town manager in Jay and economic development director in Stonington, we know too well the toll extreme weather takes on our communities and the challenges of investing both time and money in resilience. But we also know that the cost of inaction is far higher. We invite community leaders from the more than 260 communities already enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership to join us at for a webinar at noon on July 23 to learn more about the Plan for Infrastructure Resilience and how they can take action. ~ Linda Nelson and Shiloh Lafreniere, Rebuilding and Resilience Commission

On OpSail 2000’s 25th anniversary, see sails fill Casco Bay

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2025

For three days in late July 2000, thousands of locals and tourists were drawn to Portland’s waterfront. With eyes fixed on Casco Bay, they were there to see the tall ships of OpSail 2000. Some ships, like the Coast Guard training vessel Eagle, moored and allowed visitors. Others had to be viewed from a distance during the awe-inspiring parade. About 23 ships sailed into Casco Bay. More than a dozen countries were represented, including Italy, Denmark, Chile, Argentina and Ukraine. Here are five photos that capture the glory of OpSail 2000.

11 Maine waterfalls to explore, from Portland to Baxter State Park

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2025

Why wouldn’t you go chasing waterfalls? It’s been more than 30 years since the pop band TLC musically warned us all to avoid that activity in their 1994 hit, “Waterfalls.” But frankly, in all the years since then, that advice has proven faulty. At least here in Maine, where it’s easy to chase down the natural wonder of waterfalls from Portland to the more northern parts of the state. Here then is a list of some of the waterfalls in Maine, with a few details on each and links to more info.

Opinion: Maine’s lobstermen must keep on v-notching

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2025

For generations, lobstermen have led conservation in the Gulf of Maine, and we must remain committed to maintaining our proud legacy of environmental stewardship. Our organizations, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, are working together to promote one of the most effective, uniquely Maine, conservation practices: v-notching. The v-notch identifies a female lobster bearing eggs. She is then returned to the ocean so she can continue to reproduce after her eggs have hatched. V-notching is an investment in our fishery’s future. Fishermen advocate for a greater voice in management decisions. Maintaining credibility in the regulatory process depends on lobstermen continuing to live up to our reputation as world-class stewards of the lobster resource. ~ Jarod Bray, chairman, Maine Lobsterman’s Association; Dustin Delano, COO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association

Opinion: To protect Maine’s logging industry, Legislature needs to finish the job

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 21, 2025

The Legislature appropriated $2 million in the baseline budget to help combat the spread of spruce budworm, which will certainly help Maine’s forest economy. The Legislature also unanimously supported LD 1313 to establish a permanent sales tax exemption for log trucks and trailers used primarily within the state by commercial wood harvesting companies. What good are spruce trees in northern Maine if no one is around to harvest and truck them to a mill? Logging contractors in Maine are struggling to remain afloat in a rising tide of cost increases as their profit margins shrink. If we are not careful, we could eventually end up losing the majority of one of Maine’s heritage industries. Letting loggers keep a little more of what they earn is one way we can help avoid that. We strongly encourage legislative leadership to help finish the job by funding LD 1313 when it returns in January. ~ Dana Doran, Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

How a federal monument’s new welcome center in Maine honors Native Americans

ASSOCIATED PRESS • July 20, 2025

The founder of Burt’s Bees envisioned a tribute to Henry David Thoreau when she began buying thousands of acres of logging company land to donate for what would become the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. But there was a major pivot: The monument’s new welcome center tells its story not from the perspective of the famed naturalist but through the eyes of the Wabanaki tribes who were the land’s original inhabitants. Roxanne Quimby’s family collaborated with four tribal nations, private entities and federal officials to create the $35 million center that the National Park Service opened to the public on June 21, providing a focal point for the 87,500-acre monument.

Humans, not beavers, to blame for dam at Tripp Pond in Poland

SUN JOURNAL • July 20, 2025

There is now evidence that a multiyear effort to raise the water level on Tripp Pond is the work of humans, not beavers as some had argued. Surveillance photos taken July 3 and again July 9 show two men in an aluminum boat appearing to work on an artificial dam at the Winterbrook outlet. The photos are the clearest evidence yet that people are manipulating the water flow in Tripp Pond, a subject that has deeply divided the lake’s community.

State board denies appeal over Rumford Falls Hydro certification

SUN JOURNAL • July 18, 2025

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection on Thursday denied a request from a group of conservation organizations for a formal appeal hearing over a state-issued water quality certification for the Rumford Falls Hydro Project. The group was also found not to have standing to challenge the certification, which effectively ended their efforts for a more thorough environmental review of the dam’s operations.

Maine Calling: Allagash Wilderness Waterway

MAINE PUBLIC • July 18, 2025

Covering more than a million acres, Maine's Allagash Wilderness Waterway is the largest undeveloped watershed east of the Rockies. It's home to precious wildlife and is popular for outdoor recreation. A new guidebook presents the ecology and history of the waterway, and what changes are in store for this ecosystem in the face of climate change and other threats. Panelists: Janet McMahon, ecologist; author of A River in Space and Time; Daniel Dinsmore, Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation; Paul Johnson, fishery biologist with 35 years on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. VIP Callers: Don Hudson, Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation; Alexandra Conover Bennett, author, professional canoe and snowshoe guide specializing in traditional wilderness travel; Mark Deroche, superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway; Master Maine Guide.

Column: We benefit by bringing health care outdoors

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 18, 2025

I love being a physical therapist. But during the summer of 2020, I hit a wall. I was burned out — emotionally exhausted from treating patients recovering from COVID-19 and coping with the daily stress and uncertainty of the pandemic. My baseline anxiety didn’t help matters. So, I turned to nature. Nature-based therapy isn’t just good for patients, it’s good for clinicians, too. I feel lucky to do what I love while enjoying Maine’s beautiful natural settings. I hope more health professionals will recognize nature as a powerful tool for healing, and that it will become a more accepted part of clinical practice. As we incorporate nature into clinical practice and advocate for it as public health infrastructure, we must also prioritize equitable access and safe experiences for all. ~ Katie Palano, PT, DPT, MPH, NCS

Opinion: Terrified by the reverberations of Trump’s big bill in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 18, 2025

Watching the One Big Beautiful Bill Act pass 218-214, I felt a unique sense of dread from a dream being crushed. The bill eliminates the American dream for so many and will lead to deaths and an increasingly suffocating national debt. We should be securing federal dollars for communities like Millinocket, Madison and Saco, where investments in timber innovation will bring back thousands of jobs and strengthen one of our state’s key heritage industries, not frittering away government revenue on tax cuts that will force interest rates to rise and stagnate economic growth. Trump’s big bill is not just a policy failure, it is a moral one. It mortgages our future to further enrich those already obscenely wealthy, and tears at the fabric of what has made America exceptional. ~ Tommy Leggat-Barr, North Yarmouth, student at Brown University working this summer on Capitol Hill

Opinion: To protect ourselves, we must protect the natural world

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 18, 2025

On a recent family trip to hike Acadia National Park’s trails with my 6- and 11-year-old, I was reminded again how fortunate we are to enjoy places like Acadia and Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. But next year’s federal budget proposes to cut U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funding by 22%. This is devastating to Americans who value preserved lands and who enjoy them to fish, hunt, roam, spend time on water and enjoy nature’s beauty. The federal budget reconciliation bill just passed by Congress slashes resources. Soon, there may be no one to maintain walking trails, work at visitor centers, clean beaches and protect bird nesting sites. What are we doing? We are at risk of losing access to these cherished environments at a time when we need it most. Let’s all make our voices heard. ~ Sarvi Maisak teaches at Southern Maine Community College

Harpswell issues warning after white sharks spotted near Bailey Island

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 17, 2025

Shark notification flags are being flown at Cedar Beach in Harpswell after two documented great white shark sightings near Bailey Island. Harpswell Marine Resources and Harbor Management said in a social media post Wednesday that the flags were being displayed “out of an abundance of caution” after two sharks were seen within 48 hours east of Bailey Island. Beachgoers are still able to access the water, but anyone who sees a shark is asked to try to take a photo and call the Cumberland County Regional Communications Center at 207-893-2810. Reporting sightings helps beach managers in Casco Bay take appropriate action.

New Gloucester man helps rehabilitate hundreds of animals

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 17, 2025

Joshua Sparks, owner of Sparks’ Ark Animal Services in New Gloucester, has been taking care of animals for 30 years, being licensed at just 15. According to the Sparks’ Ark website, Sparks took over a major portion of the business from his father in 2013. In turn, Sparks’ father, David, is said to have been inspired by his youth in Maine, where he trapped and released animals along the shore of Sebago Lake, and befriending Helen Perley, a well-known animal lover from Old Orchard Beach. The business largely functions as an animal control service, removing and relocating wild animals from people’s homes, while also taking in and caring for non-native species that people have abandoned or are keeping illegally. Currently, the Sparks property houses more than 300 animals, ranging from domestic livestock, such as chickens and goats, to exotic creatures like sugar gliders and boa constrictors.

Two paddlers rescued from Allagash Falls by helicopter

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 16, 2025

Two paddlers were rescued Wednesday afternoon at Allagash Falls. A Maine Forest Rangers flight crew assisted the Maine Warden Service and Allagash Wilderness Waterway Rangers in the rescue. “The pair had become stranded in the rapids above Allagash Falls and were extracted via short-haul,” Maine Forest Rangers stated.

Fact brief: Did the Maine Legislature ban small plastic shampoo bottles in hotels?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 17, 2025

No. The Maine Legislature recently considered a bill to ban small plastic bottles of toiletries such as shampoo in lodging establishments, but the bill ultimately died between the House and Senate. The bill, LD 1928, was intended to reduce plastic waste in tourism-heavy Maine. It would have taken effect in 2030 for businesses with at least 50 units and in 2032 for those with fewer than 50. But lawmakers disagreed on how the law should be enforced and whether it should apply to establishments with fewer than 12 standalone cabins, cottages or apartments.