Fishing lawsuit backed by Wisconsin group targets Maine conservation rules

MAINE MORNING STAR • January 20, 2026

A family of dedicated spin anglers are taking the state to court, arguing that fly fishing only regulations impede their freedom to harvest fish under Maine’s constitutionally protected right to food. The lawsuit, filed last month by Joe and Samantha Legendre in Kennebec County Superior Court, marks the second time Maine’s court system will be asked to interpret whether the Right to Food Amendment supersedes the mandate of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to “preserve, protect, and enhance the inland fisheries and wildlife resources.” It also marks the second time out-of-state funding has been used to target Fish and Wildlife’s regulatory authority.

Opinion: New legislation would make Maine’s polluters pay

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 20, 2026

Fossil fuel companies are spewing billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the air every year. These act like a blanket, reflecting heat back toward the Earth, where it’s absorbed by the ocean. This is why the Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest warming bodies of water on the planet. Our rising ocean temperatures are the root cause of more frequent and more severe storms. Flooding, high winds and falling trees have cost Maine electric ratepayers over $200 million in each of the past four years. Introduced by state Sen. Stacy Brenner, the “Polluter Pays” bill (LD 1870) would charge fossil fuel companies a fee for climate damage they’ve caused in Maine. The funds would be deposited into a state “climate superfund” and used to pay for storm repair and strengthening local infrastructure. Vermont and New York passed similar legislation in 2024. Ten other states, including Maine, are proposing similar legislation. Lawsuits filed by the American Petroleum Institute and the Trump claim that states are regulating emissions, and that this violates interstate commerce laws. These new laws are a step toward making polluters accountable for pollution they cause. ~ Sue Inches, North Yarmouth

Don’t drink Trump’s global warming Kool-Aid | Letter

CENTRAL MAINE • January 19, 2026

This is regarding Gary Steinberg’s Jan. 11 letter, “Dense fuels rule, something Trump understands.” He has clearly swallowed Trump’s Kool-Aid — global warming is a hoax. Mr. Steinberg’s letter says it all: “The fake global warming narrative….” We can go on living as before, no need to change. The Earth is not warming, the ocean is not warming, the glaciers are not melting, the lobsters are not migrating, droughts are not intensifying. All is well.  ~ Phil Coupe Sr., Scarborough

Opinion: A New Year’s wish for North Atlantic right whales

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 19, 2026

Over the coming months, North Atlantic right whales will begin their migration north toward New England. There was a time when thousands of right whales passed our shores each year. Today, around 70 breeding females remain. This is devastating. Entanglement in fishing gear remains the leading cause of injury and death. Ship strikes are another constant danger. The fate of right whales is about coexistence, stewardship, and whether we can find ways to ensure their migrations continue alongside modern life. These whales have endured centuries of change. Whether they endure this one remains uncertain. As we begin a new year and reflect on what we value, I hope we hold space for the fragile hope that they will continue to return, year after year, to the place they have always known as home. ~ Cindy Lowry, Maine-based environmental advocate with more than two decades of experience protecting marine wildlife

Opinion: A science teacher’s case for Nirav Shah as governor

SUN JOURNAL • January 18, 2026

As a science educator, it’s dizzying to watch decades of evidence be ignored. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the U.S. ramped up funding for research and overhauled science education to focus on critical thinking. That investment fueled decades of innovation. Today, we face challenges that are every bit as complex. Climate change is real. Maine’s winters are warmer, its coastline is eroding and extreme storms are more frequent. Maine is also grappling with shifts in traditional industries like fishing and forestry. Maine needs experienced, compassionate, intelligent leadership. ~ Maria Palopoli, Brunswick

Nature Connects: Winter in Maine is a time to embrace and explore

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 18, 2026

Here in Maine, winter is one of the best seasons to be outside. Snow is the only form of precipitation you can truly play in, and a fresh blanket of powder opens the door to experiences found nowhere else: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife tracking and much more. At Inland Woods + Trails, we manage more than 100 miles of trails year-round in Western Maine, including 25 miles of groomed showshoeing, cross-country skiing and fat-tire biking trails. You can visit us at The Bethel Resort every day from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. into March. Across the state, land trusts are offering programming that inspires connection and invites people outside in meaningful ways. There’s a growing recognition that winter programming offers more than recreation. It supports mental health, fosters social connection, strengthens local economies and helps people feel rooted during the darkest months of the year. ~ Gabe Perkins, Inland Woods + Trails

Why are you seeing more evening grosbeaks this winter?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 17, 2026

This winter is shaping up to be one of the best we’ve seen for evening grosbeaks in the state. These large yellow finches, with absolutely massive bills, are fairly common breeders in northern Maine. Pine Grosbeak is a winter visitor to Maine, and technically also a finch, but in a different genus, Pinacola. Evening grosbeaks are in the genus Hesperiphona. Then we have the really confusing rose-breasted grosbeak, which isn’t a finch at all, and instead is in the family Cardinalidae. So “grosbeak” is a bad word to describe relationships, but a good one for describing appearances. One major factor in the abundance of evening grosbeaks lately is tied to the food they are using when nesting, which lately is eastern spruce budworm. Budworms are contributing to the increased population of grosbeaks across the boreal forest where they nest, but it is actually the lack of food in that same area that is driving them south this winter. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Climate activist predicts high electricity prices and Trump’s attacks on green energy will hurt GOP

ASSOCIATED PRESS • January 17, 2026

At a time when the Trump administration rolled back numerous environmental regulations while global temperatures and U.S. carbon pollution spiked, longtime climate activist Bill McKibben finds hope in something that didn’t seem that strong on a recent single-digit-temperature day: the sun. That sun has provided him cheap power for 25 years, and this month he installed his fourth iteration of solar panels on his Vermont home. In an interview after he set up the new system, he said President Donald Trump’s stance against solar and other cheap green energy will hurt the GOP in this year’s elections as electricity bills rise.

Building trails with stronger storms in mind

MAINE MONITOR • January 16, 2026

The state awarded $7.5 million to 44 trail projects through the first round of the Maine Trails Program last month, going to efforts that will help communities better prepare trails for storms, protect against erosion, increase accessibility and more. The funding for these projects, which are spread throughout 15 of Maine’s counties, comes from a $30 million bond passed via ballot measure in November 2024. Adam Fisher, the trails planner who oversees the Maine Trails Program, said one of its goals is to see communities build “sustainable trails” that can weather climate change.

Maine loses edge in battle for China’s lobster market

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 16, 2026

Maine is about to lose its competitive advantage in China’s booming lobster market. Maine exported at least $31.8 million worth of lobster to China in 2024, the last full year of data. On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an agreement-in-principle that gives Chinese electric carmakers access to Canada in exchange for the Maritimes access to China’s vast seafood market. The deal eliminates a 25% punitive tariff on Canadian lobster sales to China, beginning in March and lasting at least through the end of the year. Compare that to American lobster, which faces a 10% punitive tariff on sales into China. That tariff gap will give Canadian lobster dealers a competitive edge they have sorely missed.

Trump officials vow to keep all US coal plants running

BLOOMBERG • January 15, 2026

Trump administration officials vowed to keep US coal power plants operating, casting it as an imperative to meet surging electricity demand and drive a revival of the nation’s industrial base. “The goal is 100% open,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Trump has moved quickly to dial back regulations and subsidies that have encouraged emissions-free renewable power. Under Trump, the Energy Department also has issued emergency orders requiring some coal plants to keep running, and the Environmental Protection Agency recently rejected a bid by Colorado to force the closing of one of its coal plants in the central part of the state. Meanwhile, the Interior Department has also moved to open more federal land for coal leasing.

Land trust provides update on Windham conservation areas, suggests renaming

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 16, 2026

Presumpscot Regional Land Trust updated the Windham Town Council on the state of one of its largest land reserves. Land trust Executive Director Will Sedlack described the East Windham Conservation Area and Lowell Preserve as the “crown jewel” of southern Maine, referring to its 1,110 acres and 13 miles of newly installed trails, that he said was considerably bigger than most of Maine’s state parks.

More Maine towns assert authority over aquaculture, but is it legal or sustainable?

MAINE MORNING STAR • January 16, 2026

For towns like Beals, whose economies revolve around heritage fisheries, the growing number of aquaculture leases along Maine’s coast warrants vigilance and action. Thirty-three leases were approved in 2025, a 27% increase over the previous five-year average of 24. Since 2022, eight Maine towns have responded by asserting home rule over aquaculture development. As chair of the Beals select board, Glenda Beal is central to efforts to balance stewardship of heritage fisheries and the environment with the potential benefits of aquaculture. The Maine Department of Marine Resources has exclusive authority to lease submerged lands in coastal waters for aquaculture. Largescale aquaculture operations concern Beal the most because they have a demonstrated potential to inflict damage on the local environment and undermine traditional maritime uses. “The state has been erroneously deciding these things with minimal local input, and that’s not right,” Beal said.  

Historic Rangeley exhibit showcases western Maine’s earliest human history

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 16, 2026

Historic Rangeley is using archaeology to tell one of the oldest human stories in Maine, spotlighting evidence that people lived and traveled through the western mountains thousands of years ago. Archaeological evidence from the Vail Site dates to around 10,700 BCE, when glaciers were retreating and Paleoamerican people hunted caribou across the newly exposed post-glacial tundra. “They were the first humans to exist in current day Maine and are the ancestors of today’s Wabanaki people,” said Michelle Landry, executive director of Historic Rangeley, referring to the Penobscot, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq and Passamaquoddy tribes.

Opinion: Response to Brunswick foam spill made many omissions

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 16, 2026

Steve Levesque’s op-ed, “Setting the record straight on Brunswick foam spill,” shows insensitivity to the impact of the Aug. 19, 2024 PFAS-containing firefighting foam spill at Brunswick Executive Airport on the community and environment. He said the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) was not negligent, but a June 2023 inspection revealed dangerous problems that needed immediate attention. Then, in June 2024, an email warned the potential for an accidental foam discharge was “tremendous.” Despite this, no subsequent inspection or maintenance of the system was done. On Aug. 19, the spill occurred. Many residences have private wells contaminated with PFAS. Neither the Navy nor MRRA has shown any interest in helping to pay for water filtration systems, which cost thousands. That MRRA chose to ignore the results of the inspection and the plea is proof of its negligence. ~ Robert MacEwen, Brunswick

PFAS Maine farms grapple with PFAS contamination; state support offers hope and relief

NEWS CENTER MAINE • January 15, 2026

The 85th Maine Agricultural Trades Show wrapped up Thursday in Augusta. The show drew hundreds of farmers, including those who are dealing with contamination from PFAS chemicals. The PFAS Fund has distributed nearly $6 million in farm relief, research projects, and free blood testing to hundreds of families exposed to toxic chemicals.  For some, the safety net is a source of hope in an uncertain future. The PFAS Fund has provided over $2.5 million in loans, infrastructure, and income replacement relief. It has also awarded $3 million in research grants for seven projects, including ways to detect PFAS in chicken and eggs and new technology to break down the chemicals in soil. Free blood tests and mental health counseling are available to several hundred families who have been exposed. The Maine CDC is checking in with patients who have high levels of these chemicals in their blood.

Land Use Planning Commission will increase number of commissioners from 9 to 11 under new state law

MAINE PUBLIC • January 15, 2026

Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission will increase from 9 to 11 commissioners under a new state law. Commissioners will be appointed to represent the Wabanaki Nations as well as the state’s interests within the 10 and a half million acres of the Unorganized Territory. Luke Frankel, Woods, Waters & Wildlife Director with the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said conservationists say the north woods is a globally significant area for migratory birds. "The North Maine Woods is part of the temperate forest ecosystem and is one of the largest unfragmented temperate forest ecosystems on Earth," Frankel said. Frankel said the new law includes term limits and requires commissioners to have qualifications in forestry, land use planning, conservation, fisheries, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and natural resource-based businesses within the Unorganized Territory.

Solar companies sue over 'discriminatory' Maine law

MAINE PUBLIC • January 15, 2026

Two solar farms with owners from outside Maine have sued state energy regulators to block expensive new fees imposed by a rollback of the state's solar energy subsidy program. Berwick Solar and Rumford Solar alleged that last year's law illegally targeted out-of-state developers to benefit the interests of Maine electric customers and voters. The law that rolled back a five-year-old expansion of Maine's Net Energy Billing program would "extract economic value from captive out-of-state project investors and redirect that value to the state's own domestic interests," Berwick Solar and Rumford Solar allege. The solar farms are registered and based in Maine but have owners and members outside the state. Berwick is a 2.5 megawatt array and Rumford is capable of producing 3.5 megawatts.

Maine approves new pesticides with forever chemicals

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 15, 2026

The Maine pesticide control board has approved two weedkillers and a potato insecticide that contain forever chemicals, despite the state’s five-year-old law phasing out the sale of products that contain these hazardous substances. The board voted 5-1 in December to allow pesticides containing cyclobutrifluram, epyrifenacil and isocycloseram after a board toxicologist told them the ingredients are not considered to be forever chemicals, or PFAS, under federal law; they are under state law. Environmental advocates and organic farmers condemned the approval, claiming the board is using the narrow federal definition of a forever chemical to ignore Maine’s intent to sunset all PFAS in products made or sold in Maine by 2032.

Opinion: The Wabanaki Nations asked Maine for sovereignty. What did we get? Online gaming.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 15, 2026

For decades, the Wabanaki Nations have asked the state of Maine for one thing above all others: recognition of our inherent sovereignty. Not favors. Not carve-outs. Not special permissions. Simply the same respect for self-government that every other federally recognized tribe in this country enjoys. That request has been consistently denied. We asked for sovereignty. We got i-gaming. Gaming is not sovereignty. Revenue is not self-determination. And economic permission does not replace political recognition. ~ Donna M. Loring, Penobscot Nation elder, Vietnam veteran, author and former state legislator