Labor complaint roils Maine lobstering community built on passing traditions to children

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 2, 2026

John Drouin, a lobsterman in Cutler, put his first few wooden traps out from a skiff with his stepfather as a 13-year-old. As an adult, he took all five children in his blended family out fishing, along with other local kids and their friends; two of his sons are lobstermen today. In remote coastal communities like Cutler, the work is a focus of local life and identity, Drouin said. Drouin is one of the Maine lobstermen frustrated by a child labor law violation case against Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, Maine’s House Minority Leader. The Maine Department of Labor fined him several thousand dollars for employing a child “in a hazardous occupation” temporarily on his lobster boat, which was dropped after an appeal, and for not keeping records of the child’s hours and payment. The case has raised questions about how state and federal laws define which jobs are off limits for kids, and could lead to future guidance from Maine agencies about how children can work on the water.

Column: The strange case of Maine’s disappearing bond issues

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 2, 2026

Since the 1950s, Maine has used traditional bonding to make major investments in infrastructure expected to last for decades without overtaxing operating budgets. Through Democratic, Republican and independent administrations, bond issues once appeared on the ballot like clockwork. The Janet Mills administration has proposed just four bond issues in eight years. The current appropriations package includes bonds for transportation ($65 million), farms and forests ($45 million), the UMaine System ($18.5), water system and wastewater treatment ($40 million), “resilience” culverts and housing subsidies. There’s a notable exclusion: the Land for Maine’s Future Fund. A state that fails to invest in its future is a state that will cease to grow. The Mills administration has presided over eight consecutive years of budget growth. It’s too bad we don’t have more to show for it. ~ Douglas Rooks

Plug-in solar could be coming to Maine thanks to this bill

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 2, 2026

Mainers may soon be able to install small-scale, portable solar energy systems in their homes, under a bill backed by the Legislature on Thursday. If signed into law, the measure, LD 1730, would allow electricity customers to use certain small solar generation and battery systems, which plug directly into wall sockets, similar to gas generators. Since they attach to a home’s electrical system like any other appliance, these panels are also portable, meaning homeowners and renters can take them along when moving — unlike traditional solar systems, which are generally permanent. The proposal comes as Mainers face steep electricity prices, driven largely by the cost of natural gas. It also comes as the American and Israeli conflict with Iran shakes global oilmarkets.

Opinion: How to cut electric rates in Maine — without public power

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 2, 2026

There are answers that can contribute to significant reductions in electric bills without the apparently futile push for public power. 1. The Maine Public Utilities Commission does not promote competition. It should accept offers of any duration, and any provider should be allowed to make multiple offers. 2. The state should compare ISO-NE with a possible arrangement linking it to the Canadian Maritime systems. Their simpler operations might be less costly than the six-state arrangement in which Maine is required to assume costs in other states that may not make economic sense. Or Maine might go it alone. 3. Maine municipalities are authorized by law to create their own distribution utilities, which don’t have to produce a profit and may borrow at tax-exempt rates. Wires costs could come down. 4. The MPUC could set a cap on the profit investor-owned utilities can take from customers. 5. Customers face big storm-related bills. Utilities ought to be required to have comprehensive, long-term improvement programs and to put some revenues into a sinking fund that could help pay costs when a storm hits. ~ Gordon L. Weil

Strong students launch podcast on Maine outdoors

FRANKLIN JOURNAL • April 2, 2026

Students at Day Mountain Regional Middle School have launched a new podcast highlighting Maine’s natural environment. The “Wild and Wonderful Podcast,” created by members of the school’s Environmentalist Club under adviser Jami Badershall, features student-led interviews with local experts focused on wildlife, conservation and environmental change. “Our students are reminding us that learning is truly ‘wild and wonderful,’ and their voices are worth listening to,” Maine School Administrative District 58 Superintendent Laura Columbia said.

Letter: Active transportation should be the way forward for Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 2, 2026

Active transportation should be encouraged for both physical and environmental health. Consider carpooling and combining trips. Fewer cars will help nature in many ways, not just save people money. Also, driving slower and not idling will reduce pollution and money on gas. Many Maine community organizations, The Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Casco Bay Alliance and others, have been working on getting more roads designed for the people who walk, bike and roll outside of cars to be safe. The Rails to Trails Conservancy, a national group working for decades on making abandoned rail lines into multi-use trails, has helped increase active transportation. And it is great that MaineDOT will start its work plan for the Casco Bay Trail this year. We need to focus on the positive changes that are coming during these negative times. ~ Angela King-Horne, Pownal

National parks as a collective experience

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY • April 1, 2026

Much U.S. national park research and management has focused on "crowding," with many researchers often assuming higher visitor density inevitably degrades visitor experience. While valuable in guiding the protection and management of national parks, this "deficit-based" crowding framework largely overlooks one of the positive externalities of high visitor density: the shared joy of collective experience. We introduce a concept centered on "communitas" — spontaneous social solidarity. We reframe the presence of others not as a problem, but as a potential source of connection under certain visitor archetypes and recreational settings. By treating positive social interaction as a measurable indicator while balancing resource protection, managers can create more inclusive environments that validate diverse ways of experiencing nature.

Towns vote in different directions in latest debates over aquaculture regulation

MAINE PUBLIC • April 1, 2026

Earlier this month, two small Maine towns went in different directions on a divisive coastal development issue. One voted against new restrictions on aquaculture — the farming of aquatic species for food — things like salmon, oysters, clams or seaweed. The other approved them. South Bristol voters rejected a proposed amendment that would add restrictions to aquaculture 109 to 38. Residents of Cushing passed an ordinance prohibiting aquaculture sites greater than a half-acre.

Column: Even a nudist colony got a Maine moose permit. Guides want to change that.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 1, 2026

Maine’s annual moose hunting permits (tags) are a highly sought-after commodity. So how they are distributed gets a lot of attention. The concept of setting aside tags for lodges and outfitters dates back about a decade, when northern Maine’s deer population declined and many outfitters struggled financially. The goal was to help them regain economic footing. Some outfitters, however, began selling the tags to clients for prices exceeding $30,000. The lodge tag process expanded beyond its original intent. Restaurants, hotels and even a nudist colony in southern Maine reportedly applied for and received a lodge tag. LD 2054 would tighten the definition of hunting outfitters and prohibit the sale of lodge tags to anyone other than the hunter. As for the nudist colony that drew a lodge tag, eligible members would still have to don an orange vest and cap. ~ V. Paul Reynolds

Maine Amphibians & Reptiles Book Talk, March 11

MAINE AUDUBON • March 1, 2026

The third edition of Maine Amphibians and Reptiles explores the lives of 38 fascinating species—from tiny newts to rarely seen sea turtles—found across Maine and the Northeast. Built on 25 years of research, with expanded photos, regional studies, and engaging writing, it’s perfect for scientists and curious readers alike. Join some of the contributors to this fascinating book for a talk followed by a book sale and signing at the Falmouth Memorial Library. Light refreshments will be provided. At Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Rd, Falmouth, ME, March 11, 5:30pm.

Opinion: Maine needs to remain open to data centers

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 1, 2026

Around the country, we’ve seen irresponsible data center projects that strain electric grids, raise ratepayer costs, waste precious water, generate constant noise and damage local communities. Maine legislators are right to want to protect us from the abuses seen elsewhere. Smart policy can protect our environment and still allow the state to participate in this once-in-a-generation opportunity. Sanford Woods was designed to meet those expectations. It will not connect to the electric grid. It will not drive up utility costs for Maine ratepayers or compete for scarce capacity. We chose a design that uses Maine’s abundant cold air rather than water-guzzling cooling systems. Sanford Woods would add billions of dollars to the city’s tax base, creating hundreds of high-paying permanent jobs. A statewide blanket moratorium on data centers is the wrong tool. It’s regressive. Mainers should expect legislators to protect the environment and the public interest while also enabling responsible growth. ~ Randy Gibbs, lead developer, Sanford Woods

Opinion: Restoration without recognition continues to haunt the Penobscot Nation

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 1, 2026

The Penobscot Nation shares its name with the river that its people have belonged to for thousands of years. Yet, according to the state of Maine, the river does not belong to them. The Nation retains sustenance fishing rights, but it cannot regulate what goes into the water its people depend on to fish. The river runs through the Penobscot Nation’s homeland, and Maine has spent over a decade in court arguing it belongs to the state instead. A multi-dam removal project on the Penobscot has been a celebrated conservation success as it reopened habitat and promised vast “environmental, economic and cultural benefits.” But while the river got ecological justice, the people it’s named for are still waiting for theirs. Multiple tribal sovereignty bills have been introduced in recent sessions of Maine’s Legislature — most only to be vetoed or quietly shelved. The question of who governs the Penobscot River is still, in the most important sense, open. ~ Ainsley Morrison, graduating senior at Bowdoin College

Reader encourages Sun Spotters to honor Earth Day

SUN JOURNAL • April 1, 2026

DEAR SUN SPOTS: With Earth Day happening on Wednesday, April 22, I’d like to hear about what Sun Spotters are doing that day (or on the surrounding weekends) for our beautiful, yet struggling, planet. ANSWER: Thanks for letting us know about this, Cindy. I like the idea of planting and donating and will certainly mention it to the crew of neighbors I gather with for Earth Day which this year has the theme, “Our Power, Our Planet.” Some other ideas that come to mind is to contact your local school, college campus, or church to see what they’ll be up to on Earth Day — perhaps you can join in. I once was part of a group where over 30 women got together in the morning to collect and dispose of roadside trash. The Nature Conservancy website (https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/earth-day/) has some unique ideas that include going on a scavenger hunt, bird watching, clearing trails, creating a special pollinator garden, and more. 

$2.5M state project will connect Ellsworth’s walking path to the Down East Sunrise Trail

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 1, 2026

The state’s transportation department is planning a $2.5 million project to extend a popular paved pedestrian and bicycle trail in Ellsworth to the 96-mile Down East Sunrise Trail. Ellsworth’s 1.3 mile multi-use trail, running parallel to State Street between Lakes Lane and Birch Avenue, is set to be connected to the lengthy Down East Sunrise Trail, which extends from the city’s High Street corridor to Perry, on the eastern edge of Washington County. Construction of the connector trail in Ellsworth is slated to begin in the summer of 2028.

A Treasure Hunt to Find Healthy Freshwater Habitats in Maine, April 22

MAINE AUDUBON • April 1, 2026

Curious about what critters live in your local streams and freshwater marshes? Learn about Maine Marsh and Stream Explorers, a collaborative community science project between Maine Audubon and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This program trains volunteers to survey for macroinvertebrates, or large aquatic insects, in streams and freshwater marshes statewide. April 22, 7 pm, online, preregister.

Trump Administration Orders Dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service

MORE THAN JUST PARKS • March 31, 2026

Late Tuesday afternoon, with the subtlety of a wrecking ball, the Trump administration announced the most devastating attack on the U.S. Forest Service in the agency’s 121-year history. They’re ripping the headquarters out of Washington and shipping it to Salt Lake City, Utah — the beating heart of the anti-public-lands movement. They’re shuttering every one of the ten regional offices that have governed this agency since Gifford Pinchot built the system over a century ago — and with them, the career professionals who spent entire lifetimes earning expertise. They’re destroying more than fifty research facilities across thirty-one states, labs that house decades of irreplaceable long-term science, the kind you cannot restart once it’s gone. And they’re replacing all of it — the offices, the scientists, the institutional knowledge, the professional independence — with fifteen political appointees embedded in state capitals alongside the governors, legislators, and industry lobbyists who have spent their careers demanding that the Forest Service log more, protect less, and get out of the way.

Horses help humans heal at Windham farm

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 31, 2026

Riding to the Top, a stable in Windham, provides equine-assisted therapy for children and adults with disabilities. Executive Director Sarah Bronson said Riding to the Top has been serving the region for more than 30 years. Its services include therapeutic or adaptive riding, carriage driving for individuals who are unable to ride a horse, and a small physical and occupational therapy program utilizing equine movement to help people with disabilities. The stable has 16 horses on site, a staff of 12, and 70 volunteers certified through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship.

Maine Climate Council grapples with affordability

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 31, 2026

As residents struggle with inflation and soaring energy bills, state climate leaders are trying to convince a skeptical public that green initiatives are among the most effective tools to lower living costs. Heat pumps save money by slashing reliance on oil, natural gas and propane, for example. Storm preparedness minimizes repair costs following extreme weather. At its first meeting in 2026, the Maine Climate Council acknowledged the perception that climate action is a luxury that many can’t afford. A survey of members indicated their concern that Mainers are more focused on immediate survival than long-term environmental goals.

Could Maine make polluters pay for the cost of climate change? Lawmakers want to study it first.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 31, 2026

Maine lawmakers Tuesday took a possible step toward establishing a program to recoup money from large, corporate polluters to pay for the impacts of climate change. The House passed a bill that would study how much greenhouse gas emissions have cost the state in a 75-72 vote that fell largely along party lines. The Senate passed the bill 19-13 earlier in the week with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed. The bill, LD 1870 started out as a proposal for a so-called “climate superfund” that would collect fees from groups that extract fossil fuels and refine crude oil and whose activities are found to contribute to certain levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The money would be used to fund climate change adaptation projects. It was revised to a proposal for a study of the cost to the state of greenhouse gas emissions from 1995 to 2024.

Maine lawmakers want polluters to pay, but opted first to study how much

MAINE MORNING STAR • March 31, 2026

Maine lawmakers have given initial approval to a bill to study the costs of climate change in the state, amending a prior proposal that would have launched a program to get polluters to pay for those damages. The Senate advanced LD 1870 with a first vote of 19-13 Monday followed by an initial vote of 75-72 in the House of Representatives Tuesday. The votes were mostly along party lines.