Mapped: The States With the Most and Least National Park Land

MENTAL FLOSS • August 30, 2025

National parks are more popular than ever: in 2024, the National Park Service tallied more than 331 million visits, its biggest year on record. But some states have much more of their land dedicated to national parks than others. National Park Service oversees more than 85 million acres of land across all 50 states, roughly 3.5 percent of the country’s total area. More than half of those acres are located inside a single state: Alaska. The state with the least national park land is also the smallest in the country. Rhode Island’s five acres are spread across the national memorial to Roger Williams, the Ocean State’s founder, and three other units. New national parks, historic sites, and monuments are still being established every year. Some of the newest include the Frances Perkins National Monument in Maine.

New regional collaboration could boost stalled northern Maine power line effort

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 30, 2025

A new push to boost electricity capacity across New England could help to get a stalled transmission line project to northern Maine — and related wind energy development in the region — back on track. The effort by ISO New England will likely support the upgrade of a key substation in Pittsfield and other changes to move power farther south into New England. That could make it easier to tap the mostly undeveloped wind energy potential of northern Maine. Clean energy advocates hope the efforts could give a much-needed boost to Maine’s own plans to create more wind energy in Aroostook County and send it southward. State regulators are again seeking developers who could pull off a wind and transmission project with the new regional support. However, it’s an open question whether the northern Maine transmission project will be able to overcome some of the early roadblocks — including local resistance along the proposed corridor — that have already stalled the project for several years.

For Maine farmers, CSAs bring more certainty to an unforgiving industry

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 30, 2025

There is little stability in farming, from the field to the finances. There will always be expenses. That reality often forces farmers to have a diverse array of revenue streams to stay afloat. One of the ways some farms accomplish that is through Community Supported Agriculture, in which members of the community pay for a share of a farm’s produce, meat and other products. Through that steady income stream, CSAs give farmers a sense of predictability that is usually lacking in the industry. For some, it’s the difference between staying in business and losing the farm.

Standish officials weigh merits of Maple Street Wharf proposal

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2025

Portland Water District plans to demolish its building at the end of Maple Street, which goes all the way to the lake shore and is seeking grant money to design a new fishing pier. The project would remove the pavement, stabilize the ground with mulch to control erosion, and install an ADA compliant path to the fishing pier. Some residents say it would heavily inconvenience persons with disabilities. Standish Town Council members expressed skepticism of the proposal for a 300-foot walking path to replace the road.

Horse-drawn carriage rolls over on Acadia carriage trail

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 29, 2025

On Aug. 24, park rangers and the Mount Desert and Bar Harbor fire departments responded to a report of a horse-drawn carriage accident in Acadia National Park. at approximately 11 a.m., the park received reports of a privately owned horse-drawn carriage that had rolled over. The carriage was occupied by a 72-year-old woman and a 43-year-old woman, both from Vermont. Responding personnel were told that the carriage was being driven up the “first hill from Wildwood Stables” and apparently the horse began to back up unexpectedly. As the carriage went backward, the right wheel left the carriage road and the horse, carriage, and passengers rolled down “a steep embankment.” The women were transported to MDI Hospital by ambulance.

Warming climate is worsening droughts in Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • August 29, 2025

Drought expanded in Maine again in the last week of August, with about 1.2 million people are living in at least abnormally dry conditions. It took about a month for the state to go from having almost no areas with drought to 87% of the state in at least abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Maine Climatologist Sean Birkel said the drought's severity is driven by a warming climate. Short-term drought is fairly common in the Northeast, according to Birkel. But hotter weather is intensifying dry conditions, he said, pointing to a heat wave in mid-August that made the drought worse.

A conversation with Brian Ambrette, director of Maine’s new resilience office

MAINE MONITOR • August 29, 2025

When Governor Janet Mills introduced her landmark bipartisan climate law this January there was already broad agreement that Maine needed to do more to defend against rising sea levels and intensifying storms. The widespread flooding that occurred a year prior exposed vast weaknesses in both local infrastructure and the state’s emergency response and recovery efforts. More Maine communities than ever before applied for federal resilience grants and counted on them to bring vital projects to life. But now, nearly seven months and billions of dollars into the Trump administration’s grant cancellations, a new playing field has come into focus, one with significantly less federal support. Maine will need to become more self-resourced in its ability to make proactive resilience investments.

Trump administration to release AmeriCorps funding

CENTRAL MAINE • August 29, 2025

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said Friday the Trump administration has agreed to release more than $180 million in federal funding for AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The administration sought to cut the funding in the spring, prompting more than two dozen states, including Maine, to sue the administration. Maine had approximately 200 AmeriCorps fellows. “At the last minute, when required to provide legal justification as to why it withheld funds, the Administration instead did what it should have done from the beginning and released the funding.” Last year, Maine received $8.6 million in federal funding for AmeriCorps operations that serve veterans, seniors, and disaster victims, among others. The administration continued to withhold $184 million in funding.

Belfast-area residents want to protect blueberry barren from development

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 29, 2025

A large, scenic Belfast property once used for commercial blueberry growing is now for sale. That’s raising concern among area residents that the land could be purchased by a developer or private landholder who could bar the public from accessing it. They are now pushing for it to be preserved. The 247 acres were once owned and harvested by Allen’s Blueberry Freezer company. After the company ended its berry harvesting operations several years ago, it sold the bulk of its land to Jasper Wyman & Son. But the land for sale in Belfast is one of several parcels that the Allen family retained. It’s now owned by Jason Allen of Ellsworth, who has listed it for sale for $1.8 million. Some area residents are pushing for one of the region’s land trusts to protect the property so that it can remain open to the public and continue to offer other environmental benefits.

State fund expands to help Maine public schools buy more local food

MAINE PUBLIC • August 29, 2025

A state fund that incentivizes Maine public schools to purchase food directly from local producers is expanding this year. State officials say a new law is helping each dollar a school spends on local food go further. Since the Local Foods Fund was established in 2021, public schools could count on the state to reimburse them one dollar for every three they spent on local food — such as veggies, cheese, meat, yogurt, beans, tofu, etc. — up to a maximum of $5,000 per year. But that changed when the Act to Promote Local Seafood in Schools was passed in June. Jane McLucas, the state's director of child nutrition, says the new law not only explicitly encourages schools to buy local seafood, it also gives the Local Foods Fund a big boost. Now, schools will be reimbursed one dollar on every two dollars they spend, up to a maximum contribution of $10,000.

Preserving the Scarborough we all love | Council Corner

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2025

With Labor Day upon us, it’s the unofficial end of summer. One of my highlights was attending Scarborough Summerfest. Our neighbors beamed with joy as they talked about our beaches, the services available in town, how safe they feel, our great schools and so much more. I further asked, what do you think about the growth in town? In general the message was they would like to see more done to manage growth to make sure we don’t lose what they all love. Here are some potential solutions that I am open to exploring with the council and our community. ~ Jon Anderson, Scarborough Town Council

Award-winning journalist crafts a propulsive climate change thriller in ‘We Can’t Save You’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

Thomas Ricks, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and part-time Deer Island resident, draws on his deep reporting background in his second Ryan Tapia novel, “We Can’t Save You.” Ricks’ story, set in the near future in Maine, masterfully weaves together Native American protests, political maneuvering and military history. Protesters believe the Anglos are “corrupt and doomed” and to blame for the warming of the planet, including its devastating impact on the ocean. Ricks illustrates their concerns with stark facts, painting a bleak vision of the future of land and seas. Their campaign, the Tide is High, focuses on the ocean’s growing distress: lobster shells thinning from acidic waters, oysters budding too early, and disruptions to insect and bird life, including a Mexican crested caracara drifting off the coast of Maine, far from its usual territory. When the tide rises over the highway leading to Eastport, the group’s point is made clear.

Bat in Portland tests positive for rabies

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

A bat in Portland tested positive for rabies this week by the state’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory. It is the fourth confirmed case of rabies in Cumberland County this year, Portland’s public health division said in a statement on Wednesday. There were eight confirmed cases of rabies in the county last year. Statewide, there have been 26 confirmed cases of rabies so far in 2025.

State rangers will patrol Tumbledown Mountain over Labor Day weekend

SUN JOURNAL • August 28, 2025

State forest and recreational rangers will be conducting patrols during the three-day Labor Day weekend on popular Tumbledown Mountain in Township 6, north of Weld in Franklin County, to try and keep hikers safe. The Weld Fire Department has responded six times just since June 8 to help hikers who have either been hurt or lost on Tumbledown Mountain, with one on Little Jackson Mountain, which connects to Tumbledown via trails. Camping has been prohibited on Tumbledown Mountain since 2021 in an effort to protect fragile natural resources and improve the hiking experience for all visitors.

Maine hiker rescued from NH boulder loop trail

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 28, 2025

A Bridgton woman was rescued Tuesday afternoon from a boulder loop trail in New Hampshire. Kristina Reams, 33, was hiking the Boulder Loop Trail in Albany about 3:22 p.m. when she experienced a medical emergency that made it impossible for her to hike out on her own, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game. Rescuers quickly reached her and brought her to a waiting ambulance about 5:48 p.m. She was then taken to Memorial Hospital in Conway.

Passamaquoddy Tribe wants to install hundreds of rooftop solar panels. Maine utility says it’s not allowed.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

Maine utility regulators are weighing whether a proposal by the Passamaquoddy Tribe to install hundreds of rooftop solar panels would violate the state’s net energy billing rules. However they rule, experts say, could affect other groups in Maine looking to lower costly electric bills, too. The tribal government last year secured a $7.4 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to put panels on more than 200 homes and administrative buildings at the tribe’s Indian Township reservation. But the project hit a roadblock when the local electric company, the Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative, argued that it was too big to qualify for a state program the tribe says could save its members hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Maine bear discovers the perfect napping spot

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 28, 2025

Bud Utecht is a registered Maine guide in the North Maine woods where he has several bait sites for hunting bears. Due to the difficulty reaching the area, his bait which consists of expired food, is placed in a pack for portability. This time, though, he forgot the pack at the bait site, and his trail camera captured something quite amusing – a bear picking the pack up, checking it out and then finally using it as a pillow to sleep on.

More parts of Maine are in drought, affecting nearly 1.2 million residents

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

Nearly 1.2 million Mainers live in drought areas, encompassing all of southern, western, central and Down East Maine. The conditions have contributed to an unusually high number of wildfires in August. The coastal area now in severe drought has expanded in the past week and now encompasses about 11% of the state, stretching west from Washington County to the eastern half of Lincoln County and including Acadia National Park and the Bar Harbor area.

Colby College to launch program in Port Clyde to help Maine communities tackle natural disasters

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2025

Colby College, a private liberal arts college in Waterville, is launching a program based in Port Clyde intended to better prepare Maine communities for the impacts that natural disasters have on infrastructure and local economies. The Center for Resilience and Economic Impact will use interdisciplinary research to search for solutions before and after natural disasters like severe storms, flooding and wildfires, college officials said Wednesday. The center is set to open in 2026 — four years after the average rate of natural disasters in Maine increased from one to nearly five a year.