More than 35,000 people visited Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument last year

MAINE PUBLIC • October 5, 2025

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument added $3.4 million to the northern Maine economy last year. The park's economic impact is detailed in a new report from the National Park Service. The park service reports that the national monument had just over 35,000 visitors in 2024, who spent $2.7 million and supported 26 jobs in the surrounding region. Superintendent Neal Labrie said visitors are drawn to the North Woods by the Monument's International Dark Sky Sanctuary designation and its Wabanaki worldview. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was created in 2016 by a proclamation from President Barack Obama. It includes more than 87,000 acres of land in Penobscot County adjacent to Baxter State Park.

At America’s national parks in the Trump era, the arc of history bends toward revisionism

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 5, 2025

As part of a broad Trump directive, the National Park Service is under orders to review interpretive materials at all its historical properties and remove or alter descriptions that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living” or otherwise sully the American story. This comes as the Republican president has complained about institutions that go too deep, in his view, on “how bad slavery was.” The Interior Department order covers more than history. At the nature parks, material that “emphasizes matters unrelated to the beauty, abundance, or grandeur” also is to be flagged. That means references to climate change or other human degradations of nature. At Acadia National Park in Maine, 10 signs citing climate change are now gone. “Our national parks are not billboards for propaganda,” Rep. Chellie Pingree told Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Persistent drought takes toll on Maine farmers

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 5, 2025

This year, Maine saw its sixth-driest summer on record. As of Oct. 2, more than half of the state was in severe or extreme drought. The Maine agricultural economy is grappli in July and August and now threatens next year’s harvests. The drought has caused reductions in hay crops, shortened the season for many row crops, resulting in smaller harvests, and it could hurt next year’s berry and tree fruit. Most of Maine will need an extra 6 to 12 inches of rain above normal levels — 125% to 175% of the seasonal average — before the ground freezes in order to come out of drought, National Weather Service hydrologist Sarah Jamison said.

Shutdown doesn’t deter visitors at Acadia National Park. For now.

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 5, 2025

The entrances to America’s seventh-busiest national park were open Friday, but unmanned. Visitor centers were closed. Park rangers were scarce, most having been furloughed by the government shutdown. The parking lots and Island Explorer buses remained full of guests determined to enjoy one of Maine’s most popular tourist destinations at the height of leaf peeping season, but the experience looked a little different. “It’s confusing to know what’s open, what’s closed, what we can do, what we can’t do,” said Chris DeMichieli, who was visiting from Michigan. “We know they have limited services, but because the visitor centers are closed down, it’s been hard to find any information.”

14 easy ways to improve your safety while hiking

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 5, 2025

On occasion, the most prepared hiker can become injured or worse. But there are many ways you can reduce risks while hiking.
• Research your hike ahead of time
• Leave a hiking plan behind
• Hike with a companion
• Carry lots of water
• Pack a light
• Set a turnaround time
• Wear proper footwear
• Carry high-calorie snacks
• Wear synthetic or wool clothing
• Carry a map and navigational tools
• Consider a personal locator beacon
• Watch your step
• Carry some first aid
• Carry some survival gear

Trump is reviving large sales of coal from public lands. Will anyone want it?

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 4, 2025

U.S. officials in the coming days are set to hold the government’s biggest coal sales in more than a decade, offering 600 million tons from publicly owned reserves next to strip mines in Montana and Wyoming. The sales are a signature piece of President Donald Trump’s ambitions for companies to dig more coal from federal lands and burn it for electricity. Yet most power plants served by those mines plan to quit burning coal altogether within 10 years. Three other mines poised for expansions or new leases under Trump also face declining demand as power plants use less of their coal and in some cases shut down. Those market realities raise a fundamental question about the Republican administration’s push to revive a heavily polluting industry that long has been in decline: Who’s going to buy all that coal?

Despite challenges, Maine’s apple crop looks ‘excellent’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 4, 2025

Maine’s apple harvest is underway, and orchard owners in western and central Maine say that while conditions this year affected each grower differently and caused some reduction in yield, there will be plenty of top-notch apples this fall. The concern is primarily the quantity of fruit.

Letter: Hawaii highlights the shame of private beaches in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 4, 2025

Having just returned from a “bucket-list” trip to Hawaii, I learned something that made me angry and very disappointed in our state. Hawaii’s plentiful and wondrous beaches are all open to the public — everywhere in the entire state. There is no such thing as a private beach in Hawaii. Why can’t Maine, like Hawaii, fight to keep our beaches and more scenic recreational areas free and accessible to the public? It really is a shame. ~ Ellen Kornetsky, Brunswick

Column: This crown jewel of conservation in Maine’s North Woods worth trip

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 3, 2025

You won’t find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in the Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area, but hike in from the Golden Road and you will discover plenty of rainbows. Like Rainbow Lake, Rainbow Ledges, Rainbow Mountain, Rainbow Spring, Rainbow Stream and the Rainbow Loop Trail. Never mind the big rainbow of a smile across your happy face when you find yourself deep in the midst of this remarkable chunk of wild country. Situated at the far northern end of the 100-Mile Wilderness, the 46,271-acre Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area is one of the crown jewels of conservation in Maine’s North Woods. ~ Carey Kish

Maine's newest national monument celebrates first season, even without federal funding

MAINE PUBLIC • October 3, 2025

It's a cool, September evening and a crowd had gathered in Newcastle to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Social Security, the landmark federal program that has offered a critical safety net to generations of Americans. But the event, held beneath the post-and-beam timbers of a historic barn located on one of the country's newest national monuments, was as much a celebration of the woman behind Social Security: Frances Perkins. “You'll hear it said that FDR was the author, and like every elected official, he gets the credit, “ said Jim Roosevelt, the grandson of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or FDR. "But she was the author who pushed for it, for the strong components of Social Security. Pushed him, pushed the Congress.”

Long-awaited report reveals electrical fault likely caused Brunswick PFAS spill

TIMES RECORD • October 3, 2025

A fault in an electric module likely caused Maine’s largest reported spill of toxic firefighting foam, a new report on the spill’s root cause has concluded. A lengthy and long-anticipated report from Poole Fire Protection released Friday found a fault in a module card — a component of the fire alarm system — likely triggered the discharge of 1,450 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water into Brunswick Executive Airport’s Hangar 4 on Aug. 19, 2024. The foam released contains a toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) compound, one of several so-called “forever chemicals” that have been linked to serious health problems. The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority in recent months has gotten rid of its remaining stock of toxic foam.

Hopes fade for a quick end to the shutdown as Trump readies layoffs and cuts

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 3, 2025

Hopes for a quick end to the government shutdown were fading Friday as Republicans and Democrats dug in for a prolonged fight and President Donald Trump readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government. Democrats are running the high-risk strategy of effectively voting for a government shutdown to make their stand. Trump has vowed to make it as painful as possible for them. The Republican president has called the government funding lapse an “unprecedented opportunity” to make vast cuts to federal agencies and potentially lay off federal workers, rather than the typical practice of furloughing them. White House budget director Russ Vought has already announced that he is withholding billions of dollars for infrastructure projects in states with Democratic senators.

Eastport may dredge harbor so large cruise ships can dock

QUODDY TIDES • October 3, 2025

A proposed dredging project off the Eastport breakwater to allow larger cruise ships to tie up at the pier instead of being at anchor in the bay is causing concern in the community — both about possible environmental impacts and about whether the island city is prepared for or wants more cruise ship traffic downtown.

Topsham hunter recalls scary rescue from quicksand-like mud

TIMES RECORD • October 3, 2025

Wednesday afternoon, Matthew Alexander, 31, of Topsham, shot a few ducks while standing on an embankment and went to retrieve them in the coastal mudflat of Maquoit Bay. “I crossed that area 101 times at this point, but I must have misstepped. You know, it felt solid, and it felt solid, and then I hit one spot and it sucked me under,” Alexander said. He suddenly realized he was being pulled under the mud. He couldn’t move to make his way back to shore — and the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. Alexander was able to find his phone in his waders and dial 9-1-1. Brunswick Police Department officers responded in an airboat. It took two officers to pull and break the suction in order to free Alexander and get him on the airboat. The ducks were later retrieved.

Residential wells go dry as drought deepens across Maine

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • October 3, 2025

The ongoing drought of 2025 has deepened across Maine with approximately 319 known residential wells across the state reported to have gone dry. Compare that to a month ago, when a total of 21 dry private wells had been reported. Last week's heavy rain offered a brief respite, but not enough to quench the ground's thirst. To the National Weather Service, as little as six inches above normal rainfall could be sufficient for some locations to end the drought, but the hardest hit areas: "may need as much as 12 inches of rainfall spread out over months to see full recovery. Much of drought-stricken Maine needs 150% of normal precipitation over the next few months to ameliorate drought conditions before the ground freezes."

Maine’s forests and wildlife shine in stunning art and surprising facts

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 3, 2025

Months ago, when I first heard that Maine artist Jada Fitch was releasing a book about her nature observations, I was giddy with anticipation. I’m a huge fan of her work, and this book, in particular, seemed to be especially special. Released in September, “The Forest Revealed: An Illustrated Year” by Jada Fitch, with text by Kateri Kosik, is a celebration of all the things in the Maine wilderness that I find so fascinating — the fungi and flora and fauna — even the slime mold and spiders.

Products denied exemptions from Maine's PFAS ban

MAINE PUBLIC • October 2, 2025

New consumer products containing forever chemicals will be outlawed in Maine next year after regulators denied exemptions for goods including nonstick cookware. The Board of Environmental Protection voted that most items do not qualify for a "currently unavoidable use" of PFAS. The ban goes into effect next year and extends to upholstered furniture, cosmetics, cleaners and other common items. Maine was one of the first states to pass a PFAS products ban. The family of durable synthetic chemicals has been linked to human health problems.

Maine risks drought extending into winter

MAINE PUBLIC • October 2, 2025

Maine's drought is so severe that the state will need far above average rainfall in the next few months to improve conditions before winter sets in, according to a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service. "A six inch event is not going to cut it, we need multiple events over time," Sarah Jamison told members of the state's Drought Task Force on Thursday. "But we have to pay attention to that window, we have to make sure we get that precipitation before the window closes and before the ground freezes," Jamison added. October and November are typically the wettest months of the year in Maine, with 4-5 inches of rainfall in each month, Jamison said. But the state needs to get far more rain than that to get over the current drought, she added. That means the state really needs at least 19.5 inches — and soon.

Rangeley hiking group sparks social connections, one step at a time

RANGELEY HIGHLANDER • October 2, 2025

The Trails for Rangeley Area Coalition (TRAC) formed in 1995, a product of the Lakes Alliance for Vision and Action Convention. In the early years, participants identified, cleared and maintained trails, in addition to hiking them. Now, the group is more focused on hiking the trails.

Expanded protections for Maine vernal pools, wildlife to get public hearing

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 2, 2025

New proposed rules expanding protections for vernal pools and other at-risk wildlife habitat will move on to public hearings following a Thursday morning review by the Board of Environmental Protection. The proposals from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection update the Natural Resources Protection Act and related permitting standards to reflect recently passed laws requiring DEP to strengthen safeguards for vernal pools and protecting habitats of endangered and threatened species, such as peregrine falcons and spotted turtles.