People often make wrong climate choices, a study says. One surprise is owning a dog

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 13, 2025

A study recently published by the National Academy of Sciences found that when asked to rank actions, such as swapping a car that uses gasoline for an electric one, carpooling or reducing food waste, participants weren’t very accurate when assessing how much those actions contributed to climate change. “People over-assign impact to actually pretty low-impact actions such as recycling, and underestimate the actual carbon impact of behaviors much more carbon intensive, like flying or eating meat,” said Madalina Vlasceanu, report co-author. The top three individual actions that help the climate, including avoiding plane flights, choosing not to get a dog and using renewable electricity, were also the three that participants underestimated the most. Dogs have a big climate impact. Dogs are big meat eaters, and meat is a significant contributor to climate change.

Portland chefs put the farmers market on the menu

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 13, 2025

Chefs at the farmers’ market are like kids in a candy store. “This time of year at the market, it’s so exciting, because every week it changes,” Chef Neil Zabriskie of Regards said. “You can’t beat the vegetables we have at the market right now. They’re just insane. It blows me away. I’ve cooked all over this country, and Maine’s produce and farmers — the work they’re doing to bring this to the public every week — it just gets better all the time.”

Letter: Amid budget cuts, we must protect Maine’s refuges and coastlines

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 13, 2025

Maine’s national parks, public lands and coastal programs are under threat. Acadia National Park, a cornerstone of Maine’s identity and economy, has lost essential year-round staff and canceled dozens of seasonal jobs due to federal cuts. That’s not just bad for the land — it’s bad for the communities and businesses that rely on it. Our National Wildlife Refuges — like Maine Coastal Islands and Moosehorn — have seen staffing and habitat restoration efforts slashed. Vital programs to protect puffins, marshlands and forest ecosystems are disappearing. A $9 million habitat restoration project was abruptly canceled. These cuts don’t just endanger wildlife and ecosystems — they put Maine people and livelihoods at risk. Public lands are our heritage, our economy and our responsibility to future generations. I urge our elected officials to fight for full funding of Acadia, protect Maine’s refuges and coastlines and reject the sale or privatization of any public lands. ~ Elizabeth Nitzel, Farmingdale

How to get the most out of hiking Maine’s Monhegan Island

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 13, 2025

Located 10 miles off the coast, Monhegan is a place that’s so picturesque it’s hard to believe it’s real. The island is as magical as Neverland, yet I can assure you that you don’t need fairy dust to reach it. Just a boat. Ferries serve the island daily, launching from Port Clyde, New Harbor and Boothbay Harbor. The crossing takes 70-90 minutes. The island itself is less than 2 miles long and about half a mile wide. The last population count, in 2020, recorded 64 residents. Yet this small community is well-prepared for visitors, offering everything from fine art to Monhegan-themed apparel. Many people visit Monhegan to hike and enjoy nature. In fact, the majority of the island is wilderness, explorable by a network of well-kept trails. Nearly 400 acres are owned by Monhegan Associated Inc., which is one of the first land trusts.

Letter: Without changes to lobstering, right whales face extinction

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 13, 2025

Rep. Jared Golden’s recent column claims that only one right whale death has been traced to Maine lobster gear over the last 30 years. But for decades, the lobster industry avoided sufficiently marking their fishing gear, so connecting their gear to whale deaths was virtually impossible. Since 90 percent of the lobster industry is in Maine and getting entangled in fishing gear is a primary killer of right whales, it stands to reason that Maine fishing gear has contributed to more than one premature death. Golden asserts that “fishermen need more time” before rules are put in place to protect the barely 370 right whales that remain on our planet. The government has considered right whales endangered since the Endangered Species Act passed more than 50 years ago. Right whales needed new regulations protecting them years ago, not a decade from now. ~ Erica Fuller, Conservation Law Foundation

A northern Maine sporting camp is for sale for $1.1M

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 13, 2025

A 6-acre sporting camp near Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness with numerous cabins is for sale for $1.1 million. Established in 1895, the property, called Buckhorn Camps, sits on more than 6 acres and has 11 buildings on the property. This includes one main cabin, eight cabins of various sizes that the owners rent, an old dining hall called “the hangar,” and a workshop. The compound is on a peninsula of Jo-Mary Island in the North Maine Woods and is located in T4 Indian Purchase Township, an unorganized territory west of Millinocket. The property has 3,300 feet of lake frontage.

Opinion: US loses credibility for rejection of international declaration to protect our ocean

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 13, 2025

In early June, Nice, France, hosted a series of ocean-focused events. The One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC) — a high-level scientific meeting — drew more than 2,150 ocean scientists from 113 countries who addressed the priority of a healthy and sustainable global ocean that shows continuing evidence of decline. Following five days of debate, the UNOC3 delegates issued the Nice Declaration, incorporating recommendations. It was adopted by acclamation and presented to the United Nations General Assembly for formal endorsement. On June 30, the vote was 162 nations in favor, one against, and no abstentions. The one negative vote was cast by the United States. The lone dissenting vote was by a nation that, despite having marine scientists at the forefront of the research, did not send those experts to the international forum where such research was discussed and debated, and recommendations drafted for the UN General Assembly. ~ Malcolm Shick, emeritus professor, UMaine

Maine hunters go to extreme lengths to stop people from stealing their trail cameras

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 12, 2025

Wildlife monitoring technology has made huge strides. Remote cameras can not only record photos and color video, but track the date, time, temperature and even barometric pressure. The increased use of modern game cameras, some of which are quite valuable, also means they are tempting targets for thieves. While such theft is not an epidemic — the Maine Warden Service receives reports of several stolen trail cams each year. After making attempts to conceal a trail camera, the next line of defense is to attach it to a tree or other object using a cable or other mechanism with a lock. Hunters also say placing cameras where they are concealed by branches, while still providing a view of the area, helps keep them out of sight. Those who have experienced theft or vandalism say two cameras are better than one. While one is aimed at the target area, another is positioned to monitor the first.

Tourists are discovering a hidden gem of Acadia National Park

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 12, 2025

A spike in visits to a remote offshore section of Acadia National Park hasn’t sparked the same concerns about crowding and overtourism that have divided neighbors of the much more famous Mount Desert Island section of the park. The park owns about half of Isle au Haut, which is accessible by a 45-minute boat ride from Stonington. And that section of Acadia hasn’t been spared from the overall growing popularity of park, which has seen a roughly 20 percent increase in total annual visits since the COVID pandemic, from about 3.3 million visits each year to now nearly 4 million.

Gap widens on already low year for international visits to Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 12, 2025

Maine had 107,543 fewer international visitors in July than in the same month of 2024, increasing the gap from June and continuing a slump that started in February, according to new data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Travelers crossing the border into Maine last month numbered 276,951 compared to 384,494 in July 2024, a roughly 28 percent drop.

You can sea kayak to this Casco Bay island for swimming, hiking and a picnic

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 12, 2025

Little Whaleboat Island in northern Casco Bay is a special place. Actually a trio of small islands and ledges named Little Whaleboat (West), Nate and Tuck, they’re connected at low tide. I’ve been visiting them since I began sea kayaking a couple of decades ago. The reason is simple — it’s a beautiful location easily reached by launching from Mere Point in Brunswick or Lookout Point and Mitchell Field in Harpswell. Little Whaleboat was privately owned and access was due to the generosity of the landowner. When the island was placed up for sale, Maine Coast Heritage Trust led an effort to raise $1.3 million to buy and conserve the island for the public for perpetuity.

Appeals court upholds Bar Harbor’s limit on cruise ship passengers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 12, 2025

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. District Court’s decision that Bar Harbor can limit the number of cruise ship passengers allowed to disembark each day but sent the case back to the lower court for review. While the Court of Appeals backed most of the District Court's ruling last year, it directed the lower court to determine whether Bar Harbor's ordinance goes further than necessary.

Yarmouth considers pausing development as sewage pump reaches capacity

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 12, 2025

The Yarmouth Town Council is considering a moratorium on development in parts of town served by Royal River Pump Station sewershed, as the sewage pumping station is at capacity and in need of an upgrade. The proposed moratorium would temporarily suspend development in the over 1,225 designated Yarmouth parcels for 180 days, with the possibility of extension. Any construction that would lead to “additional sewer discharge,” including detached dwelling units, renovations that add to the number of bedrooms and commercial development on 19% of all Yarmouth land would be paused.

Road closed in Lincoln after wildfire breaks out

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 13, 2025

The town of Lincoln closed a stretch of West Broadway on Wednesday afternoon, after a wildfire broke out. As of 5:20 p.m. some areas had been extinguished, but the fire continued to burn in others and the road remained closed. Dry conditions prompted the fire department last week to stop issuing open burning permits and rescind existing permits for the towns of Lincoln, Winn and Chester.

What Maine outdoor lovers need to know about this summer’s dry conditions

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 12, 2025

The dry conditions in Maine mean that people enjoying the outdoors should use extra care to avoid starting a forest fire. The North Maine Woods and KI Jo-Mary Forest announced Monday they were not issuing fire permits. That means no fires are allowed at any unmaintained backcountry site or any area that requires a fire permit. Fires are still allowed at established campgrounds with maintained facilities and at private camps where permits are not required.

Fringe Fest bringing art to the streets of Biddeford

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 12, 2025

Heart of Biddeford’s annual Fringe Fest is coming to downtown Biddeford this Friday, kicking off River Jam weekend. Taking place on Washington Street, Fringe Fest is a vibrant celebration of experimental, original performances and exhibitions, elevating those on the edges of the Biddeford community.

Abandoned boat in Sasanoa River costs Arrowsic more than $8,000

TIMES RECORD • August 12, 2025

An abandoned boat that sat in the Sasanoa River since February was finally removed last month through the efforts of Arrowsic and several businesses. The wreck of the Hook, Line and Sinker was removed from the northern shore near the Max L. Wilder Memorial Bridge in Arrowsic on Monday, July 31, with crews patching holes in the boat before hauling it off for deconstruction. The towing cost the town approximately $8,175, with Bath Iron Works, Reed and Reed, Inc., and two anonymous donors helping the town with the cost of removal. “The owner of the boat has no resources for us to go after.”

Maine fishermen aren’t afraid of great white sharks. They’re fascinated.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 12, 2025

Movies like “Jaws” — the 1975 hit starring a villainous (fictional) great white  — have fueled a perception that fishermen are at risk while they work with bloody bait and submerge their arms into the water to haul traps and buoys. But experts say fishermen — and swimmers — are largely safe from the apex predators off the Maine coast. Fishermen here seem mostly fascinated by the creatures.

20 stunning photos from iconic Acadia hiking trails

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 8, 2025

There’s no such thing as a bad view in Acadia National Park. With more than 120 miles of hiking trails and 26 mountains to summit within the park, there are countless places to soak in the sights of Mount Desert Island, the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding Maine coast. And you don’t even have to go in summer to get the best views. In fact, sometimes the bare trees in winter give way to spectacular sights you may otherwise have missed.