The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
MAINE PUBLIC • April 13, 2026
Maine is poised to become the first state in the nation to temporarily ban the development of large data centers. But Gov. Janet Mills has said the measure needs to have an exemption for a proposed $550 million project at the former Androscoggin paper mill in Jay to get her support. The developments have increasingly met backlash from communities concerned about their huge appetite for electricity, water and their environmental impact.
MAINE PUBLIC • April 13, 2026
Maine's gross domestic product grew by 0.6% in 2025. That's the 4th lowest in the country. Growth was dragged down by declines in several sectors, including accommodation and food services. At the same time, the analysis finds total personal income grew by about 4.7% , putting the state roughly in the middle of the pack nationally. Maine’s per capita personal income rose to $71,662.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 13, 2026
For decades, Tom Wessels has pioneered and publicized this art of “reading the forested landscape” in New England. An author and retired professor now living in Blue Hill, the ecologist is still teaching others how to find these clues – not just to uncover human history, he said, but to help people see the stories of the interconnected relationships at work in nature.
SUN JOURNAL • April 13, 2026
The resident bobcat and coyotes are not putting a dent in the deer population, and there is no sign of winter kills. At the current rate, the deer will push the limits of social carrying capacity very soon. The best thing I can do for them is plan to hunt them this fall and fill my freezer while keeping the overall population managed. ~ Erin Merrill
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 13, 2026
As a business owner in Downeast Maine, my livelihood depends on visitors drawn to Maine’s public lands and outdoor activities. When our parks and public lands are well maintained, local businesses like mine thrive, and Mainers benefit from a growing tourism economy. But when deteriorating infrastructure restricts visitor access, or limits the visitor experience, it impacts not just the parks — but those of us who depend on the parks each year to bring visitors from around the world to enjoy our state. The quality of these experiences directly impacts the number of visitors that come to Maine each year — and if that quality suffers, so too does the impact on the greater economy that depends on these visitors. That’s why the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act was so important. Keeping our national parks and public lands maintained isn’t just good stewardship. It’s good business for Maine. ~ Brian Langley, Union River Lobster Pot in Ellsworth, and a former state senator
MAINE PUBLIC • April 13, 2026
A stretch of asphalt along Portland's waterfront will be turned into a park. The site, between Maine State Pier and the Ocean Gateway Passenger Ship Terminal, was once used by cars lining up to take the international ferry to Nova Scotia. Since that service ended, the city has used it as a parking lot. By year's end, Portland Parks and Public Works Director Ethan Hipple says it will be very different, "filled with native plants, 40 park trees, great lawn, stage, walking trails, places to sit and enjoy the view and have a cup of coffee." The idea has been around in some form for a decade, but funds were lacking until U.S. Sen. Angus King secured a $2.1 million Congressionally Designated grant.
MAINE PUBLIC • April 13, 2026
Gas utilities operating in Maine reported about 1,100 leaks last year, nearly one for every mile of gas distribution line in the state, according to new disclosures required under state law. State Rep. Sophie Warren, D-Scarborough, who sponsored the law, said gas leaks pose threats to health, safety and the environment. "There's a whole host of issues connected to natural gas infrastructure and leaks that are extremely concerning," Warren said. The impact of fugitive gas emissions on the climate is of particular concern, Warren added. Natural gas pumped into homes is mostly made up of methane, which is a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a period of 20 years.
LIVERMORE FALLS ADVERTISER • April 13, 2026
The Maine Legislature is considering LD 2141, which would redirect about $4 million annually from unclaimed bottle deposits toward environmental and related programs, including farmland protection and lake restoration. An estimated $16 million in unclaimed bottle deposits sits in Maine’s redemption system every year. Under current law, the bulk of that money flows back to beverage distributors. Supporters argue unclaimed deposits are effectively a windfall for the industry. Opponents, including some in the redemption business, say any diversion of funds misses the more urgent problem: the handling fee paid to redemption centers has not kept pace with the cost of running one.
SUN JOURNAL • April 13, 2026
A recent op-ed in this paper argued that if Maine is going to produce local energy that will be exported to other states, Maine needs to see the benefits. But if Maine can make clean energy locally and receive jobs and tax revenue in return, isn’t that a win for Maine? Energy production truly does mean business for Maine. There are 16,171 clean energy workers in Maine — 3% of our total workforce. And according to a recent report from the Maine Department of Energy Resources clean energy jobs are outpacing overall job growth in Maine. These jobs are on the rise in almost every Maine county, especially rural ones. That same report found the clean energy industry contributed $3 billion to our economy in 2024 — about 3% of our total GDP. Energy is a product that Maine can make and export. That’s a win for Maine and our entire region. ~ Eliza Donoghue, Maine Renewable Energy Association
MAINE PUBLIC • April 10, 2026
The invasive emerald ash borer is spreading rapidly across Maine, decimating ash trees in its path. But the small, greenish beetle is also threatening the ancient Wabanaki tradition of basketmaking. That threat has some tribal members questioning the best way forward. There’s a story that’s been passed down for generations among the Wabanaki people. It says ash trees are the place from which they were all created.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 10, 2026
Coastal Mountains Land Trust has purchased a 55-acre parcel in Lincolnville, as part of a three-decade-long effort to protect habitat for endangered wild Atlantic Salmon. The parcel is “biologically quite important and quite active,” said Ian Stewart, executive director of the land trust. The land includes 1,580 feet of frontage on Kendall Brook, one of the Ducktrap River’s three main tributaries. The Ducktrap River is one of just eight rivers in the country, all in Maine, with a population of naturally spawning Atlantic salmon.
RANGELEY HIGHLANDER • April 10, 2026
The Farmington-based High Peaks Alliance has launched a six-part op-ed series focused on life, community and public access in Maine’s High Peaks region, beginning with a contribution from Kingfield resident Dan Rhodes. In the first installment, “Lessons of the Land and Access Today and Tomorrow,” Rhodes reflects on his family’s decision to settle in western Maine after years of moving, describing the region’s rivers, forests and mountains as central to their sense of home.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 9, 2026
The last area of Maine experiencing extreme drought conditions was downgraded Thursday, but the entire state remains under severe and moderate drought conditions. Meanwhile, the Maine Forest Service declared most of Maine was under a high wildfire risk on Thursday. Only the state’s northwest corner was considered at low fire risk.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 9, 2026
Gas above $4 a gallon. Price hikes for plane tickets and baggage fees. Global unrest. Federal government shutdowns. Tourism experts are watching those factors closely to understand how they might impact Maine this summer. It’s too early to say whether the high cost of travel will deter people during the state’s busiest season, they said. “Anytime prices go up, it can have an impact on how people make their decisions,” said Tony Cameron, CEO of the Maine Tourism Association, a nonprofit membership organization that also runs visitor information centers around the state. “But in some ways, it might actually work out in our favor.”
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 9, 2026
In 2022, the nonprofit Friends of Acadia set a goal to add 130 new bedrooms for seasonal workers at the national park over the course of 10 years. Next summer, new construction will add 56 rooms and bring the number completed to 122, five years into their plan. The project is funded with a combination of private and federal dollars.
MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • April 9, 2026
Richard Barringer, was a passionate champion for Maine's environment and the well-being of its citizens over a more than a 60-year career of public service. He and his colleagues reclaimed 600,000 acres from paper companies and established public reserved lands. He was appointed commissioner of the Department of Conservation in 1975. He served as Governor Brennan's state planning director from 1981 to 1986. After his government service, Mr. Barringer joined the University of Southern Maine as a research professor and graduate teacher in public policy, becoming the founding director of the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service. In retirement, he joined with other stewards of the outdoors to establish the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Foundation in 2011. He consulted on the New England Clean Energy Connect project from 2019 to 2022. He also contributed to the development of Portland Harbor Commons, a new public park along the Portland waterfront at the bottom of India Street. (Item 5-44)
CENTRAL MAINE • April 9, 2026
The United States is in an era of “energy dominance” thanks to fossil fuels, according to President Trump. We are now the world’s largest oil producer. But Trump fails to add that we also are the world’s largest oil consumer and that our prices are tied to global markets. Today, we have the technology to substitute efficiency for conservation. We can do more with less. But Trump is gutting auto efficiency standards and electric vehicle incentives, because using more gasoline will somehow make us stronger and more dominant. If we are still so dependent on oil that Iran can choke off the flow and hamstring the global economy, aren’t the terrorists winning? Cheap oil is a mirage and not a right, and as long as we remain so heavily addicted, the terrorists have won. ~ Tux Turkel
SUN JOURNAL • April 9, 2026
The Optimist Clubs of Maine ask you to join them in picking up roadside trash any time from Earth Day, Wednesday. April 22, through Sunday, April 26. All you have to do to participate is commit to spending at least one hour picking up trash in your neighborhood. By volunteering to help, you could win a restaurant coupon for a meal from a local participating restaurant. Get your family, friends, schoolmates or neighbors to help you, then contact any Optimist Club member, email gwmathews91@gmail.com, or call 783 5269 for more information, to start an Earth Day Cleanup in your community, or to register to win a restaurant gift certificate.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 9, 2026
A developer who explored building a hyperscale data center in southern Aroostook County scrapped the project because of inadequate infrastructure and a temporary ban on the facilities that is advancing through the Maine Legislature. The data center, which has not been previously reported, was proposed for the Houlton area within the last year and was envisioned to use 50-200 megawatts. Data centers have drawn criticism for straining power grids and fresh water supply. A data center that could scale up to 50 megawatts is in the works in a warehouse on the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. Other proposals in Lewiston, Wiscasset and Jay have been killed or halted because of backlash from residents or legislative initiatives.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 8, 2026
The city of Biddeford is appealing to Maine’s highest court as it challenges a permit that would allow the University of New England to build a controversial research pier on the Saco River. The appeal to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, which the city announced Wednesday, comes weeks after a York County Superior Court justice dismissed the city’s complaint for review. The city alleges that the 2024 decision ignored a long-standing 250-foot vegetative buffer zone on the Saco River. The city also recently denied UNE’s permit applications to cut down trees near the proposed pier site and for a proposed renovation of Decary Hall.
