The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 27, 2025
The city of Bangor said Sunday that the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that a crow found dead in the city recently was infected with the virus. It’s the 25th case of West Nile virus found in a bird this year. That includes two other cases among crows across the Penobscot River in Brewer.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2025
While bucket biology is a huge problem, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
(MDIFW) moves non-native fish around regularly and has for generations. Although no one talks about it, these legal acts have negatively affected wild native fish in the same ways that illegal bucket biology has. Consider the state-sponsored introduction of non-native landlocked salmon and smelt into the
Rangeley Lakes, which contributed to the demise of the largest native Arctic charr population in
the contiguous United States. And it was the state that introduced non-native lake trout into Sebago Lake, one of only four native landlocked salmon waters in the state. Nobody wins when we move fish around. By doing what it is telling the public not to do, MDIFW is sending mixed messages. ~ Bob Mallard, Registered Maine Fishing Guide, author and executive director of the Native Fish Coalition
METROWEST DAILY NEWS • October 27, 2025
A Wayland couple was recently presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sudbury Valley Trustees, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving natural areas and restoring wildlife habitats. The award was presented to John and Molly Beard by Steve Correia, president of the SVT's board of directors, during the organization's annual meeting on Oct. 7, according to a community announcement. “Through their donations, purchases and volunteered time, the Beards have helped protect hundreds of acres of land in the region and are known for their conservation generosity from Maine to the coast of Dartmouth,” Correia said in a statement.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 27, 2025
Doug Hitchcox, staff naturalist at Maine Audubon, said there’s no good data set that tracks the size of the squirrel population, but after the previous couple years produced bumper crops of acorns for them to eat (much like in 2018), it makes sense that more would have survived the past winter and gone on to produce more babies. University of New England professor Noah Perlut, who in 2010 started a project studying gray squirrel behavior around the Biddeford campus, said he’s noticed more of them this fall than any other year since 2018 — what he and Hitchcox both refer to as Squirrelmageddon. This year, their presence may be more pronounced because the lack of acorns is forcing them to travel farther in search of food, Perlut said, creating more opportunities for interactions with cars. If new generations are coming online every year, shouldn’t evolution have taken care of their ability to cross the street without running right back into it at the moment they’re most likely to be run over? ~ Leslie Bridgers
MAINE PUBLIC • October 26, 2025
Greenville voters will consider whether to allow the town to seek a $1 million bond for a community recreation center that will include public preschool classrooms and a private day care. The center would be built where the former town elementary school once stood and cost roughly $4 million. The YES Project, the group proposing the building, has already raised over $3 million in grants but said there are few funding sources left besides the town.
CENTRAL MAINE • October 26, 2025
In recent weeks, those who live and spend time on the lake, which straddles Rome and Belgrade, have been intrigued by the unusual appearance of seemingly unmanned watercraft. The vessels, also spotted on China Lake, likely are not doing anything nefarious or illicit: They seem to be underwater lake mapping technology deployed by a private company.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 26, 2025
When the Affordable Care Act passed, I was just starting out as a farm apprentice. I was wavering on whether I could continue farming. Affordable health insurance allowed me as a 25-year-old to continue managing Maine farms and learning more about how to run an operation for myself. Five years later, it allowed my partner and I to start our own farm business. But now, with the shutdown in Washington, the future of the enhanced premium tax credits is uncertain. Feeding our community from land that we care for is nearly our whole life. But make no mistake, our farm family needs what all working families need: secure access to affordable health care — and the enhanced premium tax credits are what make that possible. We’ve weathered floods, frost and pandemics. But the threat of losing our health insurance is the one thing we can’t afford. ~ Bethany Allen, Harvest Tide Organics, Bowdoinham
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 26, 2025
It’s a great time for a wild goose chase. Many less common geese seem to be turning up this autumn, hiding in plain sight. Snow geese appear regularly in Maine in autumn. Ross’s goose summers and winters in the central regions of North America. Vagrants in Maine are rare, but one popped up in Ellsworth a couple weeks ago. Pink-footed geese are a surprise. They breed on the far side of Greenland and winter in Northern Europe. In recent years, more have been visiting the eastern coast of North America. Lucky Aroostook County birders turned one up at Lake Josephine. Perhaps the Holy Grail of goose-chasing is the barnacle goose. Its nesting range extends from Eastern Greenland to Siberia, but barnacle geese occasionally show up here. ~ Bob Duchesne
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 26, 2025
When Fort Fairfield launched a lithium battery recycling program last year, the aim was to cut the number of battery-sparked fires at the Tri-Community Landfill. A year later, the battery fires are still lighting trash ablaze, and the first recycling barrel isn’t even full. Since the program started, the landfill has had eight battery-related fires. During two of those, fire crews spent days at the site. Lithium, a lightweight, soft metal found in rocks and certain groundwater, can store a lot of energy in a small space. Lithium batteries power everything from electric toothbrushes and cellphones to laptops and scooters. Disposable e-cigarettes powered by lithium cells caused a slew of fires at Portland-based waste management company ecomaine a year ago. The batteries were also suspected in a trash fire that burned in Orrington for 10 days in 2024 and in a January blaze that destroyed a Fort Kent garage.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 25, 2025
The South Portland Comprehensive Planning Committee and Planning Board seem set on development, residential and commercial, in the Shipyard district near oil tank fields. Such development means chronic exposure to a number of tank fume toxins. I hope South Portland will value the health of its citizens enough to deny residential development near tank farms. ~ James Melloh, South Portland
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 25, 2025
Before the wind blows the stunning fall foliage off the trees of Maine, consider taking a walk outside and enjoying this colorful time of year. The following are a few hiking trails that I’ve found to be especially beautiful during the fall.
• Dodge Point Public Reserved Land in Newcastle
• Blue Hill Mountain in Blue Hill
• Eagle Bluff in Clifton
• Mount Blue in Weld
• Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park
MAINE MONITOR • October 26, 2025
Amid a tumultuous time for climate change research, Paul Mayewski has resigned as director of the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine in Orono after 24 years in the role. Mayewski, a prominent climate scientist and glaciologist, officially resigned from the role at the end of September, saying he would be more effective dedicating additional time to research rather than leading the globally renowned institute for another few years. Dan Sandweiss, a climate archeologist and honoree of the National Academy of Sciences, will run the institute as the interim director until June 2027. The leadership change comes as the field faces significant hurdles, such as a federal government hostile to the idea of climate change.
ADVERTISER DEMOCRAT • October 24, 2025
Residents of Jay, Livermore, Livermore Fall and Farmington have no shortage of local trails. Each path offers a way to explore Maine’s outdoors without leaving town limits. For me, it began on the Whistle Stop Trail, a long stretch of packed gravel where trains once ran between Farmington and Jay, now paralleling the rail line that still rumbles with freight trains. Families, cyclists and runners share the trail year-round, with broad views of the Androscoggin River and shaded sections through forest and field. It’s not unusual to see deer crossing the path or to hear songbirds in the trees along the way, reminders of how much wildlife thrives close to town. These local trails are maintained through partnerships among town recreation committees, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, and conservation groups such as the Kennebec Land Trust. ~ Rebecca Richard
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2025
Richard Edward Barringer, cabinet member for three Maine governors and public policy educator, died on October 20, 2025. He was a passionate champion for Maine's environment and the well-being of its citizens over a 60+ year career of public service. Richard received a master's degree from UMass and a doctorate from MIT. He taught at the Kennedy School of Government, directed the Massachusetts Bicentennial Commission, and authored A Maine Manifest (1972), an analysis of Maine's changing natural resource-based economy. He moved to Maine in 1973 to become the first director of the Bureau of Public Lands, where he and colleagues reclaimed 600,000 acres. He was commissioner of the Department of Conservation 1975-1981, then state planning director 1981-1986. Richard then joined USM as a research professor and graduate teacher in public policy. Dick published Toward a Sustainable Maine (1993) and Changing Maine (2004). He competed in the Democratic primary for governor in 1994. He joined with other stewards of the outdoors to establish the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation in 2011. A memorial service for Richard will occur at 14 Ocean Gateway Pier, Portland, on November 18, 2025, from 4 to 5 p.m. followed by an informal catered celebration.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 24, 2025
Youth hunters across the state headed out early Friday morning for the first in a two-day firearm deer hunting season dedicated to youth under the age of 16. The young sportsmen and sportswomen are mentored by more experienced hunters who are happy to share their experience in an effort to preserve the heritage and pass it on to the next generation.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 24, 2025
A recent op-ed argues for Maine to become a place where rocket launches occur regularly. Claims of benefit to Maine must be weighed against the harms to our traditional economy. Maine’s economy is highly dependent on commercial fishing on the one hand and tourism on the other. Tourists flock to Acadia National Park from all over the world. It’s a uniquely beautiful spot where one can witness the first rays of dawn light in the continental U.S. Residents of nearby Steuben earlier this year rejected a bid to build a rocket launch site offshore of their village, citing the threat to environmental health of waters where food is harvested and also significant noise pollution. And who wants to see a rocket launch facility within sight of Acadia? Not locals. Previously, Jonesport rejected a launch site after passing a moratorium to halt development while local residents had time to study the proposal. Which town will be next to say it does not want to hear or see rockets launching from its coast? ~ Mark Roman, Solon
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2025
In 2015, and a boiler explosion forced the paper mill in Lincoln — then owned by Lincoln Paper and Tissue and employing more than 100 people — to file for bankruptcy, leaving the mill site vacant and in need of a $60 million chemical cleanup. The town acquired the mill, dam and nearly 400 surrounding acres in the years following the closure, and razed many buildings to develop the area into the Lincoln Technology Park. Now, Lincoln is looking ahead to 2027, when the largest battery system in the world is slated to be built on the former mill site. But the town is asking companies coming to the mill site to create a fund to pay for expenses from future closures. Lincoln is doing what it failed to do in the past: plan for the worst.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 23, 2025
The northern Maine wind and transmission line is one step closer to reality as the Maine Public Utilities Commission seeks input from potential bidders and other interested parties on a draft request for proposals. Experts tout the power of northern Maine’s wind energy potential, but harnessing that wind and getting the electricity it produces to the power grid has had its share of obstacles and stalled attempts, including the Number Nine Wind Farm, canceled in late 2016, and the Aroostook Renewable Gateway, which was canceled in December 2023. These setbacks come at a time when the state’s need for new energy sources has grown amid Mainers skyrocketing electricity bills. Not to mention a dramatic increase in the region’s electric usage due to heat pumps, EVs, and other electrification priorities, further highlighting the push to harness the County’s wind potential.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 22, 2025
Maine tourism took another hit this past summer. The state saw 6% fewer visitors between May 1 and Aug. 31 than during the same period in 2024, when roughly 7.8 million people visited the state, according to the 2025 Summer Visitor Tracking Report released Wednesday. That drop to about 7.3 million visitors in 2025 comes in the wake of a 9% decrease between the summers of 2023 and 2024. However, the annual report from the Maine Office of Tourism indicates that tourists are staying longer.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 23, 2025
The city of Belfast has made plans to deal with two contaminated downtown buildings it owns in the coming months. The city received $2 million through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields program earlier this year to clean up the former Waldo County Superior Courthouse and a dilapidated building at 74 High St. known as Bradbury Manor so they can be reused. A consulting firm hired by the city, TRC, is proposing to demolish and abate the manor site while containing contaminated soil, and to abate materials at the former courthouse during the renovation process along with capping soil.
