Column: Why birds are so noisy this fall — the surprising reasons behind all that chatter

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 16, 2025

I’ve enjoyed watching the eagles and loons annoy each other. There are dozens of loons on the lake in front of my house. Every time an eagle flies over, all the loons start wailing. I imagine the eagles are getting frustrated. They have little hope of defeating this early warning system. Black-capped chickadees are so good at spotting trouble, other species pay attention to their calls. Blue jays are ever watchful. They regularly flock together and call out danger when they see it. Warning calls account for only some of the backyard bird noise in autumn. Species that flock together chatter a lot, so they can keep track of each other and stay organized. Some birds are still declaring territories. For instance, last night a barred owl perched above my garage at 3:00 in the morning and called incessantly. ~ Bob Duchesne

Maine’s first large-scale AI data center planned for Aroostook County

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2025

Maine’s first large-scale artificial intelligence data center could open within six months at the former Loring Air Force Base in Aroostook County. Loring LiquidCool Data Center announced a partnership with Green 4 Maine LLC, a development firm that owns much of the old base in Limestone, to launch the AI center. Massive data centers needed for generative artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT typically require enormous amounts of electricity, putting new strain on power grids. The data center will use a closed-loop system to cool servers with liquid rather than fans and hydropower from New Brunswick. It’s unclear how it will affect Mainers’ electric bills. Other AI-minded data center plans have fizzled out. After announcing plans in 2021, a California company quietly backed out of building a $300 million data center at a shuttered paper mill in Millinocket.

The case for Wabanaki land return in Maine outlined in new report

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2025

A new report from a left-leaning think tank suggests the state should return land — including Acadia National Park, Baxter State Park, and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument — to the Wabanaki Nations. To do so, the Maine Center for Economic Policy suggests deploying a statewide property tax targeted at large landowners, a sales tax on tourists or issuing bonds. The center’s new report says there is a need for a dramatic restructuring in state-tribal relations to facilitate the return of stolen land and compensation for lost revenue to the Wabanaki Nations because a 1980 settlement has failed to make the tribes whole.

Maine Preservation's Executive Director to be Recognized by Maine Downtown Center

MAINE PRESERVATION • October 15, 2025

Maine Preservation Executive Director, Tara Kelly, has been named the 2025 William F. King Jr. Downtown Champion. Since joining Maine Preservation in 2021, Tara has launched a residency program to offer hands-on preservation support to communities across Maine—33 towns, 10 counties, and 30 days spent in the field helping Mainers protect and celebrate their built heritage so far. Tara also established Jane’s Walk ME, part of a global movement of walking conversations inspired by activist Jane Jacobs. Thanks to her efforts, more Mainers are exploring their neighborhoods in new ways, deepening their connection to place, history, and each other. Tara will receive this well-deserved honor at the Maine Downtown Center Annual Awards Celebration, November 14, 9AM, at Bath Savings Bank, 105 Front Street in Bath.

Opinion: Let’s put the brakes on CMP’s big rate hike

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2025

When Central Maine Power recently asked the Maine Public Utilities Commission for a massive rate hike — just three months after its previous rate increase kicked in — Mainers responded with disbelief. Many struggle to pay surging utility bills amid a flood of rising living expenses. Now CMP wants everyone to cough up another $420 per year on average. CMP says it wants to make the grid more resilient. As Maine’s Public Advocate put it, “While CMP claims that its plan is designed to provide ‘price stability,’ it is actually asking for greater profits and large, automatic rate increases over the next five years.” The PUC should reject CMP’s rate hike request. First, CMP is asking for too much profit. Second, two summers ago, the MPUC asked the company to submit a 10-year, detailed roadmap for how it will improve Maine’s grid. As of late August CMP was still in the “needs assessment” phase. Contact the PUC and tell it to say “No” to the rate hike. ~ Ed Geis, Camden

Be careful doing fall yard work to avoid this rash

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 15, 2025

It’s the time of year when Mainers are cleaning up yard debris before the first snows come, but homeowners should be cautious. Those toxic little hairs from browntail moth caterpillars could be hiding in the leaves and grass. Raking and mowing could stir them up and the hairs could get on skin and cause a rash similar to poison ivy, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The hairs also can cause breathing problems if inhaled. The hairs shed from the caterpillars, which the Maine Forest Service says are in all 16 counties now, can stay in the environment for up to three years.

Maine Wabanaki artists join Yo-Yo Ma to explore the musical power of water

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 15, 2025

It was an entirely unexpected opportunity Chris Newell had in 2021, not just to perform with Yo-Yo Ma, but to challenge him. In a field at sunrise near Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park, Newell, who is Passamaquoddy and a member of the internationally known Mystic River Singers, launched into a powwow song. Ma, trained in western classical music, followed. Ma and Newell will reunite for a sold-out performance on the Portland Ovations stage Monday, October 20, alongside several other Wabanaki artists, for an evening titled “We Are Water: A Northeast Celebration.”

Mainers turn out at PUC hearing to condemn CMP’s 5-year plan to raise rates

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 14, 2025

Mainers condemned Central Maine Power Co.’s request to increase distribution rates and expressed doubt in the company’s ability to improve service at a public hearing at the Hilton Garden Inn Tuesday evening. Speaking to members of the Public Utilities Commission in sworn testimony, more than a dozen attendees charged that the proposed increase — roughly $35 a month by late 2030 — would hurt the state’s most vulnerable residents. They said the request comes as households across southern Maine are already feeling the pinch of increased costs across the board. CMP last month asked the Public Utilities Commission for permission to increase its annual revenue by about $400 million through incremental hikes between 2026 and 2031. For customers, that would mean an additional $420 per year once the plan is fully implemented.

Portland, rail authority, MaineHealth at odds over potential new Amtrak station location

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 14, 2025

A proposal to relocate Portland’s Amtrak station has sparked a dispute between city leaders, the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and the owner of Maine Medical Center over where a new station should be built — if at all. The rail authority, which operates the Downeaster, wants to move the station from Thompson’s Point to a parcel near the Mercy Hospital campus on St. John Street. But city staff, councilors and transit advocates argue that a different location — behind Union Plaza and near the former Margarita’s restaurant — makes the most long-term sense. The Downeaster runs five trips daily between Brunswick and Boston. In its 2024 fiscal year, Amtrak reported 600,000 riders on the route.

New report says full Wabanaki sovereignty would boost tribal and state economies

MAINE PUBLIC • October 14, 2025

A new report from the Maine Center of Economic Policy argues that recognizing the full sovereignty of the Wabanaki nations would be an economic boon to the whole state. The tribes' autonomy is currently limited by a 1980s settlement act. Full sovereignty could eventually add $330 million annually to the state's GDP, and create 2,700 jobs, according to the report. Author James Myall said that's because tribes with full sovereignty can invest in more innovative development projects and receive more federal funding. Myall said Maine could start by implementing the recommendations of a 2020 state task force on tribal relations. Those include recognizing tribal jurisdiction over hunting and fishing on tribal land, allowing tribes to operate casinos and making it easier for the Wabanaki nations to acquire land.

Maine Christmas tree harvest expected to be strong, despite lengthy drought

SUN JOURNAL • October 14, 2025

This year, Maine saw its sixth-driest summer on record, with nearly 3 fewer inches of rain than the historical average of 11 inches. As of Oct. 9, 30% of Maine was in extreme drought, and the rest of the state was in moderate to severe drought. The drought has caused reductions in hay crops, shortened the season for many row crops, and could hurt next year’s berry and tree fruit. For many Christmas tree farmers, the dry conditions created a need for more irrigation or hand watering of the trees planted over the past two springs. The state’s Christmas tree industry, which includes producing and selling fresh trees and wreaths, creates an estimated $18 million in direct economic impact each year and supports nearly 800 jobs across the state. “Growers are prepared, supply is strong, and most are holding wholesale prices steady this year,” Marsha Gray, of the Real Christmas Tree Board, said.

Poland Spring cuts water use at several sites due to drought

SUN JOURNAL • October 14, 2025

Poland Spring is scaling back withdrawals at multiple sites this summer as a result of falling groundwater levels. The company said the reductions were voluntary and intended to ensure its pumping remains sustainable. Poland Spring spokesperson Ted Varipatis said the company monitors drought conditions daily and adjusts water collection from its network of springs. Using National Weather Service and drought forecast tools, the company determined beginning Sept. 1 that there would be a significant reduction at sites, including Clear Spring in Hollis and Evergreen Spring in Fryeburg.

Acadia National Park leaf peepers undeterred by federal government shutdown

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 14, 2025

The government shutdown didn't hamper turnout at Acadia National Park this weekend, as eager crowds took in the fall foliage. Some services operated by outside vendors, such as gift shops, are still open to the public. But Eric Stiles with Friends of Acadia said with much of the park staff furloughed, visitors are missing out. "We want everyone to come here and safely and responsibly enjoy the park, but it is a diminished experience for those that are coming during the shutdown." Stiles said there are no staff to collect entry fees or sell passes, and even the self-serve machines are out of order. Friends of Acadia has set up an online fund for visitors to donate the entrance cost instead. Donation will be given to the park after the shutdown.

How to weigh in on CMP’s 5-year plan to raise rates

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 14, 2025

State utility regulators are holding public hearings this week on Central Maine Power Co.’s proposed 5-year plan to upgrade the state’s aging electrical grid and raise rates to fund the work. The company last month asked the Public Utilities Commission for permission to increase customers’ monthly bills by about $35 between 2026 and 2031, using the new revenue to hire hundreds of workers and install stronger poles, upgraded substations and better protected wires. CMP is the largest electric utility in the state, serving about 660,000 residents and businesses. The plan has prompted some of the strongest backlash in years, with Gov. Janet Mills condemning the proposed rate hike as “unacceptable” and more than 700 public comments already filed by Tuesday morning. The Maine Office of the Public Advocate offers information and advice on how to effectively testify at a public hearing online. To provide virtual testimony at Wednesday’s hearing RSVP by emailing PUCPublicHearing@Maine.gov or calling 207-287-3831 by the end of Tuesday.

Downeast fishing forum to bring families together to address safety, stress, and isolation

MAINE PUBLIC • October 14, 2025

This Thursday, October 16, will mark the first-ever Downeast Fishing Family Forum in Ellsworth, which organizers say will offer the community a place to "discuss the issues that matter most." Co-organizer Amanda Smith, with the Sunrise County Economic Council, is married to a lobster fisherman, and lives in the Jonesport-Beals Island area. She says over the last few years, fishing communities like hers have faced lots of similar challenges, like worrying about the future of the industry, and experiencing the heartache of losing loved ones at sea. "We often don't recognize just how much stress there is on the shoulders of the whole fishing family unit and our communities," said Smith. The forum is being held at Woodlawn in Ellsworth.

90-year-old Maine conservationist honored for life’s work

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 14, 2025

Richard “Dick” Anderson, 90, has dedicated his life to the conservation of Maine’s natural beauty. Scarborough Land Trust awarded him with the Conservationist of the Year, along with the gift of topographical map, as acknowledgement of his lifelong commitment to protecting the environment. Anderson has been recognized many times for his lifelong commitment to Maine’s outdoors. But when asked what he’s proudest of, he said he doesn’t like to think about that kind of thing. He said, “I stirred people into action. I had a lot of good people to work with.”

Opinion: Cuts to EPA are a risk to Maine’s clean air and water

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 14, 2025

Mainers have a special connection to the outdoors. We can’t take this for granted. Maine’s environment is under attack in Washington, D.C., as part of an agenda focused on eliminating the government’s role in protecting our clean air, water and natural resources. The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved a FY26 budget, targeting the Environmental Protection Agency for the most extreme rollback of funding in decades. We risk leaving a legacy of environmental harm that would negatively impact Maine’s environment and communities for generations. Maine relies on grants to towns for wastewater treatment upgrades, replacing lead pipes, and cleaning up toxic waste sites. Our health depends on pollution controls for power plants that release mercury, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and other toxins. This pollution, carried to Maine by prevailing winds, harms the most vulnerable among us, while accumulating in our rivers and fish. In contrast, the Senate Appropriations Committee, under U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, released a draft budget that largely retains the EPA’s role of protecting health and the environment. We encourage Collins to continue protecting the essential role that the EPA plays. ~ Anya Fetcher, federal policy advocate, Natural Resources Council of Maine

Maine trail program flooded with applicants

MAINE PUBLIC • October 13, 2025

Applications have flooded into the inaugural year of a newly established grant program to restore and build new motorized and nonmotorized trails across the state. Doug Beck, outdoor recreation program manager with the Bureau of Parks and Lands said many of Maine's trails have been battered by years of underfunding, crowding during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly severe storms. "The combination of all of that results in just the decimation of the trail infrastructure," Beck said. "Virtually all trails are experiencing increased use, increased damage." Until now, money to address the problem has been scarce. But last year voters overwhelmingly approved borrowing $30 million to fund improvements.

The Nature Conservancy in Maine to receive 2025 Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award.

PENOBSCOT BAY PILOT • October 13, 2025

The Nature Conservancy in Maine (TNC) will be recognized for its dedication and contributions to sustainable forest management on Thursday, October 16, 2025, during Maine TREE’s Forest Awards Night at the Morgan Hill Event Center in Hermon. The organization is set to receive the Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award, presented annually by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) in partnership with the Maine Timber Research & Environmental Education Foundation (Maine TREE). "This award is the premier recognition for individuals and organizations demonstrating exceptional and sustainable management of Maine's working forests," said Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. TNC has been at the forefront of innovative forest conservation and stewardship for decades, according to DACF. Its work has protected over one million acres of forests, rivers, and coastlines across the state.

Generations of growth in western Maine farms cultivate community

LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • October 13, 2025

Across Franklin County, two farms — one seven generations old, the other just over a decade in — are cultivating more than crops. Boothby’s Orchard in Livermore and Rustic Roots Farm in Farmington are each investing in the future of local food and community, rooted in a shared belief that farming connects people as much as it feeds them. At Boothby’s Orchard and Farm, Rob and Denise Boothby have turned their hillside orchard into both a family legacy and a community gathering place. That same spirit of long-term investment in local food connects Boothby’s to Rustic Roots Farm in Farmington, where Erica Emery and Dave Allen are expanding operations through a $100,000 crowdfunding campaign to build critical infrastructure on newly purchased farmland. The new property will complement Rustic Roots’ existing Farmington operation and allow them to grow more food for the region.