Inland Woods + Trails wins $27,000 grant from Maine Tourism

RUMFORD FALLS TIMES • March 5, 2026

Inland Woods + Trails of Bethel is one of 20 Maine organizations to win a total of $450,000 from Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program. Inland Woods + Trails connects people to communities in western Maine through the sustainable management of high-quality, durable trails and woods for all seasons, including the 450-acre Rumford Community Forest. Karla Leandri Rider, Inland Woods development and communications coordinator, said the $27,000 grant will be used for photo content development and digital presence refresh and advertisements. A comprehensive visual media marketing campaign will not only promote Inland Woods’ mission, vision and 15-year history, but also advance western Maine as a year-round tourism destination for outdoor recreation.

Species Slowdown: Is Nature’s Ability to Self-Repair Stalling?

e360 • March 5, 2025

Nature is slowing down, and its ability to regenerate is failing in the face of climate change, according to the authors of a new analysis of the speed of species turnover in ecosystems across the world. When scientists recently analyzed hundreds of studies of ecosystems, they were surprised to see a marked slowing in the rate of species turnover. If new species don’t replace old ones, they say, ecosystems may have less flexibility to respond to habitat loss and climate change.

Here are Maine’s 2026 moose permit numbers by hunting zone

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 5, 2026

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has set the number of moose permits for each wildlife management district for the 2026 hunt. A total of 3,705 permits will be issued statewide, including 2,645 antlered and 1,060 antlerless permits. The hunting seasons are scheduled for Sept. 28 to Oct. 3 for the first bull hunt, Oct. 12 to Oct. 17 for the second bull hunt and Oct. 26 to Oct. 31 for the antlerless hunt. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. May 18. The annual moose permit drawing will take place June 20 at the Acton Fairgrounds in Acton.

No more Maine data centers for now, lawmakers say

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 5, 2026

Maine lawmakers voted Thursday to advance a bill that would stop the development of new data centers in the state for more than a year. The bill, LD 307, would create a temporary limitation on data centers with electric loads of at least 20 megawatts by preventing the state, local governments and quasi-governmental agencies from issuing permits or other approvals until 90 days after the first session of the 133rd Legislature adjourns. That will likely be around October 2027, the bill’s sponsor. That would give a new “Data Center Coordination Council,” also created by the bill, time to study and review the potential impacts of building the centers in Maine.

Center for Wildlife in York celebrates 40 years of helping sick and injured animals

MAINE PUBLIC • March 5, 2026

The Center for Wildlife opened 40 years ago in York, and operated out of a trailer with no running water. Today, its new facility in Cape Neddick treats 2500 sick and injured creatures a year, with plans to handle a thousand more after an 11-year, $11 million expansion is completed. CFW Executive Director Kristen Lamb said each of the animals they treat is a barometer for their species and ecosystems, and their injuries reflect the impacts of our choices in consumption and commercial and residential housing development.

Maine flood risk eases but ice jams pose a danger

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 5, 2026

While the risk of flooding from snowmelt and rain adding to Maine’s rivers is low this year, the potential for flooding caused by ice jams is up, due to very thick ice on rivers such as the Kennebec and Androscoggin. The Maine River Flow Advisory Commission met Thursday to review ice conditions, stream flow and snowpack levels, the spring weather outlook, drought conditions, and flood risks across the state. Even if an upcoming warm spell melts a significant amount of the snowpack, places that trap and store water, like groundwater, wetlands, and other areas, have plenty of capacity to take it on without causing flooding. However, the ice still on most Maine rivers presents a substantially higher risk than normal of ice jams forming; those jams can block off river flow and cause rapid and damaging flooding.

Scientists spot multiple blue whales in southern New England waters

MAINE PUBLIC • March 5, 2026

Researchers say they spotted three endangered blue whales off the coast of Southern New England in in a 24-hour period last month. Observers with New England Aquarium said it's the first time they have documented blue whales in their southern New England survey area. Seeing blue whales outside of their Canadian feeding grounds is rare in the Atlantic, documenting them in two different areas of the ocean just hours apart is a first for Research Scientist Orla O’Brien. She said little is known about the Western North Atlantic population, which is believed to be between 400-600 individuals. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation last month to open nearly 5,000 square miles to commercial fishing. And the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration announced plans to ditch speed limits for vessels put in place for protecting whales as part of the Trump Administration's ongoing efforts to deregulate.

Freeport Energy Forum to highlight home energy solutions

TIMES RECORD • March 5, 2026

Mainers interested in upgrading their homes with green technology like solar panels and heat pumps can explore their options at the Freeport Energy Forum. The forum is set for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 14, at the Freeport Community Center. Maine Rep. Melanie Sachs, chairperson of the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, will deliver the keynote address, followed by ‌short panel discussions. Presenters include Royal River Heat Pumps, Maine Solar Solutions, the retrofitMAINE initiative under the nonprofit organization passivehausMAINE and the quasi-state agency Efficiency Maine. Grassroots organization Freeport Climate Action Now, passivehausMAINE, Balsam Realty and Freeport Community Services are hosting the event.

Column: Now’s the time for a public power authority in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 5, 2026

Public power is an idea whose time has come in Maine — if lawmakers and the next governor listen to ratepayers. Gov. Ken Curtis wanted to shake up lax utility regulation by the Maine Public Utilities Commission, and saw public power as a valuable yardstick to assess the rates being charged by utilities. The proposal led polls by 2-1, but after a relentless lobbying campaign by Central Maine Power it failed. The 2023 initiative to replace CMP and Versant with the cooperative Pine Tree Power Authority was rejected by more than 70% of the voters. Rather than replacing CMP, creating a state power authority to control new generation — now being built entirely by private owners with ratepayers paying the freight — makes more sense. A power authority could own Aroostook Wind, a 1,200-megawatt turbine assemblage to be built in northern Maine. Relying on private investment and the PUC’s RFP process makes little sense. Public power can combine cost savings, financing and reliability with a sense of control and accountability now lacking. ~ Douglas Rooks

Educational signs pulled from Acadia after Trump orders, database shows

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 5, 2026

Hundreds of educational placards have been flagged for removal at Acadia and other national parks because of President Trump’s efforts to politically control information available to park visitors. The entries at Acadia park include displays about climate change and indigenous history. Trump’s March 2025 order instructed the park service to pull displays that “disparage Americans past or living” and distract from the “grandeur of the American landscape.” A coalition of scientists and historians are suing the Department of Interior for the administration’s attempts to “erase history and censor science at America’s national parks.” It appears most of those tied to Acadia National Park have already been taken down from public view. 30 signs detailing the mountain’s importance to the Wabanaki nations and the impacts of climate change were removed from the summit of Cadillac Mountain and the Great Meadow last September.

Maine state historic sites need legislative investment

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 5, 2026

This year we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The anniversary gives us the opportunity and obligation to educate Maine people on the principles, leadership, hopes, wins, and losses that collided to form a radical, new, lasting American democracy. Yet wIth regret, several Maine state historic sites are today closed to the public due to a lack of financial resources appropriated to the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. We urge the Maine Legislature to vote for pending bipartisan legislation that would use available state surplus funds for badly needed one-time capital investments in state historic sites. ~ Julia Gray, Castine’s Wilson Museum, and Benjamin Smith, Arnold Expedition Historical Society

Some Mainers don’t just gaze at the night sky. They capture it.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 4, 2026

Fanatical Mainers all over the state have taken their interest in astrophotography to the next level, investing thousands to build their own observatories and rigs, and agreeing that Maine is a special place to look at the night sky. Because of its low population density and large forested areas, the state has some of the darkest skies east of the Mississippi, according to Shawn Laatsch, the director of the University of Maine’s Versant Power Astronomy Center. Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, known for its clear skies. And the state is roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole, offering a pretty view of the northern sky, Laatsch said. 

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.