To curb trash fires, Maine may require battery makers to offer free disposal

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 4, 2026

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is seeking legislative approval to require battery manufacturers to fund a statewide recycling and disposal program, similar to those already in place for lightbulbs and electronic waste like laptops and TVs. The proposal addresses a growing problem: At least 820,000 pounds of batteries are tossed out each year in Maine. The batteries take up Maine’s limited landfill space and are causing a surge in trash truck, recycling center and landfill fires. Nationally, an estimated 5,000 fires erupt at recycling centers every year. On the local level, the nonprofit ecomaine, which manages waste for 70 communities in southern Maine, has reported 63 fires at its facilities since 2023, with 78% caused by lithium-ion batteries.

High Peaks summer intern to hit the trails running

SUN JOURNAL • March 4, 2026

High Peaks Alliance has been selected to host a summer intern through the Richard G. Rockefeller Conservation Internship Program, run by Maine Coast Heritage Trust. It marks the second time the alliance has welcomed a Rockefeller intern in the program’s 10-year history. The intern will be immersed in all aspects of land stewardship, from trail maintenance to community engagement and behind-the-scenes project work. As part of the High Peaks Recreation Ranger Corps, the intern will steward conserved lands including the Perham Stream Birding Trail, Shiloh Pond Community Forest, Fly-Rod Crosby Trail and the Tumbledown and Bigelow Reserve lands.

Fact brief: Does the Penobscot River host the largest population of Atlantic salmon in the U.S.?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 4, 2026

Yes. The Penobscot River hosts the largest remaining population of wild Atlantic salmon in the United States. Federal agencies and academic research describe it as the country’s last remaining stronghold for the species. In the U.S., Atlantic salmon once spawned in rivers as far south as Connecticut, but the species now survives naturally in only a handful of Maine rivers. The Gulf of Maine population was listed as endangered in 2000. During the 19th and 20th centuries, salmon runs collapsed as dams blocked migration routes and rivers were altered by logging, industry and development. Recent restoration work in the Penobscot watershed — including dam removals and fish-passage improvements — aimed to rebuild the population.

Opinion: NECEC conservation plan will not protect Maine’s mature forests

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 4, 2026

The Department of Environmental Protection has approved plans as mitigation for the NECEC transmission corridor. The DEP requires NECEC to protect 50,000 acres to be managed for mature-forest wildlife species. A typical even-aged stand will qualify as “mature forest habitat,” which is only about 50 years old. These stands will lack large trees for wildlife denning and nesting sites, multiple vegetation layers mature-forest birds use for nesting and feeding, and large decaying trees and downed logs that provide habitat for insects, fungi and mammals. After the mature forest goal is reached, clearcutting could occur on thousands of acres every 10 years. First, the definition should include clear requirements for the minimum number of large-diameter trees. Second, limits should be placed on the size and distribution of clearcut or “shelterwood” patches. Third, no cutting should be allowed in the few stands that meet the DEP-approved definition until the 50+% mature-forest goal is reached. ~ Robert Bryan and Paul Larrivee, licensed foresters

Brooksville approves up to $500K bond to dredge cove

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 4, 2026

A long-planned project to dredge a cove in Brooksville and to rebuild public landing infrastructure there got approval and up to $500,000 in local funds from voters Tuesday. Betsy’s Cove, the public landing at Buck’s Harbor, is not deep enough for boats to access at low tide. Currently, Brooksville has no public all-tide access points to the ocean along its more than 50 miles of coastline. That costs the local marine economy significantly. Up to 40 commercial fishermen use the cove throughout the year. The project is also expected to improve access for recreational boaters and emergency services. With Tuesday night’s approvals of three warrant articles, voters authorized dredging a channel and turning basin to 6 feet at mean lowest tide, reconstructing the pier and boat ramp, and issuing a bond of up to $500,000 to fund the dredging or to match grant funds for the overall project. All three passed unanimously.

Surviving Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness takes on new meaning in blockbuster novel

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 4, 2026

Kat Rosenfield grew up spending summers with her grandparents on Sebec Lake, not far from where her latest thriller, “How to Survive in the Woods” takes place. Rosenfield’s signature hypnosis brings readers on a survivalist journey full of twists and turns. Her novel is a thriller for the post #MeToo era.

Opinion: Congressional investment in science essential to protect our ocean

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 4, 2026

Federal science funding supports conservation of valuable ecosystems in Wells, aids ground fishermen in Portland in managing stocks, helps an aquaculture farm in Brunswick reduce pollution, and gives towns like Machias information to plan for storms and flooding. Those activities — and countless others — support jobs, local businesses, and economic stability across the state. In Maine, fisheries, aquaculture, marine technology, tourism, recreation, and coastal planning all rely on consistent, authoritative data, applied research, and a skilled workforce. The president’s budget proposal put forward significant reductions for key federal science agencies. After months of negotiation, Congress recently passed bipartisan legislation that maintains funding for these science agencies for the remainder of this fiscal year. Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Chellie Pingree, through their leadership roles on the Senate and House appropriations committees, helped ensure that federal science funding continues. ~ Deborah Bronk, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, and many others

NOAA announces planned rollback of North Atlantic right whale protections

MAINE PUBLIC • March 3, 2026

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has announced plans to roll back protections for North Atlantic right whales as part of the Trump Administration's ongoing efforts to deregulate across multiple government sectors. There are fewer than 380 right whales left in the world, with roughly 70 females capable of bearing young. North Atlantic Right Whales, one of the most endangered species in the world, are frequently spotted by the dozens in the Gulf of Maine. Vessel strikes and equipment entanglement are the leading causes of death, Rachel Rilee of the Center for Biological Diversity said. “They really are in dire straits." Rilee said reducing vessel speeds in endangered whale habitat has been proven to work. The speed limits have been in place since 2008.

Democrats upset about Maine lobsterman’s role in the Trump administration

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 3, 2026

President Donald Trump’s administration has installed a Maine lobsterman as its first-ever “fisherman in residence.” Dustin Delano of Friendship is working in an unpaid capacity with NOAA while chairing the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association. The appointment comes after a long period of tension between NOAA and Maine politicians and fishermen who have aligned themselves against limits on fishing aimed at conserving endangered whale populations. The congressional delegation won a six-year pause on those regulations in 2022. Two members of the congressional committee overseeing NOAA issued a letter Monday saying the position was rife with potential conflicts of interest. But U.S. Rep. Jared Golden wrote, “I applaud NOAA for identifying the need for a real harvester, not another bureaucrat.”

Opinion: Are we going to stand by while our rivers run dry?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 3, 2026

Last fall, on Sept. 10, Utah State University’s Jack Schmidt spoke at the University of Maine’s School of Earth and Climate Sciences about the Colorado River Basin’s diminishing waters. The river supplies seven U.S. states with drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectric power. But overuse and consecutive dry years have drained the river’s reserves. Now it is March and negotiations remain stalled. Schmidt stressed a critical factor about the river that is often ignored: how the river water is used. Fifty-two percent of the river system’s clean water is pumped into fields and orchards, over half of which is used for livestock feed. We have difficult choices to make. Will we wait until the rivers run dry and soldiers stand guard around reservoirs while people stand in line with empty bottles for a drink of clean water? Or will we take our own action and remind each other, as Rosie the Riveter once did, that “We can do it”? ~ Nestor Walters, a Ph.D. student in Earth and climate sciences at UMaine

Rival ferry service to The CAT might run from NH to Nova Scotia

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 3, 2026

A ferry service that once ran out of Portland has announced that it intends to resume service between Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia. The Scotia Prince would be a potential competitor for the Bay Ferry’s CAT, which takes passengers from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia and receives a $20 million subsidy from the Nova Scotian government The high-speed ferry is owned by the U.S. Navy and leased to Bay Ferries, which operates the vessel under a contract with the Canadian government that runs through 2026. The Scotia Prince has a much longer travel time and route than the CAT’s. However, it is billing itself as an option of “overnight luxury at affordable prices.” That luxury will include a casino, bars, and an entertainment lounge and multiple dining options. It will also be able to carry transport trucks.

UMaine taps into satellite data to help oyster farmers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 3, 2026

The University of Maine is rolling out a free satellite-driven model to help oyster farmers predict when their crop will reach market size, bringing high-tech precision to the hunt for the best tidal sites along the state’s coast. Using satellite data from NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey and the European Space Agency, the model is the foundation of a January research study in the journal Aquaculture. The accuracy was verified by testing it against oyster growth rates at five Maine oyster farms. The online dashboard is coming out at a time when Maine’s oyster sector is booming.

Congress funds work to rebuild Deer Isle Causeway over rising seas

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 3, 2026

Work to rebuild the only road connecting Deer Isle and Stonington to the mainland, so it is more resilient to climate change, is set to start in late spring 2027 after years of anticipation. The project has become more urgent in recent years as high tides more frequently flood the Deer Isle Causeway during storms. The multimillion dollar project was dependent on $12 million in congressionally directed spending, which was included in an appropriations bill in the summer of 2025 but not secured until last month.

How a change to net energy billing could cost a few Mainers tens of thousands

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 3, 2026

Gregory Anderson thought he’d done everything right. In 2021, the Litchfield resident bought shares in a community solar development from ReVision Energy. With a one-time investment of about $16,000, he was able secure about 2.5 kilowatts, enough to cover nearly all of his household’s power needs. In the years since, his family bought a plug-in hybrid car and switched from propane to heat pumps, driving up the household’s electricity usage. To keep pace, Anderson bought another share last year: about 7.5 kW for more than $25,000. But a recent change to the state’s net energy billing rules could force Anderson to forfeit one of those shares — and all the energy savings it promised. For an unlucky group of about 100-200 Mainers who purchased multiple shares in solar farms, a Public Utilities Commission interpretation could cost them thousands in energy savings and turn investments of tens of thousands into wasted cash, said Public Advocate Heather Sanborn.

10 ways to get outside in Maine this March

MAINE PUBLIC • March 3, 2026

March in Maine can be cold, long and lonely. But the last month of winter also means taking advantage of the snow before it melts. So don’t let snowy conditions and freezing temperatures stop you from getting out of the house. Bundle up and get some fresh air at a ski mountain or put on your dancing shoes for a night of contra dancing. Try a new sport or sample syrup at your local maple farm. Here’s a list of some of the events happening across Maine this month. For other events happening in March, check out Maine Public’s community calendar. 

From paperboy to paper magnate: Hugh Chisholm’s mills helped supply America’s postal system

LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • March 3, 2026

Hugh J. Chisholm rose from selling newspapers as a boy to building paper mills, railroads and industrial communities that helped supply the newsprint and postal cards used across the United States, tying western Maine directly to the nation’s communications network. Chisholm expanded into paper manufacturing in 1888 when he founded the Otis Falls Pulp and Paper Company in Livermore Falls. Located along the Androscoggin River, the mill used water power, regional timber and rail access to produce newsprint, the primary paper used by newspapers across the country. His operations later became part of International Paper Company, formed in 1898 through the consolidation of major paper manufacturers. In 1903, the Oxford Paper Company mill in Rumford secured a federal contract to manufacture postal cards for the U.S. Post Office, producing them at a rate of millions per day. Chisholm also helped develop the transportation infrastructure needed to support large-scale paper production.

Opinion: Legislature should not reverse course on Maine bottle bill

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 3, 2026

The Maine Legislature is considering LD 2141, a bill that would take $4 million of unclaimed deposits away from local beverage distributors. The unclaimed deposits are the nickels from containers our customers recycle through their municipal recycling system. Local distributors have used the unclaimed deposits as an offset against bottle bill costs since the program began. Beverage distributors recycle approximately 847 million containers each year. To do that, we pay $50 million annually in bottle bill handling fees to redemption centers. We also pay $20 million annually in pick-up and processing costs — sending trucks to more than 300 redemption centers across the state. The bottle bill doesn’t work unless we pay these costs. We’re proud that our recycling rate (roughly 75%) is one of the highest in the country. If passed, we believe LD 2141 would be a stunning and unjustified reversal by the Legislature, and a serious setback to maintaining a stable, predictable environment for Maine businesses. We hope a majority of the Legislature won’t break the promise they made to us. ~ Jason Largay, Northern Maine at Pepsi Beverages Company in Hampden; Jasper Walsh, Maine Distributors in Bangor

He was Baxter State Park’s 1st ranger when Donn Fendler disappeared on Katahdin

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 3, 2026

On July 17, 1939, Baxter State Park’s first ranger began searching Mount Katahdin for a lost 12-year-old boy from New York. That ranger was my grand uncle. I was reminded of that story recently when I saw the film “Lost on a Mountain in Maine.” My grand uncle Richard “Dick” Holmes was a smart and humble man who loved the outdoors and navigating its wildness. We shared the same hometown on Mount Desert Island. But Dick was a rare breed, taking his passion for the outdoors to a level few ever reach. In early June 1939, he packed his meager worldly possessions into a 1929 Model A Ford and left Northeast Harbor. His home for the season was the campground at Katahdin Stream, where he lived in a canvas tent as the park’s first and only ranger. Dick helped organize a massive search effort for Donn Fendler, with as many as 600 people scouring the mountain and its base. Eventually, young Fendler reached the East Branch of the Penobscot River, where his cries for help were heard. Dick went on to teach arctic survival skills in the Rocky Mountains. He later graduated from engineer officer candidate school. After the war, he moved to Aroostook County to work as a surveyor. ~ Gregory Burr

Column: Oregon ballot measure targeting hunting raises questions for Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 2, 2026

I like to think hunting and fishing will be around forever, especially since our first-in-the-nation Right to Food amendment was enshrined in the Maine Constitution. It included the right to harvest food, often interpreted to include hunting. But a proposal in Oregon would remove exemptions in state animal cruelty statutes and, as opponents argue, could criminalize practices involved in hunting, fishing, livestock slaughter, animal husbandry and animal testing. Organizers are working to qualify it for the November 2026 ballot. Is what is happening in Oregon happening here in Maine? I think I’m justified in believing Maine’s hunting and fishing are under constant threat. Rich, largely out-of-state individuals and organizations who would like to see hunting, trapping and perhaps fishing disappear are just biding their time, waiting for the right timing and for the demographics to change. It would be a good idea to get wildlife management issues out of the referendum process and to enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the Maine Constitution. ~ Al Raychard

Opinion: Senate should reject unqualified national park nominees

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 2, 2026

Our national parks and national wildlife refuges stand as a remarkable reflection of our nation’s heritage. This assemblage of protected natural and cultural resources has served as a model for many other nations, with great positive impact on conservation worldwide. It is an alarming disconnect for our current leadership to disfavor our national parks and refuges and those who manage, study and understand them. Scott Socha has been nominated to be director of the National Park Service. An executive in the hospitality industry, he appears legally unqualified based on the requirements in the law. I am also opposed to the nomination of Kevin Lilly as assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks. He is a corporate executive in the financial sector with no experience in the management of our fish, wildlife and parks. Everyone who loves our national parks and refuges should voice their concern to Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and the president. ~ Michael Soukup, retired National Park Service chief scientist and past CEO of Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park