Column: Those cute bunnies you’re seeing around Portland are a problem

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 3, 2026

Social media posts from the past couple years talk of bunnies in Portland, eliciting speculation — and misinformation — about why they seem to be all over the city all of a sudden. Although most people are tickled to see the buck-toothed balls of fluff that we associate with spring (and Easter, specifically), the truth is that those spotted around Portland are invasive, non-native eastern cottontails. Not only do they nibble on gardens, they pose a threat to the nearly identical New England cottontail, whose endangered population conservationists have been working to restore. The non-native eastern cottontails have the edge in survivability. Over time, they’ll overtake the native New England cottontail population. ~ Leslie Bridgers

Opinion: Bottle bill proposal will devastate Maine’s beverage businesses

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 3, 2026

Maine’s bottle bill has kept billions of containers out of landfills and waterways and built a robust
redemption infrastructure across the state. But this program doesn’t run on good intentions alone. It’s very expensive to collect and process 850 million containers each year (more than $70 million). For decades, the bottle bill has remained viable largely because unredeemed deposits help offset this significant cost. LD 2141, which recently received majority approval in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, proposes to take those unredeemed deposits away from the container redemption system. This is a fundamental restructuring that would shift millions of dollars in costs directly onto local beverage businesses — breweries, family-owned distributors and the very companies that have been keeping the bottle bill functioning for almost 50 years. ~ Jenn Lever, Baxter Brewing Company in Lewiston, Chris Black, Nappi Distributors in Gorham, and Kyle Boland, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast in South Portland

Letter: Susan Collins support of clean water projects is unmatched

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 3, 2026

No one has done more for Maine’s rivers and lakes since Sen. Edmund Muskie authored the Clean Water Act than Sen. Susan Collins. I retired after 34 years at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and now work as a consultant in the clean water industry. I have personally worked on and witnessed many clean water projects across the state made possible by federal funding Collins helped secure. I can say from direct experience that Collins’ leadership has delivered real lasting results for Maine people and communities. I believe her record on clean water is unmatched, and Maine is better for it. ~ Nick Archer, Waterford

Deer Isle needs millions to rebuild another causeway at risk from sea level rise

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 3, 2026

State reconstruction of the main Deer Isle Causeway, which connects the island to the mainland via Route 15, has finally been funded, but that doesn’t mean the town’s causeway troubles are over. Like the primary causeway, another, smaller causeway linking the island of Sunshine to the rest of Deer Isle is at risk of failing. But this one is owned by the town, rather than the state, so work on it will have to be funded by local taxpayers or grant funds. Walter Kumiega, facilities director for the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts on the island, has been driving over the causeway regularly since 2004 and watches it continue deteriorating as sea level visibly rises. Even on calm days, he said, water sometimes laps at the edge of the road.

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

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.