The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • April 7, 2026
Justin Strasburger has been named new Executive Director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. He is currently Executive Director of Full Plates Full Potential and he chairs the board of the Maine Association of Nonprofits. He lives in Brunswick and has a strong background in nonprofit leadership, advocacy, and fundraising, and a deep commitment to staff well-being. He starts on April 13.
WMTW-TV8 • April 7, 2026
Alfred residents continued to raise concerns over a potential quarry. Gorham Sand and Gravel wants to develop land in Alfred for mineral extraction. At a public hearing about the company's proposal on Monday evening, several residents asked questions about how this quarry could impact the air quality, traffic and wildlife. “The impact this quarry would have is too negative, too serious, and too grave for you to consider anything but denial of this application," Alfred resident Jackson Pierce said.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 7, 2026
Judy Camuso is stepping down as Maine’s wildlife and inland fisheries commissioner. That caps off two decades of public service for Camuso, who joined the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in 2007. Her last day as commissioner is April 30. Under her leadership, the department saw a 9% increase in fishing licenses and 10% increase in hunting licenses. The department conserved 30,000 acres for recreation and habit, including 8,000 for deer. Additionally, the department under Camuso added 20 new boating access sites, increased deer and moose permits, and added youth hunting days.
MAINE PUBLIC • April 7, 2026
The Maine House and Senate have passed a bill to legalize plug-in solar, something just two other states have done. Also called balcony solar, the panels are a fraction of the size of rooftop solar. They plug into a standard wall outlet, and because their output is minimal, they don't require connection agreements with utility companies. Systems larger than 420 watts will require installation by an electrician. Using plug-in solar to supplement home energy needs could provide up to 20% savings on electricity for the average Maine household, said Rebecca Shultz, senior advocate for climate and clean energy with the Natural Resources Council of Maine. But Schultz says Maine consumers shouldn't try to order the panels online just yet. Federal safety standards still need to catch up.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 7, 2026
The January 2024 storms did significant damage to our home in Georgetown, but with timely help from FEMA, flood insurance and a low-interest SBA loan, we were able to recover. Still, it’s hard to ignore storms are getting stronger, and sea levels are rising. Will support from FEMA be there next time? The FEMA budget has been cut, and states will have to pick up the tab. Maine, unfortunately, is not ready to replace their staff or funding. This will put the cost of the next storm on homeowners, towns and local taxpayers. I spent much of my career in Maine as a small business owner, corporate planner and school superintendent. You don’t wait for a crisis and hope things work out. Maine is at that point now. LD 1870, the climate superfund study would take a clear look at the cost of climate damage Maine has experienced. That’s a necessary step. I urge lawmakers to fund this study. ~ Bill Webster, Georgetown
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 7, 2026
For decades, the Wabanaki Nations have seen progress stalled by vetoes and bogged down in the technicalities of the 1980 Settlement Act. But this year, we are looking to the future with genuine optimism. At a recent gubernatorial forum candidates were asked if a sovereignty bill reached their desk as governor, would they sign it? The response from the eight candidates in attendance was a resounding “yes.” Our next event is focusing on the U.S. Senate race. We know we need partners in Congress to ensure the Wabanaki Nations have access to the federal laws that benefit more than 570 other tribes across the country. Our voices are growing stronger and our supporters are growing more numerous. ~ Maulian Bryant, Wabanaki Alliance
TEENS TO TRAILS • April 6, 2026
Bow Ties & Bean Boots 2026, Teens to Trails’ annual fundraiser, is April 9, 2026, 5-7 pm. Enjoy an evening of live music, great food and drinks, and reconnecting with friends who share a passion for empowering Maine’s youth through outdoor adventure.
MAINE MONITOR • April 6, 2026
The Machiasport Planning Board is drafting an ordinance that would require owners of short‑term rentals to register their properties. The board discussed the measure Thursday as the town looks for ways to keep more of its housing stock in local hands. “We are probably going to become a vacationland,” Planning Board Chair Robert Arseneau said at the monthly meeting. He called driving tourism “the best thing we can do,” while acknowledging the need for regulation.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 6, 2026
The lonely call of the seldom seen whip-poor-will is fading away and longtime Gorham residents say they haven’t heard one for years in the increasingly suburbanized town. The birds’ population is in a tailspin locally and beyond. The nocturnal birds’ population has plunged 69% since 1970 in eastern North America.
NEWS CENTER MAINE • April 6, 2026
Farmers, forestry workers, and their supporters gathered at the State House Monday morning to push for a $45 million agriculture and forestry bond as lawmakers prepare for a key Senate vote. The rally followed a narrow procedural vote Friday in which the proposal, LD 2094, failed to advance by a single vote. The motion needed 24 votes to move forward to a full Senate debate.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 6, 2026
I believe a “make polluters pay” bill, LD 1870, is the most important bill in the Legislature this session that would begin to protect us. LD 1870 would fund a study of exactly how much money climate change is costing Maine taxpayers. We would then be able to require the biggest oil profiteers to refund this amount to our state and municipalities. Tell your representative how you want them to vote on this. ~ Richard Thomas, Waterville
MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • April 6, 2026
2026 Earth Day Festival in Brunswick, Saturday, April 25, 10 AM – 3 PM • Rain or Shine, Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, 44 McKeen Street, Brunswick, Maine, free admission. All Species Parade, 10:30 am.
CITY OF PORTLAND • April 6, 2026
The City of Portland is hosting a free, family-friendly Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 18 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM at Deering Oaks Park by the Bandstand! Come learn about local climate initiatives, recreational opportunities, sustainable living tips, celebrate nature, and more.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April6x, 2026
On Saturday, April 20, 1974, two canoes, each with two men, ages 22 to 26, launched in the Sandy River in Farmington. The impulsive plan, conceived two nights earlier over pitchers of beer, involved paddling to Mercer, about 30 miles downstream. My brothers Robert and Don paddled one canoe. George Joseph (no relation to my family) and Rusty Cyr paddled the second. “Eyeing the whitewater,” remembered George, “Rusty turned in the bow, grinned, and yelled, ‘Here we go!’ Within seconds our canoe was swamped.” Years later, as a high school English teacher, Don used the harrowing experience to teach students the importance of planning. “We hadn’t done our homework, such as scout the river from shore,” he told his students. “Preparation is the key to success.” ~ Ron Joseph
SUN JOURNAL • April 6, 2026
On Sept. 14, 1690, a military leader named Benjamin Church led his men along the Androscoggin as part of a colonial effort to control the territory. His report said the expedition “killed six or seven” and took 11 other natives prisoner, leaving behind only “two old squaws” in the ruins to tell the story of what had transpired there. Church was allowed to sell any native captives taken into slavery. It appears about 80 of them were hauled off in chains during King Philip’s War, most sent to die on the sugar plantations of the Caribbean. It’s encouraging that so many candidates for governor see that while we can’t undo the crimes of the past, we can create a new relationship based on mutual understanding that acknowledges the dignity of people who have been mistreated and ignored for generations.~ Steve Collins
MIDCOAST VILLAGER • April 6, 2026
I am certain that I saw a mountain lion in 2014 in Montville. There are few wildlife questions in Maine that stir as much quiet conviction, and quiet skepticism, as the enduring belief that mountain lions, long thought gone from the state, still move through its forests. Officially, the matter is settled. The last confirmed mountain lion in Maine was killed in 1938. In 2018, federal authorities declared the eastern cougar extinct. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife maintains there is no evidence of a breeding population within the state. And yet, across decades, and continuing into recent years, Mainers have continued to report seeing them.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 6, 2026
Northern Maine has a problem. Northern pike, a voracious invasive fish that kills native species, are moving down from Canada into the St. John River and nearby bodies of water. The St. John River is already teeming with muskellunge, an invasive fish better known as muskie. In a first for Maine, the northern part of the state suddenly finds itself home to two types of aggressive invasive fish. What this might mean for the waters supporting both types of pike is a complete unknown, but it isn’t good news for any native fish remaining there, according to Maine regional biologist Frank Frost.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 6, 2026
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey wants to eliminate the state’s more than 200-year-old Sunday hunting ban. If it passes, Maine could become the only state in the country without Sunday hunting. If such a thing could happen in a state where advancing hunting opportunities — and practically anything to do with hunting — is a political dead horse, maybe there’s hope here in Maine as well. Deer densities in central and western parts of the commonwealth range from 18 to 30 deer per square mile, and as high as 30 to 50 per square mile in the east. Those large numbers are having a negative impact on plant life and other wildlife, and have helped spread ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Deer-vehicle collisions have also increased. ~ Al Raychard
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 6, 2026
Lewiston city councilors were caught off guard after receiving the detailed proposal for a $300 million center inside the downtown Bates Mill only about a month before a meeting when they needed to vote on the project. After two closed-door meetings, they released details to the public just six days before a pivotal vote in December. The idea drew instant backlash, and the council unanimously voted it down. AI data centers have caused a wave of bipartisan public opposition because of their massive power and water consumption. Some $64 billion worth of proposed projects have been blocked or delayed over the past two years across the nation. The proposal in Lewiston was for a relatively small system, but news about environmental impacts of the large data centers elsewhere spooked residents. “Developers need to stop planning these data centers in secret and then complaining about how much they’ve invested in the process once the public finally becomes aware of it and pushes back,” said Lewiston City Councilor Scott Harriman.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 5, 2026
Camping is something that brings my partner and me and our dog much joy. Yet during the daily hustle and bustle, we often forget to book a campsite or gather our gear for work-free days ahead. Before we know it, the summer is over and we haven’t gone on half of the outdoor adventures we wish we had. Time has a tendency to slip by, especially when we wish it wouldn’t. So what’s one to do? Use a calendar. Plan ahead. Placing things on a calendar allows us to stay organized and not forget things, but it’s also a way of saying “this is a priority.” Just be sure to leave a few days open for lazy evenings on the porch.
