The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 21, 2025
South Portland has a draft plan for its future, including the land under and around petroleum tank farms as potential sites for business and residential development. The 100-plus page comprehensive plan is the product of years of research, meetings and discussions, and it is not set in stone. The final version, ultimately approved by the City Council, will serve as a guideline for city policy and growth for the next 15 years.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 21, 2025
On Maine’s Bold Coast sits one of the last expansive forests on the Eastern Seaboard. Pressure to develop the area in the 1980s threatened the Bold Coast’s natural landscape and public access, sparking a decades-long protection effort. In October 2025, a new wilderness preserve was created by Northeast Wilderness Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust, The Bold Coast Wilderness Preserve, 2,037 acres, stitches together a tapestry of forests, marshes and islands that support the well-being of wildlife and humans. Less than 4% of Maine lands currently qualify as wildlands. The Bold Coast Wilderness Preserve nudges that number up. The preserve’s forests, formerly timberlands, can now evolve naturally into old-growth ecosystems, supporting greater biodiversity and carbon storage and complementing managed forests elsewhere. ~ Jon Leibowitz, Northeast Wilderness Trust, and Jacob van de Sande, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 21, 2025
In one of Maine’s fastest growing towns, some residents want things to slow down and are pushing back against new developments. On Wednesday, Scarborough held the second of two meetings addressing how the town will manage growth since the passing of a new law that could make it more difficult for the town to rein in development, officials said. LD 1829, signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills in June, aims to address Maine’s affordable housing shortage by peeling back zoning restrictions and limiting how municipalities regulate development.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 21, 2025
There are some really cool birds in the world, but perhaps none are as beloved as a snowy owl. Aided by the fame of Harry Potter, snowy owls are one of the most recognizable and charismatic species around. In Maine, we see them only as winter visitors and some years they are completely absent. As exciting as it is, I do worry a bit because of the attention that these owls attract. Only get as close as you need to. You may actually have a better chance of getting to see one hunt if you are far enough away to not disturb any prey items. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox
TRAVEL + LEISURE • November 20, 2025
The state of Maine was ranked the best winter travel destination in the United States, renowned for its heavy snowfall and cold weather activities. The rankings, which were released by online tarot reading site Tarotoo, recognized the Northeast state's snow globe-like setting, large number of holiday markets (there are 26), and impressive 19 different ski resorts. “Beyond skiing, Maine’s frozen lakes, snow-dusted forests, and rugged coastline make it a haven for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and cozy cabin getaways, a quintessential New England winter,” the company wrote in its report. Michigan came in second on the list, New Hampshire third spot, Vermont fourth, Alaska fifth.
MAINE PUBLIC • November 20, 2025
The New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission line — also known as the CMP corridor — will be online by the end of the year, in time to supply power to the grid for the winter season, according to a winter energy plan released by ISO New England. "We're expecting people in New England on some of those colder days to use anywhere between 20 to 21,000 megawatts of power," said ISO NE spokesperson Mary Cate Colapietro. "That's pretty similar to last winter's peak demand day." The NECEC electricity transmission line will carry 1,200 megawatts of hydropower from Quebec to the New England grid. The controversial project was first proposed in 2017 and had been rejected by Maine voters at referendum four years ago. But it came back online after Avangrid won a court victory in 2023.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 20, 2025
Despite the 43-day federal government shutdown, Acadia National Park had its busiest October ever and is on pace to set a new annual record for total visitsWith nearly 600,000 visits tallied last month — when many buildings in the park were closed to the public and only a skeleton crew was on duty — Acadia National Park almost reached 4 million visits for the year by Halloween.
SUN JOURNAL • November 20, 2025
A chemical spill at a cannabis production facility on Riverside Drive forced the closure of several streets Thursday afternoon. The owner of Cure Cannabis said a disgruntled former employee, John Morrison, doused pot as it hung in a drying room poured isopropyl alcohol and bleach on cured marijuana destroying at least $100,000 worth of pot. Central Maine Power was called to cut electrical service to the building as fire and hazmat teams investigated the source of the smell. Riverside Drive from Dunn to Broad was closed as was a stretch of Mill Street from Riverside Drive to Broad Street.
MAINE PUBLIC • November 20, 2025
Wood banks — which provide firewood to people in need at no charge — have officially existed in Maine for almost two decades. They're increasing in number, due in part to the rising cost of living, and cuts to government support programs.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 21, 2025
After years of political and legal setbacks, a new power corridor through western Maine has received the final permit needed to get the project online by its goal of December 2025. When Maine regulators first approved the New England Clean Energy Connect corridor that will carry hydropower from Quebec into Massachusetts, conservationists won a key concession from the project: developers were required to permanently conserve 50,000 acres in the area of the corridor. On Wednesday, Central Maine Power parent company Avangrid received the final approval it needed from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to conserve that area of the Maine wilderness. This means that, once testing and commissioning is done, the power corridor could be online by the end of the year. The $1.5 billion power line is designed to help Massachusetts meet its climate goals.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 20, 2025
Leah Kovitch was pulling invasive plants in the meadow near her home when a tick latched onto her leg. She didn’t notice the tiny bug until her calf muscle began to feel sore. She made an appointment with a telehealth doctor — one recommended by her health insurance plan — who prescribed a 10-day course of doxycycline to prevent Lyme disease and strongly suggested she be seen in person. Later that day, she went to a walk-in clinic near her home in Brunswick. Staffers found another tick on her during the visit and one of the ticks tested positive for Lyme. Her insurer denied coverage for the walk-in visit. She hadn’t obtained preapproval. Prior authorization rules can block coverage for even simple, medically necessary care. The Trump administration announced this summer that dozens of private health insurers agreed to make sweeping changes to the prior authorization process. But, so far, the federal government has offered few specifics about which diagnostic codes tagged to medical services for billing purposes will be exempt from prior authorization — or how private companies will be held accountable.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 21, 2025
Lyman-Morse has been awarded a contract to design and build a fleet of solar-powered ferries that will restore regular passenger service to a portion of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts for the first time in nearly a century. The Thomaston-based boatbuilder is set to build three aluminum, solar-assisted electric ferries for MeVa Transit, the public transportation agency that serves the Merrimack Valley region of Massachusetts. The project is funded by a $4.2 million federal grant.
CENTRAL MAINE • November 20, 2025
About six months ago, several of Newry’s 11 volunteer firefighters downloaded the What3Words app. The free geocoding program divides the world into 10-by-10-foot squares and assigns each one a unique three-word address. Traditional addresses or landmarks often don’t exist in rural areas, making it difficult for rescuers to find people. Using the app is simple: a lost or injured hiker taps the “Locate Me” icon, and the three-word address appears at the top of the screen. They read the words to the emergency call taker. This year, Newry firefighters have rescued five or six people on the 50 miles of trail in the Mahoosuc Range. The tool has its limits. Location accuracy can vary depending on the hiker’s phone carrier.
BOOTHBAY REGISTER • November 19, 2025
Join Kennebec Estuary Land Trust’s Community Engagement Manager, Tyler Pascocello and Maine Master Naturalist volunteers for a winter bird walk at Reid State Park on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 10 a.m.
MAINE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION • November 19, 2025
Each year, the Maine Development Foundation works with the nonpartisan Maine Economic Growth Council to develop the Measures of Growth Report. The indicators included collectively support the idea that Maine’s quality of life depends upon a vibrant and sustainable economy, thriving communities, and a healthy environment. The indicators for the environment:
• In 2024, there were 27 moderately unhealthy days, 12 fewer than in 2023.
• In 2024, Maine maintained its excellent water quality rating.
• In 2023, the ten-year growth-to-removal ratio rose 3% to 1.55 and remained above the sustainability goal.
• From 2020 to 2021, greenhouse gas emissions rose 1.4%.
MAINE PUBLIC • November 19, 2025
Mainers' power bills will go up again in 2026 after the Maine Public Utilities Commission approves new annual contracts to supply electricity to the state's investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities. Commissioners said increasing costs were linked to rising prices of natural gas across the country. About half of the power used in New England is generated by power plants that burn natural gas. The PUC said electric rates for Central Maine Power Customers and Versant's Bangor Hydro District customers would go up about $11 a month, or $132 a year. Versant's Maine Public District in far northern Aroostook County will see bills go up $16 a month, almost $200 a year.
MAINE PUBLIC • November 19, 2025
Some Mainers will see higher electric bills starting Jan. 1, 2026, when a new standard-offer rate takes effect. State regulators on Wednesday approved the new standard-offer supply rates for residential and business customers in Versant Power’s Maine Public District, which covers much of Aroostook County, and Central Maine Power. In northern Maine, the average monthly bill for residential and small-business customers using about 550 kilowatt hours a month will go up $16, while users in central and southern Maine will see a monthly hike of about $11.
MAINE PUBLIC • November 19, 2025
The New England-based Native Plant Trust has reached a milestone in an effort to bank 10 million seeds. The trust is the oldest plant conservation organization in the country, and focuses specifically on rare and endangered plant species that are native to New England. It also works on education, teaching homeowners to grow native plants in their lawns and gardens. Tim Johnson, the organization's CEO, said that seed banks aren't just a scientific endeavor - they're an insurance policy for the future. "Biodiversity, that variation in species and subspecies, that's what gives our ecosystems their functionality," he said. "It's what protects them from disturbances and when bad things happen, it's what allows them to bounce back."
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 19, 2025
It’s a week away from Thanksgiving, and Maine’s brief fall is quickly giving way to wintery conditions. The state saw its first significant snowfall of the year last weekend, with up to 10 inches of snow falling in some towns in Aroostook County, and more than a half a foot of accumulation across much of the region. Temperatures overnight have consistently dropped below freezing, and ice formation has started in some water bodies.
SUN JOURNAL • November 19, 2025
In 2024, energy from renewable sources became cheaper than oil, gas and even coal. President Trump’s backwardness in this area has conceded U.S. defeat in this critical energy transition. He is in service to the old oil, coal and gas businesses and their investors who paid his corrupt demand for $1 billion in campaign funds. They now own him, and no one in government is fighting for the right of U.S. citizens to have clean, cheap energy from renewable energy sources. As always with Trump, when he announces his facts, one never can tell whether he is deliberately lying or if his aging mind is simply spouting information he learned in the 1980s. His pronouncement that wind energy is the most expensive energy in the world is factually wrong. ~ Judy McGeorge, Ellsworth
