Maine lawsuit challenges fly-fishing-only waters under right-to-food amendment

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 23, 2025

Joe and Samantha Legendre, with the support of the International Order of Theodore Roosevelt, have filed a civil suit against the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. They argue that IF&W’s designation of fly-fishing-only waters does not pass constitutional muster and that Maine’s new right-to-food constitutional amendment renders those designations unconstitutional. Of Maine’s more than 5,000 lakes and ponds, IF&W has designated 225 as fly-fishing-only waters. The Legendres previously sought to overturn Maine’s Sunday hunting ban because it interfered with a citizen’s right to obtain food by foraging for wild game on Sundays. That case was dismissed when the courts ruled IF&W and the Legislature have the legal authority to protect Maine’s natural resources through regulation and management. It is doubtful Maine voters intended the right-to-food amendment to create a free-for-all in the state’s woods and waters. ~ V. Paul Reynolds

Lawyers withdraw lawsuit on behalf of Mercer turkey farmer

CENTRAL MAINE • December 23, 2025

Lawyers have dropped a federal lawsuit against Maine state officials that was filed on behalf of a Mercer turkey farmer who later said he unknowingly became the sole plaintiff in the case. The attorneys — one from Maine and two from the national, [far right] Pacific Legal Foundation — filed the voluntary dismissal of Scott Greaney’s lawsuit Wednesday. The lawsuit questioned the constitutionality of the composition of the Maine Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment Fund Advisory Board. The board oversees the investment fund, which is intended to strengthen Maine’s agricultural, food and forest products industries, prioritizing historically marginalized, underrepresented, and underserved communities; address barriers to capital access for businesses in those communities; expand investments in infrastructure; and establish technical assistance programs.

Maine revives Aroostook County wind power project

MAINE PUBLIC • December 22, 2025

Maine utility regulators are jumpstarting a major new wind power development and electric transmission line in Northern Maine. The Public Utilities Commission released a request for proposals last week and asked private developers to submit bids for the project by the end of February. The agency intends to build turbines that can produce up to 1,200 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 475,000 homes. The development is meant to be paired with a major new transmission line linking wind generation near Houlton to an upgraded substation in Pittsfield. PUC Chair Phil Bartlett said in an interview that the project offers New England an opportunity for significant new inexpensive power at a time of surging electricity demand and high prices. The PUC awarded a similar contract for a power and transmission project in 2022, but cancelled the deal about a year later over cost concerns.

Rumford to lease old fire station as hub for recreation

SUN JOURNAL • December 22, 2025

The old Central Fire Station at 151 Congress St. is being leased to Inland Woods + Trails as a home base for recreation, according to Executive Director Gabe Perkins. The Select Board voted Dec. 17 to lease the historic 1924 building to the trail conservation group for three years. This will be a central location for office space, equipment storage, information center as well as a gear library. For contractors coming to do trail work or a state crew they’re thinking about bringing in to help elevate Maine’s outdoor recreation, the building can also serve as a place to sleep at night. Founded in 2011, Inland Woods + Trails serves communities in Western Maine through the management of high quality, durable trails and woods for all seasons. It owns 1,956 acres of community forest land in both Bethel and Rumford and maintains over 85 miles of trails in five towns throughout Oxford County.

US House passes bill to remove gray wolf from Endangered Species Act list

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • December 22, 2025

The U.S. House on Thursday passed, 211-204, a bill to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf outside Alaska. The bill, sponsored by Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert, would direct the Interior secretary to reissue a 2020 rule removing ESA protections that delisted wolves other than the Mexican wolf in the lower 48 states, while stipulating it could not be challenged in court. The rule from President Donald Trump’s first administration was struck down by a federal court in 2022. House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Jared Huffman said the bill set a “troubling” precedent by blocking judicial review. “It tells the American people they no longer have the right to challenge unlawful government actions.”

Trump’s return brought stiff headwinds for clean energy. So why are advocates optimistic in 2026?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 22, 2025

There were some highs amid a lot of lows in a roller coaster year for clean energy as President Donald Trump worked to boost polluting fuels while blocking wind and solar. Energy experts said clean energy must continue to grow to meet skyrocketing demand for electricity to power data centers and to lower Americans’ utility bills. Solar builder Jorge Vargas said it has been “a very tough year for clean energy” as Trump made headlines criticizing renewable energy and Republicans muscled a tax and spending cut bill through Congress in July that dramatically rolled back tax breaks for clean energy. Trump called wind and solar power “the scam of the century.” Companies can’t make billion-dollar investments with so much policy uncertainty. Consequently, greenhouse gas emissions will fall at a much lower rate than previously projected. The year ends with subsidies stripped back, a weakened supply chain, higher costs from tariffs and some customers questioning their commitment to clean energy.

Trump administration pauses 5 offshore wind projects on the East Coast

ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 22, 2025

The Trump administration said Monday it is pausing leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the East Coast due to unspecified national security risks identified by the Pentagon. The pause is effective immediately and will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, time to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess the possible ways to mitigate any security risks posed by the projects.

Maine must stand up to CMP | Opinion

CENTRAL MAINE • December 22, 2025

To protect Maine people and our environment, state regulators need to push back on Central Maine Power’s massive electricity rate increase and flawed mitigation plan for its transmission corridor. CMP wants to collect an additional $1.4 billion from Maine ratepayers The Public Utilities Commission denied CMP’s rate plan. But CMP will return. Also, CMP had years to develop a required conservation plan but came back with a junker — 50,000 acres of some of the most heavily harvested forestland in Maine, with almost no mature trees and little protection for the few remaining older trees still standing. CMP told regulators to wait 40 years for tall trees to return. Despite the flaws, DEP approved it and wrote that future regulators should ignore the precedent. We should not be hit by electricity price hikes tied to CMP’s profit-seeking, nor should we be left holding the short end of the stick, literally, with a lousy NECEC mitigation plan. ~ Tony Owens, Cape Elizabeth, and Lois Winter, Portland

When birds irrupt, winter wakes up

RANGELEY HIGHLANDER • December 22, 2025

Across the state, from coastal towns like Portland and Boothbay to interior communities such as Farmington and Jay , cold-weather species arrive, behaviors shift and familiar birds become easier to observe in the quiet of the season. For many residents, getting outside to look for birds is both a mental-health boost and a way to stay connected with the natural world when the days are shortest. Across Maine, wildlife officials and conservation groups encourage residents to get outside even briefly during winter. Maine Audubon stresses that time outdoors supports mental health and strengthens people’s connection to the natural world, benefits that become especially important during the darkest part of the year.

Can attendance at Acadia National Park keep growing?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 22, 2025

Acadia National Park has weathered periods of disruption in past years, but 2025 will stand out. Acadia’s number of staffed positions was slashed this year by President Trump’s administration, and it experienced its longest-ever federal government shutdown in its 109-year history. And, by the end of this month, Acadia is expected to set a new record in annual visitation of roughly 4.08 million visits for the year. As tourists show up in bigger numbers, and as the park’s staff face layoff threats amid federal wrangling over their budget, it feeds into concerns about whether ever-increasing tourism might be more than the park or surrounding communities can bear. “We need the park to be fully funded and staffed to make sure visitors have a positive experience,” said Perrin Doniger, of Friends of Acadia.

Lessons learned as Maine began pushing for heat pumps in mobile homes

MAINE MONITOR • December 21, 2025

Christine Callahan and her husband, John Callahan, hoped that a heat pump for their home in Waterville would reduce their heating costs, but the equipment turned out to be faulty. “We were freezing,” Christine Callahan said. “The pipes froze from the inside. That’s how cold it was.” The breakdown between the Callahans and their contractor prompted rare intervention on Efficiency Maine’s part. A second heat pump wasn’t perfect: Around New Year’s, it started shutting off after only a few hours of use, Christine Callahan said. The system’s air filter was clogged but it was replaced. Efficiency Maine made changes to restrict which houses are eligible for the mobile home rebate program based on their type of heating system. Efficiency Maine Executive Director Michael Stoddard said the agency can’t monitor every interaction between customer and contractor, but it can step in when needed.

Environmental groups challenge CMP power line conservation plan

MAINE PUBLIC • December 20, 2025

A coalition of environmental groups is challenging a conservation plan proposed by Central Maine Power as part of its permit to develop a new electric transmission line through western Maine. The groups filed an appeal with Maine's Board of Environmental Protection asking regulators to require CMP to protect more mature forest habitat. "The transmission line has already caused harm by fragmenting mature forest habitat," said Natural Resources Council of Maine woods, waters and wildlife director Luke Frankel. "We're calling on the BEP to ensure that CMP's conservation plan complies with the requirements in the permit." NRCM was joined in the appeal by Maine Audubon, Appalachian Mountain Club and Trout Unlimited. CMP was required to set aside 50,000 acres of forest in exchange for building the new transmission line to connect Quebec hydropower to the New England electric grid. 

Column: What are we learning from early Christmas Bird Counts?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 20, 2025

The 126th annual Christmas Bird Counts got underway on Dec. 14, with teams of birders attempting to count all the birds within a predetermined circle in a day. There are hundreds of these circles, a few dozen of which are just in Maine. The count runs through Jan. 5, and different counts are run on different days. Only about half of the counts in Maine have taken place, but we are getting some preliminary numbers that give us insights around what is happening with our birds this winter. We were expecting this to be a good year for many irruptive species, like redpoll, pine grosbeak, and snowy owls that come south (to Maine) from the boreal forest. However, that excitement seems to have fizzled. Another noteworthy observation is the lack of gulls around Portland. One important takeaway is the importance of community science projects in monitoring all birds. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Opinion: Planned Old Port tower flies in the face of the culture we claim to celebrate

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 20, 2025

I am writing to express my deep concern and strong disapproval of the Portland Planning Board’s decision to approve the Old Port Square tower proposal. This project represents a fundamental misalignment with the values, character and needs of Portland and its residents. First and foremost, approving a 30-story tower in the heart of the Old Port is profoundly disrespectful to the historic identity of this city. The attempt to frame the tower’s design as a “lighthouse beacon” that honors Maine’s heritage is disingenuous and, frankly, insulting. Growth can and should happen, but not at the cost of erasing the character and community that make Portland a place worth investing in. ~ Jenna Valente, Cumberland

Column: Why the chickadee is fitting as Maine’s state bird

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 20, 2025

“The state bird shall be the chickadee.” There it is, written directly into Maine law: Title 1, Chapter 9, Section 209. It’s been our official state bird for 98 years. The recognition is fitting. Chickadees are inherently cordial, industrious and useful. They watch out for their neighbors. They’re backyard birds, both at home and up at camp. Chickadees are quick to assess danger and often decide humans aren’t very threatening. While mourning doves and blue jays scatter the moment someone steps into view, chickadees remain at the feeder going about their business. They may scold, and more than once I’ve found myself asking them, “Why are you mad at me?” ~ Bob Duchesne

Opinion: South Portland residents’ waterfront vision continues to be ignored

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 20, 2025

Community members have been clear over the past three years that they don’t want anyone to live on contaminated soil next to 13 oil tanks in a flood zone on a peninsula that dead-ends on one already congested. Why is that so difficult to understand? This is a safety issue, a human rights concern and an environmental justice alarm, not a vendetta against affordable housing. Yet the Comprehensive Plan Committee has designated the eastern waterfront (Bug Light) as a unique high-growth area. The best use of the Shipyard District is to be protected as a national monument or a state park.~ Barbara Dee, South Portland

Senators Introduce Legislation To Reauthorize Wildlife Crossings Program

NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER • December 19, 2025

A group of bipartisan senators has introduced legislation to reauthorize the Wildlife Crossings Program, a competitive grant program with the goal of reducing Wildlife Vehicle Collisions while improving habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species. The crossings program, which is set to expire in 2026, was passed in 2021 to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and support enhanced connectivity to help animals adapt to the changing climate. In Maine, the Department of Transportation was granted $9.3 million to construct a wildlife crossing using a pre-cast concrete arch culvert to provide passage for moose, deer, and other large wildlife in the city of Caribou. The project will improve safety by reducing wildlifevehicle collisions in the area, remove two existing barriers for wildlife and fish passage, and improve habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species.

Can European holiday demand reverse Maine’s lobster export slump?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2025

Maine is hoping Europeans will once again find a place for its lobster on their Christmas tables to offset dismal sales, with the value of year-over-year exports to the European Union down about 42% through September. Dealers blame the lackluster sales on a combination of factors: a declining catch, the rising price of getting the lobster to market and international trade volatility. In 2017, the first year the U.S. lobster industry was hobbled by the Canadian trade differential, 19% of Maine’s Christmas exports went to Europe; last December, without that tariff handicap, 62% went to Europe.

Maine Calling: Winter Light

MAINE PUBLIC • December 19, 2025

Maine Calling teams up with our colleagues at Maine Public Classical to discuss their holiday special “Night Lights,” which celebrates the magic of light in the wintertime. From the winter solstice to the stars in Maine’s dark skies, festive holiday lights and more, we reflect on this unique time of year. And we’ll hear some of the music and stories that will be part of Night Lights, which will air several times from December 23 to 25. Panelists: Sarah Tuttle, host and producer, Maine Public Classical; Jessica Miller, host, Weekend Edition; radio operations announcer, Maine Public; Aleksandar M. Diamond-Stanic, associate professor of physics; chair of physics and astronomy, Bates College. VIP Callers: John Meader, astronomy educator; co-founder, Dark Sky Maine; owner, Northern Stars Planetarium; photographer; Pandora LaCasse, sculptural artist who creates the holiday light installations in Portland.