Ellsworth mulls $100K program to protect ash trees from emerald ash borer

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 22, 2026

The presence of emerald ash borers was confirmed on Mount Desert Island last April, adding to a growing list of infestations in many parts of the state. The invasive wood-boring beetle kills ash trees by feeding on their inner bark, nearly always ensuring the tree’s death within three to four years. The insect has wiped out tens of millions of ash trees in North America, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since infestations were detected around Mount Desert Island, Bangor and Hermon, Ellsworth is weighing a $100,000 treatment program that could protect the city’s ash trees from the invasive species.

This Orono forest has a pine tree so big it has its own name

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 22, 2026

Meet “Big Old Tree,” the enormous pine that’s featured on the Orono Land Trust logo. The tree is located at Jeremiah Colburn Natural Area, on land that was the catalyst for the formation of the Orono Land Trust. Though the town owns Jeremiah Colburn Natural Area, the Orono Land Trust continues to manage the property. It’s home to about 3.5 miles of intersecting trails. Originally published in March 2022

How to find sea anemones along Maine’s coast

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 22, 2026

Sea anemones evolved more than 500 million years ago, making them among the earliest animals on Earth. I didn’t know that they lived along the coast of Maine until I was an adult and learned more about tidepools: saltwater pools that form between high and low tide. The Gulf of Maine is home to several anemone species, each with a slightly different appearance. There’s the frilled anemone, burrowing anemone, ghost anemone, striped anemone, silver-spotted anemone and northern red anemone. They’re certainly not as abundant as other tidepool creatures such as barnacles, periwinkles, dogwhelks, limpets and crabs. Nevertheless, in recent years, I’ve stumbled across a number of locations where anemones seem to thrive.

Machias committee recommendations aim to limit flood risk

MAINE MONITOR • March 21, 2026

The Upper Machias Bay Master Plan Leadership Committee has released its recommendations for infrastructure improvements following a public meeting earlier this month. Among the recommendations to address flooding in downtown Machias are fixing drainage issues on Short Street and at the base of Court Street, including slowing stormwater that flows downhill there; working with the Maine Department of Transportation to increase inspections and repairs of catch basins, culverts, ditches and outflows; and offering incentives and education for watershed landowners to plant rain gardens, use rain barrels and keep roadside ditches and drains clear. Longer-term solutions include obtaining a full engineering report on stormwater system upgrades and raising funds to carry out projects that would slow or divert stormwater and reduce flood risk.

Column: New trail system in York County latest success of land trust

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 21, 2026

The South Peak of Bauneg Beg Mountain rises to an elevation of 866 feet in the northern  reaches of North Berwick. Much of the new trail system on Bauneg Beg’s South Peak was constructed by a cadre of dedicated volunteers, while the technical work was completed by the Maine Conservation Corps during the summer of 2025. Boardwalks, bridges, switchbacks, blazes, trail signs — they’re all in place to lead you through all the natural beauty in a sustainable way. Bauneg Beg Mountain Conservation Area South was officially opened to the public last autumn. ~ Carey Kish

Gubernatorial candidates at Wabanaki forum agree on tribal sovereignty

THE COUNTY • March 20, 2026

Gubernatorial candidates attending the first ever Wabanaki forum on Thursday in Houlton each said they support tribal sovereignty. About 150 people attended the over-two-hour session that explored candidate views on issues related to restoring access to federal laws for tribes, teaching Wabanaki studies in Maine schools, eminent domain over tribal lands, and sovereignty. During the question and answer forum, hosted by the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Democratic and independent candidates agreed that tribal sovereignty is long overdue and already should have happened. Maine is the only state that does not recognize the tribes as sovereign nations. As a result, the tribes do not receive the federal money and benefits that the other 570 nations in other states receive. 

Amphibian conservation group dives into municipal planning

MAINE MONITOR • March 20, 2026

During a big night, volunteers might observe wood frogs, spotted salamanders, spring peepers, great tree frogs and bull frogs, among others. Wood frogs are typically part of the first wave of species to emerge from winter hibernation, and they can travel up to a kilometer. As more volunteers get involved with Maine Big Night, more crossings are tallied and added to the organization’s database. Biologist Greg LeClair projects that the number of all-time recorded amphibian crossings will top 70,000 this spring, if keeping with past years’ trends. The average mortality rate, or share of frogs and salamanders found dead on the road, is around 25 percent. Over the short term, the data collected by volunteers can help researchers identify areas where amphibians are particularly vulnerable.

A grant will pay Aroostook town’s police to patrol ATV trails

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 19, 2026

With ATV access at every corner of town, Houlton will soon see police patrolling the trails. A new $10,500 state enforcement grant will pay officers to monitor use, reduce resident complaints and educate riders about safety and respect for landowners. Landowners in the state open up more than 10 million acres of working farms and forests for outdoor recreation and “access is a privilege, not a right,” according to Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. All it takes is one ATV rider going through a farmer’s newly planted field to close a trail. The ATV trail system completely surrounds this Aroostook County town of 6,000. Additionally, nearly every local street is a designated trail access road from trailhead to trailhead.

Two popular trail networks in Portland will soon be connected

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026

A new bridge over the Stroudwater River is a critical milestone in a plan to connect the Fore River Sanctuary and the Stroudwater River Trail. The bridge waited on the ground next to the river for years while the nonprofit Portland Trails completed fundraising and permitting for the project. Now, it stretches across the water with accessible ramps on each bank. It won’t officially open until later this spring — signs warn “Please Use Bridge At Your Own Risk” — but it is traversable. “It’s a major link,” said Jon Kachmar, executive director of Portland Trails. “It will really connect the city in a way that it’s never been connected before.”

Cold weather and tariffs squeeze Maine’s maple producers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026

A deep winter chill across the Maine woods has kept maple trees dormant longer than usual this year, forcing producers into a high-stakes race against time as the sap finally begins to flow. Southern Maine farmers plan for a mid-February start, but a stubborn winter has held trees in a deep sleep until March. The delay has some worried about the length of their harvest window before the spring warmth causes trees to bud, which ends their season.

4 best hiking trails in Scarborough, according to readers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026

While spring may not have arrived just yet, if you don’t mind getting a little mud on your shoes, you can start to enjoy Scarborough’s many hiking trails now that the snow and ice are melting. I put a call out on social media asking for readers’ favorite hiking trails in Scarborough.
• Fuller Farm Preserve. On the 224 acres, there are 4 miles of trails, including boardwalks, dirt lanes, natural trail beds and wetlands, according to the Scarborough Land Trust.
• Broadturn Farm. With 434 acres and 2.6 miles of trails, Broadturn Farm is Scarborough Land Trust’s largest property.
• Warren Woods. There are 1.4 miles of trails at the Elaine Stimson Warren Woods, which is located on Payne Road.
• Eastern Trail. The Easter Trail is a 65-mile long multi-use trail spanning from South Portland to Kittery — with some gaps. 

Maine lobsterman asks US Supreme Court to block GPS boat tracking

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026

A fifth-generation Vinalhaven lobsterman is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal regulation requiring commercial lobster boats to be monitored by GPS trackers 24 hours a day. Frank Thompson is challenging a 2023 regulation that requires all federally licensed lobster vessels in the Northeast to install trackers that transmit the ship’s location to the government at least once per minute. Thompson argues the continuous, warrantless surveillance is a violation of his Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Fishing regulators say the data improves understanding of the lobster population and can inform future rules.

Sharing the Secrets of Seabird Restoration

AUDUBON • March x, 2026

Over the last 52 years, Audubon’s Seabird Institute, based in Maine, has pioneered ways to encourage seabirds like puffins, terns, storm-petrels, and more, to recolonize historic nesting islands. Many of their techniques revolve around the idea of social attraction, which often involves using decoys, mirrors, and playback of seabird recordings to trick birds into thinking that an abandoned colony is a popular place. Deceptive? Maybe, but also very effective. With the techniques they developed, the Seabird Institute has restored nesting seabird species that occurred in Maine prior to European colonization, reversing island- and state-wide extirpations that occurred decades and centuries earlier. To disseminate this information to seabird managers around the world, the institute established the Herz Fellowship.

Search for missing Brunswick woman resumes after nearly 2 months, closing local trails

TIMES RECORD • March 20, 2026

Searchers will be out on Brunswick trails this weekend looking for Rebecca Dorr, who has been missing since late January. The town’s Parks and Recreation Department announced Friday that trails at the Town Commons will be closed Saturday and Sunday as the Maine Warden Service and other search-and-rescue crews relaunch their search. The search for Dorr had previously been suspended due to snow and cold temperatures. Dorr is impacted by mental health issues.

Study: Portland a top 10 small U.S. city for careers, thanks to quality of life, job market

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026

Buoyed by high quality of life and job market strength, Portland cracked the top 10 in a recent national study that ranked small cities for career opportunities. The market study from CoworkingCafe, which looked at nearly 300 cities with populations under 250,000, cited Portland as one of the northeast’s most livable and well-rounded cities.

Opinion: Investing in Maine’s land is an investment in our communities

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 20, 2026

In the coming weeks, the Maine Legislature will consider whether to renew its investment in Land for Maine’s Future (LMF), a statewide initiative that has helped communities protect the landscapes that define Maine. This decision offers an opportunity to reflect on a simple truth: Investing in land is also an investment in the health, resilience and prosperity of our communities. The program has helped safeguard drinking water sources, protect the natural resources and working landscapes that fuel our economy and ensure that Mainers of all ages, abilities, interests and backgrounds enjoy access to the outdoors. Today, however, LMF has largely exhausted its available funding. Without renewed support from the Legislature, opportunities to protect the lands that matter most to Maine communities will be lost. ~ Aaron Dority, Frenchman Bay Conservancy, and Amelia Nadio, York Land Trust

Midcoast RV resort proposal at odds with a piece of Maine’s blueberry landscape

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 20, 2026

The blueberry barren on Northport’s Bird Hill is a favorite local spot to hike, stargaze, hunt, paint, watch birds and take senior photos. In the fall and winter, the blueberry plants turn shades of crimson and maroon, and the ledgy hilltop offers arresting views of the Camden hills. But by July, this spot could be home to an RV resort. A Massachusetts couple is under contract to buy the property from Jasper Wyman & Son, the state’s largest blueberry producer. They plan to eventually build up to 80 RV sites, clusters of geodesic domes for glamping, and spaces for wellness retreats. A group of Northport residents are trying to stop the development. On Monday, they will present a petition, signed by more than 200 people so far, to the Select Board expressing opposition to the resort. They are also asking the board to put before voters a 180-day moratorium on commercial and large-scale housing development.

Western Maine farmers on CSAs: ‘It just shows what a community truly is’

SUN JOURNAL • March 19, 2026

Farms across Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties offer Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, shares. CSA shares allow residents to pay up front to receive through the season regular allotments of a farm’s products, whether that’s fruit and vegetables, meat, fiber goods, or anything else they might grow or produce. We talked to some local farmers who offer CSAs about why they do it, and why the programs help consumers and the farms.

Experts to discuss how federal funding cuts affect Maine farmers

TIMES RECORD • March 19, 2026

A community forum will connect farmers, people who work in food security and Midcoast residents to discuss how federal funding cuts are affecting Maine farms next week in Topsham. Community Conversation: Food, Farms, and Families will be held at the Topsham Public Library from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, featuring panelists from Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Center for Economic Policy, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and Full Plates Full Potential.

Common Currents: Art Centered Around the Health of Casco Bay

FRIENDS OF CASCO BAY • March 19, 2026

Friends of Casco Bay is proud to partner once again with the Ocean Currents class at Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) for an exhibit of student work inspired by Casco Bay. This exhibit, on display in the Congress Street windows at MECA&D in Portland from April 7 to April 18, showcases how those experiences took shape in their creative work — offering fresh perspectives on the waters that define our region and inviting viewers to see Casco Bay through a new lens. A reception to celebrate the artists, artworks, and Casco Bay will be held on April 8, 2026, at 5:30 pm in the lobby at MECA&D.