The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • January 6, 2026
A conversation on the changing coastal economy of the Gulf of Maine, highlighting innovation, working waterfronts, and community adaptation in the face of environmental and social change. Hosted by Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Jan 21, 2026, 5:30 pm.
MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • January 6, 2026
High school and college students under 30 are invited to learn how the Maine State Legislature works and advocate for climate justice. Team members will gain experience in grassroots organizing, public speaking, writing, and legislative advocacy, including presenting testimony, lobbying, and writing letters to the editor. Estimated commitment: 4.5–6 hours per month (January–April 2026). No prior experience or resume required. Admission: free.
NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • January 6, 2026
Every year, hundreds of bills at the State House impact the nature of Maine. Learn how you can make a difference. January 8, 2026, 12 - 1 PM, Zoom.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 6, 2026
2025 was a tough year for climate action. National priorities shifted, energy incentives were cut and climate mitigation and adaptation programs were phased out. Offshore wind faced major hurdles from inflation and high interest rates, supply chain constraints and new federal policies and executive orders that paused or halted projects. These changes pushed activity to the state and local levels, forcing businesses, government and communities to learn how to work together more collaboratively. The impacts of climate change are palpable in Maine. The pendulum of climate action will swing back toward stronger mitigation and adaptation policies. We must ensure Maine is not just prepared for that shift, but positioned to lead it. ~ Jeff Marks, ClimateWork Maine
MAINE MORNING STAR • January 6, 2026
How quickly things fell apart. Last month, the Trump administration ordered a pause on all five in-progress offshore wind projects in America citing unspecified risks to “national security.” It was the largest blow yet to a once-growing industry that Trump has brought to its knees in just 11 months. While Trump spent much of 2025 slowing the incredible rise of renewables, his unrelenting war on so-called “windmills” has been more vicious and personal. His attacks on offshore wind this past year encapsulate this new era of politics. He throttles long-held norms in favor of retribution and personal grievance. He contorts facts and pushes officials to do the same. Left in the wake are everyday citizens who are losing the prospect of good-paying jobs, access to lower emissions, revitalized ports, reliable electricity, and a buffer against skyrocketing power bills driven by an AI boom.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 5, 2026
Traveling along the bank of Musquash Stream in Nahmakanta Public Lands, a scenic hiking trail visits a series of small waterfalls before turning back into the forest and forming a small loop. This 0.9-mile trail is one of the many hikes located on the state-owned property, which encompasses 43,000 acres about halfway between Moosehead and Millinocket. The waterfalls that the trail visits on the stream are a combination of cascades, slides and stairs, and they’re ever changing, depending on the water level.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • January 5, 2026
One of the world’s rarest whale species is having more babies this year than in some recent seasons, but experts say many more young are needed to help stave off the possibility of extinction. The North Atlantic right whale’s population numbers an estimated 384 animals and is slowly rising after several years of decline. The whales have gained more than 7% of their 2020 population. Researchers have identified 15 calves this winter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday. That number is higher than two of the last three winters, but the species needs “approximately 50 or more calves per year for many years” to stop its decline and allow for recovery, NOAA said. The whales are vulnerable to collisions with large ships and entanglement in commercial fishing gear.
MAINE PUBLIC • January 5, 2026
The Center for Biological Diversity is suing the federal government for failing to protect American horseshoe crabs under the Endangered Species Act. Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center, says since 2000, horseshoe crab populations have crashed by more than 70% across their range from Maine to Louisiana. "And the main reason their numbers have crashed is because of overharvest," Harlan said. "They've been decimated by both the bait and most recently, the blood harvest. That's when horseshoe crabs are taken and drained of their blood because that blood is useful in drug safety testing." The state of Maine considers the species at-risk due to development, wastewater effluent, and both unintentional catch and small scale harvesting. While their numbers have historically been relatively small in the state, Harlan said that's changing due to climate change.
MAINE PUBLIC • January 5, 2026
Maine's public retirement system has missed a 2026 deadline to fully divest from fossil fuels set five years ago, to the disappointment of some environmental advocates. The Maine Public Employee Retirement System (MainePERS) said it has about $1.15 billion invested in the fossil fuel sector as of last June. That's roughly 5% of its total investment portfolio, according to a end-of-year report to the Legislature. The agency said it stopped making investments in the sector in 2017. Fossil fuels as a share of its portfolio has gradually dropped and will be around 4% by 2028, according to the agency. But it "does not believe further active divestment from fossil fuels would be in the best financial interests of members as benefit recipients, as further action would conflict with both the trustees’ duty of loyalty and its duty of prudence to our members," MainePERS said in the report.
CENTRAL MAINE • January 5, 2026
Leo St. Peter says he thinks the city’s rules about keeping chickens are too restrictive, and he wants to see them loosened. St. Peter said with food prices high and people wanting to raise their own food to cut costs and eat more healthfully, making it easier to raise chickens is important. The requirement that people raising chickens have at least 8,000 square feet of property is too stringent, as is the limit of six chickens per lot, according to St. Peter.
MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • January 5, 2026
The public is invited to attend the public launch of the Free The Andro coalition, a Maine non-profit citizens group formed to restore fish passage between the Androscoggin River and the ocean after more than a century of neglect and blockage at the Brunswick–Topsham dam. Free the Andro will present the challenges of the Brunswick-Topsham dam stopping passage of critical migratory fish and discuss potential solutions for rebuilding abundant and sustainable fish populations and returning the river to a functional ecosystem. This is truly a once-in-a lifetime opportunity as the dam faces Federal relicensing which will determine the fate of the river, its fish, commercial and recreational fishing, and the many communities along its shores for generations to come.
WHAT: FREE THE ANDRO Kick-Off Public Meeting
WHERE: Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick
WHEN: 5:00-6:30 pm Tuesday, January 27, 2026
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 5, 2026
Hunters and non-hunters may be tempted to provide supplemental nutrition to help deer survive the harsh winter conditions. Before you do, there are things you should know. First, deer are well adapted to withstand winter. Most will make it and some won’t, but that’s nature’s way of culling out the weak and sick. Feeding artificially concentrates deer, often in the wrong areas. Attracting deer close to roads and houses increases the probability of car-deer collisions, and stress or mortality from free-roaming dogs, as well as over-browsing and depredation of ornamental plants. Deer have a very complex digestive system. A deer could die with a full stomach if fed the wrong food at the wrong time. Enjoy the chance encounter when they wander through the backyard, but let them follow their natural instincts for finding food and cover. ~ Bob Humphrey
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 5, 2026
At an elevation of 1,532 feet, exceptional Cadillac Mountain is the tallest peak along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Arguably the most scenic mountain on the coast of Maine, three major trails lead to the summit. North Ridge Trail was the choice for our trek. Our final climb was rewarded with breathtaking vistas of surrounding mountains and the jagged coastline below. After careful examination of our maps, we decided to travel back on the longer but presumably more forgiving and equally scenic Cadillac Mountain Road. A combination of ice, hard-packed snow and sometimes bare pavement resulted in indecision regarding footwear. Some removed spikes while others continued with them. By the time we joined the Park Loop Road, everyone had fallen at least once. What had appeared to be a safer hiking alternative turned out to be more hazardous. ~ Ron Chase
MAINE MORNING STAR • January 5, 2026
New analysis of federal and state data by the Maine Center for Economic Policy shows the number of Canadians visiting Maine has plummeted since President Donald Trump’s inauguration and as a result economic activity in Maine’s border communities has shrunk significantly. Since last January, Trump has made a number of antagonistic moves towards Canada, from imposing tariffs, to threatening to annex the country as the “51st state.” Canadians have responded with their own tariffs and boycotts of American-made products and travel to the United States. Since Trump’s inauguration, almost 750,000 fewer people have crossed the land border into Maine. The Canadian boycott of Maine has had repercussions on the state’s economy, especially in areas near the border. ~ James Myall, Maine Center for Economic Policy
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 5, 2026
Scarborough residents are largely satisfied with life in town, but they’re worried about the pace and scale and rapid pace of growth, according to results of a community survey released late last month. Scarborough is one of Maine’s fastest growing towns, and pushback against growth is a common refrain among some residents. They share concerns about increased property taxes, difficulties accommodating a growing student population, impact to public infrastructure and increased traffic. The majority of survey respondents who had an opinion said that multifamily and single-family residential development was happening too fast. A new state law signed in June exacerbated the community’s concerns about growth. In an attempt to address Maine’s affordable housing shortage, the law limits zoning restrictions and municipalities’ ability to regulate development.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 5, 2026
Loon Echo Land Trust was one of the recipients of the inaugural round of the Maine Trails Program, receiving $142,000 from the state to develop mountain biking trails at the Rolfe Hill Forest area in Casco. Loon Echo purchased the 400-acre Rolfe Hill Forest property, which Casco’s open space plan identifies as an “area of high recreational and ecological importance,” in early 2024 after a successful multiyear fundraising campaign. Trail development in the area began last fall, when Loon Echo partnered with Mt. Abram Trails to construct a 0.7-mile downhill flow trail. Slated to open in the spring, it will be the first piece in a planned trail network, which the Maine Trails Program funding will allow to expand by 2.5 miles.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 5, 2026
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, renowned for its incomparable ecological values, cultural significance and climate importance, is again threatened by the current administration. Drilling in the irreplaceable Arctic landscape is a waste of taxpayer dollars: it will not raise money to balance the budget. The first mandated lease raised less than 1% of the nearly $2 billion in revenue promised and was canceled. The second lease sale drew no bids and raised no dollars. This year, Republicans in Congress mandated four lease sales in the Refuge. And a new resolution passed in October allows oil and gas corporations to sidestep essential environmental protections. Drilling in the Arctic would exacerbate the climate crisis at our doorsteps in Maine. Urge Sens. Collins and King to co-sponsor the Arctic Refuge Protection Act and thank Rep. Pingree for doing so. ~ Daniel Tandy, Maine Alaska Coalition, former National Park Service ranger in Alaska, Westbrook
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 5, 2026
Anyone who cares about public health, sanitation and clean water should see the award-winning documentary “Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong.” The film follows the employees of Portland’s wastewater treatment plant. These workers are doing phenomenal work with limited means to keep our environment clean. My takeaway is that it’s becoming increasingly important for existing wastewater treatment plants to be upgraded so that they can effectively handle wastewater in an efficient and environmentally friendly way. However, the Trump administration proposes to reduce or eliminate funding for many water infrastructure programs. I salute the Portland wastewater plant workers for their impact on public health, the local economy and environmental well-being they deliver. ~ Jim Farnan, East Boothbay
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 5, 2026
Nearly five years ago, Maine passed a first-in-the-nation law requiring the state pension system to divest from fossil fuels. Thursday was the deadline to do it. Yet roughly $1.15 billion was still invested in the sector as of December. It has long been clear that the Maine Public Employees Retirement System wasn’t going to meet the deadline. The agency has cited a part of the law that requires it to divest while meeting its “fiduciary obligations” to current and future retirees. The 2021 law was part of an environmental movement to push institutions to get out of the fossil fuel sector. Maine’s pension system made its last investments focused on the fossil fuel sector in 2017. The share of money in the sector has naturally declined since then. It now sits at 5.4% and is expected to be under 4% by 2026. Getting out of fossil fuels at once would be costly, the agency argues.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 5, 2026
AI data centers power the modern digital world, fueling everything from smart assistants to cutting-edge research. But with this progress comes questions: How will they affect local resources? What community benefits could they bring? What trade-offs might your town have to make? What will they mean for our local environment, our power grid, our water supply? Will they bring good jobs, or simply siphon resources while profits flow elsewhere? These are looming decisions that will shape the character of Maine’s towns for decades to come. There are no state or federal regulations for AI, nor legal frameworks requiring owners and operators to disclose their energy and water consumption. In fact, a recent executive order promised to preempt regulatory efforts at the state level. Community wellbeing is dependent on a robust and transparent public process. It’s your region, community, or neighborhood that will bear the impact as these facilities are built. ~ Joe Oliva, GrowSmart Maine and Maine Broadband Coalition
