Column: What finching is, and why you should try it this winter

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 21, 2026

“Bird” is both a noun and a verb. We bird to see birds. I’ve decided that “finch” should also be a noun and verb. Finching is a specialized subset of birding, requiring its own unique mix of acquired knowledge and skills. Finches are a family of birds with heavy bills designed to crunch seeds. Some species also eat fruit in the winter, and all species dine on bugs and caterpillars in summer. Nine finch species might be findable in Maine at this time of year: redpoll, pine siskin, American goldfinch, red crossbill, white-winged crossbill, purple finch, house finch, pine grosbeak and evening grosbeak. ~ Bob Duchesne

State to help fund wetland restoration in Acadia National Park

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 21, 2026

A Mount Desert Island nonprofit will receive $308,000 in state funding for an ongoing restoration project at Acadia National Park’s largest freshwater wetland. The grant awarded to Friends of Acadia will help address damage already caused by climate change at Great Meadow, and will help prepare Acadia National Park for a host of future climate-driven impacts: among them, intense rainfall, harsh droughts, rising sea levels and fewer native plants.

Natural gas prices in New England spiked to their highest level ever in January

MAINE MONITOR/PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 20, 2026

On Jan. 27, Massachusetts saw the highest natural gas price ever recorded since grid operator ISO-New England updated its pricing database in 2003. That day prices on the New England grid soared to $441.8/MWh by one metric, compared with an average of $135.08/MWh in January 2025. Cold snaps like those that recently gripped Maine cause natural gas prices to skyrocket and electricity prices along with them because natural gas accounted for 55% of total electricity generation on the New England grid in 2025 and is turned to when electricity demand is at its highest. Experts say the state should hasten energy project permitting and transmission interconnection to keep prices down long-term.

How would Maine’s proposed climate superfund work?

MAINE MONITOR • February 20, 2026

As Maine grapples with how to pay to fix roads, piers and other infrastructure damaged by severe storms that are increasing as the climate changes, lawmakers are considering a climate superfund act that would fine major fossil fuel companies for past damage. Vermont and New York passed similar laws in 2024; Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are each considering their own bills this year. Maine’s climate superfund bill, L.D. 1870, which advanced out of committee last month, would impose fines on companies that contributed more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions between 1995 and 2024 and put that money toward a range of climate resilience and mitigation projects across the state. The idea is modeled after the federal Superfund program that was established in 1980 to make polluters pay to clean up toxic waste sites. 

Maine Calling: Winter and spring birding

MAINE PUBLIC • February 20, 2026

Winter is a great time for birding in Maine. Plenty of species are still around, from sea birds to snowy owls. And they can often be easier to spot, with less foliage and more white snow to set off their colors. Learn which birds to look for and where, and find out how to prepare for spring migration. Also, hear about the newly completed Maine Bird Atlas.

Conserved lands spotlighted in snowmobile, snowshoe events in Rangeley

CENTRAL MAINE • February 18, 2026

The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust brought dozens of residents and visitors onto conserved lands this winter through snowmobile and snowshoe events designed to connect the community with local trails and winter landscapes. On Feb. 14, the trust hosted a snowmobile trailside rest stop at the Hunter Cove Uplands parking lot along Route 4. More than 45 snowmobilers stopped throughout the day to warm up by a fire and enjoy hot cocoa, coffee, cookies and hot dogs while meeting trust staff and volunteers. The event also gave riders an opportunity to learn about the trust’s efforts to preserve snowmobile access across the Rangeley Lakes Region. The organization maintains more than 35 miles of snowmobile trails on its conservation lands.

Letter: Cryptocurrency mining is not for Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 20, 2026

While Jacob Aronoff makes a valid pitch that tax revenues from crypto mining might offset the public outlay required to improve Maine’s power grid and subsidize the crypto mining industry’s need for massive amount of electricity (“Maine’s energy grid needs help. Crypto mining might offer it,” Feb. 2), this story hit at the same time as reports that a United Arab Emirates company took a $500 million stake in President Trump’s family-owned crypto enterprise. Aside from the unbearable noise emanating 24/7 from the facilities, the power they require is off the scale. Maine already subsidizes commercial solar farms at taxpayer expense. Just say no to this latest raid on our wallets. ~ Larry Butler, Topsham

The strategy behind Maine lawsuits against chemical giants

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 20, 2026

Maine municipalities are joining a national movement to sue large chemical companies whose products polluted wastewater systems and sent sewage disposal costs soaring. Ten Maine lawsuits have added to the thousands across America against 3M, DuPont and 18 more companies that made PFAS or sold products containing them. The towns aim to recover costs to restore tainted wastewater treatment systems and dispose of PFAS-laden sewage solids. The legal strategy by the municipalities rests on the success of a similar nationwide lawsuit where a large group sued over contaminated public drinking water systems. DuPont and 3M settled that case in 2023, agreeing to pay more than $13 billion over 13 years across the 10,000-plus plaintiffs.

Letter: Reducing plastic pollution must be a priority

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 20, 2026

A major theme of Earth Day this year is the need to reduce plastic. According to California’s Stanford Medicine’s website, scientists estimate that humans consume a credit-card size of plastic a week. Most plastic is derived from fossil fuels. The major oil companies know that in order to sell plastic to consumers, they need to convince people that it can be recycled. Sadly, the National Geographic Society reports 91 percent of plastic cannot be recycled. In 2018, Saudi ARAMCO, the world’s largest oil company, announced plans to expand the manufacture of plastic. Other oil companies have since followed suit. Plastic fabrication must be reduced. This can be achieved by limiting the production of oil, and one of the best ways to accomplish that is with a carbon fee and dividend. ~ Kimberlee Hammond, Frankfort

A 207-mile ultramarathon is coming to northern Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 20, 2026

Looking to boost tourism and tap into the expansive wilderness of northern Maine, a group is planning the longest ultramarathon on the East Coast in Aroostook County. The 207-mile Maine Moose Ultra is slated for September 2027. The marathon, organized by the Presque Isle nonprofit Ignite PI, aims to attract world-class runners to the trails of Aroostook County and put the region on an international stage in a sport that has surged in popularity in the last decade. The entry fee will be around $1,200 to $1,500.

Maine’s 2025 moose harvest report is out. Here are the key takeaways.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 17, 2026

Maine’s 2025 moose season registered 2,309 total kills from 4,075 permits, for an overall success rate of 57%. Permit allocations have remained relatively steady over the past five years, ranging from 3,969 in 2021 to 4,105 in 2023. The adaptive WMD 4A produced 140 kills from 520 permits, for a 27% success rate. The adaptive hunt was part of a multi-year management experiment aimed at reducing winter tick impacts by lowering moose densities in that region, particularly through increased antlerless permits. September bull hunts posted lower success rates in every district compared to 2024. Overall, nine districts posted year-over-year increases in success rates, while five declined and four were unchanged.

Maine Forest Service urges loggers to adapt to extreme weather

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 18, 2026

With winters growing more unpredictable, the Maine Forest Service has issued guidance to help the state’s loggers, foresters and woodlot owners navigate the new era of extreme weather. The 42-page handbook acknowledges a stark reality for people who earn their living in the Maine woods: the traditional methods are often no longer enough to handle the unseasonable thaws and heavy rains that are increasingly common in a changing climate. “Extreme weather events aren’t just more frequent and more severe but are inevitable,” the guide warns. “Being prepared for these events with the tools and ideas described in this manual is a good start.” Failure to adapt would have economic as well as environmental consequences.

Here are 5 invasive insect threats to Central Maine you should know about

CENTRAL MAINE • February 19, 2026

Maine is preparing to recognize Invasive Species Awareness Week, Feb. 23-March 1. Early detection, public awareness and reporting remain some of the most effective tools available to protect forests and other areas, according to Allison Kanoti, Forest Health and Monitoring Division director, and Gary Fish, state horticulturist, who offered information about invasive species and the part people can play in identifying and reporting them. The top five invasive species of particular concern right now:
• Asian longhorned beetle
• Emerald ash borer
• Winter moth
• Spotted lanternfly
• Hemlock woolly adelgid

Opinion: Maine’s Board of Pesticides Control is putting our families at risk

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 19, 2026

Even for those who haven’t heard of PFAS, they’ve likely been affected by these forever chemicals — with PFAS pollution costing taxpayers over $100 million and found in high levels in the blood of farmers, their families and neighbors. Maine is a leader in PFAS regulation, having passed numerous laws regulating the production of PFAS products and our food supply. But companies are pushing for weaker standards. The Maine Board of Pesticide Control has echoed industry talking points downplaying the dangers of PFAS. In order to protect our families from PFAS contamination, the Board of Pesticide Control needs to get on board with PFAS regulation. ~ Heather Spalding, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Column: The EPA just took a giant step backward on global warming

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 19, 2026

Last week’s decision by the Environmental Protection Agency repealing a 2009 “endangerment” finding that carbon dioxide emissions threaten the national and global environment was regrettable, potentially tragic — and predictable. Corporate lobbyists, and now a solid phalanx of Republican lawmakers, have been battling against environmental laws and rules since 1970, when the original Clean Air Act written by Maine Sen. Ed Muskie was signed into law by President Richard Nixon — the same year Nixon created the EPA. Sen. George Mitchell, Muskie’s successor, pushed through the Clean Air Act of 1990 against daunting odds and held the first Senate hearings on global warming. All through the 1990s and 2000s, scientific evidence mounted that we were conducting the largest chemistry experiment on the atmosphere in humanity’s brief history, and that disasters were the certain outcome. When Barack Obama became president, the EPA acted with its “endangerment” finding through rule-making. Then Trump was elected again, bent on pursuing a radical anti-environment agenda. Our children and grandchildren will not thank us if they encounter what George Mitchell foresaw as a “world on fire.” ~ Douglas Rooks

Auburn waste plant hits city, member towns with $1M charge and raises fees

SUN JOURNAL • February 18, 2026

After depleting its fund balance over the past few years, Maine Waste to Energy is assessing a $1 million charge on Auburn and other member towns using the facility, with Auburn bearing the bulk of that cost. The 40-year-old plant, which incinerates waste for Auburn and 11 surrounding towns, has fallen into some disrepair in recent years and maintenance is needed, according to City Manager Phillip Crowell Jr. The facility processes more than 72,000 tons of waste a year and uses the steam to capture 3.6 megawatts of electric power.

Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby enjoys best ice conditions in 7 years

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 18, 2026

The Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby took place last weekend, with scores of ice fishers making their way onto the frozen shores of the lake in hopes of getting the biggest catch. The derby was run by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club. Cyndy Bell, a member of Rotary, said the mission of the derby, which has been taking place since 2001, was originally to remove invasive species such as togue and pike from the lake. Those fish, Bell said, compete for the same food sources as the lake’s native salmon population. This year’s derby had more than 1,000 participants.

New details emerge about proposed southern Maine data center

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 18, 2026

David Parent, superintendent of the Sanford Water District, said developers are eyeing parcels of land owned by New England Energy Co. along the Mousam River on the eastern side of town. The project would include independent power generation, a mixture of solar power, battery storage and fuel cells, Harrington It would not draw power from the broader electrical grid “imposing no negative impacts on other electric ratepayers.” It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the data center development. Large data centers, especially those centered on artificial intelligence, can consume massive quantities of water. That’s led to criticism in some parts of the country. The proposed center could use between 300,000 and 500,000 gallons of water per day.

Friends Katahdin Woods and Waters Elects New Board Directors

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • February 17, 2026

Friends Katahdin Woods and Waters has elected three new members to the board. Carla Chung Mattix is a 25-year veteran lawyer with the NPS. John Pond is a Patten native and Executive Vice President of Environmental Programs at engineering firm Haley Ward. Linda Qualey of Benedicta spent her career in nonprofit fundraising and management roles.

Baileyville plant identifies 2nd worker who died in January gas leak

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 18, 2026

A second employee who died this week following a gas leak at a Baileyville paper mill last month was identified Wednesday by the company as a 26-year-old process engineer. Allen Hornberger, who worked in Woodland Pulp’s technical department, died Monday after having been hospitalized since the gas leak late last month. Officials have said the gas appears to have been highly toxic hydrogen sulfide, which was released in the Bleach Plant area of the facility.