Fifty Years of Common Ground: The Posters of the Common Ground Country Fair

MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION• June 2, 2026

This fully illustrated publication features all fifty Common Ground Fair posters, as well as essays by Maine Arts Commission Executive Director Amy Hausmann, MOFGA’s Executive Director Sarah Alexander, and more, offering a deep dive into the cultural history of the Fair and the community movement it has built.

The best hikes in Lewiston and Auburn are gems ‘right in the middle of the city’

SUN JOURNAL • June 2, 2026

There are plenty of green spaces accessible in Lewiston-Auburn. But it can be difficult to know where to find good nature walks or hikes and what to expect when you get there. Below is a list of trails and information to help you plan your trip.
• Garcelon Bog Conservation Area
• David Rancourt River Preserve
• Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary
• Mount Apatite Park
• Lake Auburn Watershed Commission trails

Maine’s busiest lobster port plans for new public pier

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2026

Stonington plans to add access to its working waterfront from the site of a historic downtown building, a project years in the making. The town is looking for grant funding to stabilize the shoreline behind the Independent Order of Odd Fellows hall it purchased two summers ago and create a new pier and ramp for more float space. The project would provide room for additional dinghies next to its existing public fish pier and add resiliency to sea level rise.

Robbins Lumber has resumed operations in wake of deadly explosion

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 1, 2026

Robbins Lumber in Searsmont resumed full operations last Tuesday, just 11 days after the fire and explosion that killed a firefighter and injured 12 other people. Robbins Lumber has multiple locations across the state that are aiding operations in Searsmont, the co-owner stated. That includes using a Sanford location for warehousing, while a mill in East Baldwin “has stepped up production efforts to support customer order needs.” The company has also constructed a temporary warehouse on site in Searsmont.

River driver remembers Maine’s last log drive 50 years later

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 1, 2026

North America’s last log drive ended on the Kennebec River in 1976, halted by environmental regulations and a legislative ban. It also marked the end of the historic Kennebec Log Driving Company (KLD). Founded in 1853 by 63 sawmill owners, the company was formed to coordinate wood transport, manage log-driving dams and minimize conflicts among river drivers. Dave Calder, 76, of Canaan, was one of the last KLD workers. “I started working on the log drives in June 1967 when I was 17 years old,” said Calder. “Because my dad was a river driver, I wanted to work on the river, too. Earning one dollar an hour for a 55-hour work week, I was bringing in pretty good money back then.”

Non-Target Catches

THE MAINE SPORTSMAN • June 2026

Non-target catches are one of the problems a trapper has to deal with. The capture of a Canda lynx must be reported to a game warden or biologist prior to removing the animal from the trap, unless a Department official cannot be reached in time to prevent injury to the lynx.

Opinion: Federal policy change means farmworkers in Maine will likely see a pay cut this year

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 1, 2026

the federal H-2A visa program, which allows foreign workers to work in seasonal agricultural jobs in the United States. A key part of the H-2A program is the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, or AEWR. For most of 2025, the AEWR for H-2A workers in Maine was $18.83, well above the current state minimum wage of $15.10. For 2026, the baseline AEWR for most H-2A workers in Maine will be $14.81. By law, these workers cannot be paid less than the state minimum wage, but this still works out to a potential pay cut of up to $3.73 per hour. We are lucky to live in a state with such rich and diverse agriculture. But we must also remember the lives and livelihoods of the workers who bring this produce to us and reflect on what fairness demands that we provide these workers in return. ~ Michael Haedicke

Opinion: Maine’s energy future can’t be built on 1980s rules

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 1, 2026

Our rapid adoption of heat pumps proves that Mainers are ready for change. But as we electrify our heating, we are trading a dependence on foreign oil for a reliance on a regional electric grid that faces massive demand during our coldest months. To survive a deep winter freeze without fossil fuels, our regional grid requires what engineers call firm power, meaning steady, reliable electricity that operates independent of the weather. Wind, solar and efficiency are vital, but they cannot carry the baseline load alone during an extended sub-zero snap. If we want true energy independence for New England, Maine needs to start looking further ahead. That means taking a serious look at Small Modular Nuclear Reactors. ~ Nathaniel Eames, Portland

Maine was warned about toxins in sludge decades before PFAS crisis began

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 1, 2026

In 1983, two farmers attending a growers’ meeting in southwestern Maine heard about a new product that would change their lives, and farming in the state, for decades. That product was sludge, a muddy byproduct of industrial processes and municipal wastewater treatment that also contained nutrients for enriching soil. For Fred Stone, a dairy farmer from Arundel, the decision to spread the fertilizer meant a free way to enrich his clay soil to grow cow feed. But Tim Leary decided against it. Friends at the wastewater department and local dairy cautioned about the chemicals and heavy metals likely to be in the fertilizer, which was made of refuse from the S.D. Warren Paper Mill in Westbrook. That growers’ meeting proved to be a trigger for the spreading of sludge throughout Maine, including through a state-sponsored program. The decisions made by Stone and Leary sent them down separate paths, the effects of which both farmers still feel.

Column: Watch for these classic Maine signs on your next road trip

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 1, 2026

Signs are everywhere. How could we cope without them? Signs in Greenville’s Thoreau Park tell the story of Henry David Thoreau’s visits to the Moosehead Lake region. One of my favorite signs is the weather-worn, barely legible wooden marker that stood at the summit of Katahdin the last time we made the climb. But my favorite Baxter signs are the ones that mark the trailheads to the park’s trout ponds. Bible Point is somewhat famous because a young Teddy Roosevelt camped, hunted and fished there in the late 1870s at the confluence of First Brook and the West Branch of the Mattawamkeag River. A plaque commemorates the spot. Signs are everywhere. Fortunately, many of them point us toward Maine’s history, outdoor traditions and wild places. ~ Al Raychard

Mainers flock to Wolfe’s Neck Woods for 16th annual birding festival

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 31, 2026

As spring turns to summer in Maine, park rangers are welcoming some familiar faces. Along with the tourists, the state will once again become home to thousands of birds of different species. The 16th annual Feathers Over Freeport birding festival at Bradbury Mountain and Wolfe’s Neck Woods state parks on Saturday and Sunday celebrated their return with a community event for all ages.

Opinion: Maine graduates, take a note from our feathered friends

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 31, 2026

The central message of a poem from my own graduation ceremony stays with me: Just like the birds, use your voice and be yourself. A bird sings a song, it isn’t very long, sings it, never gets it wrong. ~ Susan Graham, Kennebunkport

Get lost with us on a Sunday drive through western Maine

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 31, 2026

Feel like a leisurely drive on a beautiful day? Want to enjoy all the scenery that western Maine has to offer? We’ve got the guide for you.
• Grafton Notch Scenic Byway
• Evan’s Notch Road
• Newry’s Sunday River Covered Bridge
• Andover’s Lovejoy Covered Bridge
• Route 17 — Rumford to Oquossoc
• Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway
• Coos Canyon (Byron)
• Rumford Community Forest trails
• Route 4 — Rangeley to New Vineyard
• Route 27 — Carrabassett Valley to Stratton
• Route 156 — Jay to Wilton

Population trends in Maine show a shift to the suburbs

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 31, 2026

That “exurban” shift has become increasingly popular across the state and country, U.S. Census Bureau data shows, as people eschew major urban areas. The trend is reshaping Maine towns and cities, particularly in Cumberland County, as officials and residents in Portland’s bedroom communities grapple with seemingly exponential population growth. Scarborough, Windham, Gorham and Westbrook are growing rapidly — Portland isn’t. Between 2020 and 2023, Maine was the fastest-growing state in New England. More than ever, community planning is going to be crucial, said Joe Oliva, outreach and communications director for GrowSmart Maine.

Sabattus residents balk at large housing development: ‘That’s too much’

SUN JOURNAL • May 31, 2026

There is mounting public pushback among Sabattus residents to a proposed 96-unit housing development on No Name Pond Road across from the former Sabattus Primary School. The area is currently undeveloped and is wooded with pockets of wetlands, along with a stream in the southwest corner of the lot that drains into the Sabattus River. Some residents feel the area, and town services, cannot sustain that much new housing and the subsequent increased traffic in such a short period of time.

I went sea kayaking near the site of a recent drowning. Here’s what I learned.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2026

My first sea kayaking adventure this year was off Deer Isle, near the location of a recent tragedy. Just a couple of weeks prior, a man had drowned after his kayak capsized off Little Deer Isle. He’d been paddling solo, and he hadn’t been wearing a life jacket. What’s so great about a life jacket? It keeps you afloat when you lose the ability to swim, which can happen shockingly fast in Maine’s frigid water. It gives you more time, and in that time, help might arrive. Another lesson: Sea kayaking on a wind-free morning is 100% worth the yucky, groggy feeling that usually tempts me to stay in bed for “just five more minutes.” ~ Aislinn Sarnacki

Aroostook immersion tour will bring Acadian history to life

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 31, 2026

An Aroostook teacher will bring Acadian culture to life with a weeklong immersion experience next month. “Living Acadia” (or “Acadie Vivante”) workshop will draw educators from across Maine to northern Maine’s St. John Valley, culminating in a public daylong reenactment of early Acadian life on June 27. It’s the first large-scale immersion event of its kind in the St. John Valley, to which many of Maine’s French Acadian descendants can trace their roots. It will coincide with the upcoming 50th anniversary of Van Buren’s Acadian Village, the second-largest such settlement in the U.S.

Column: Nest failure is common for birds in Maine. But many have backup plans.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 30, 2026

Maine weather is seldom ideal. Renesting is a common survival strategy. If at first, you don’t succeed… Tree nests are vulnerable to predators, including raptors and red squirrels. Open nests are especially vulnerable to cowbirds. Ground-nesting birds face multiple threats besides the perils of cold and flooding. Ground-based predators such as foxes, raccoons and skunks relish eggs. Waterfowl on the nest are literally “sitting ducks” for large raptors. Renesting is impossible for raptors. When a raptor nest fails, it’s already too late for a do-over. Other large birds can renest successfully. If a common loon nest fails, the pair often tries again. ~ Bob Duchesne

Opinion: Five big wins for wildlife in Maine’s 2026 legislative session

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 30, 2026

The second session of the 132nd Maine Legislature wrapped up recently. Here are five important wins for Maine wildlife this session. ~ Ches Gundrum, Maine Audubon
• Dark sky protection: LD 1934 will require that new or replacement lighting installed using public funds or on public property meets standards that prevent light pollution.
• Protecting shorelines: LD 1904 will help municipalities hold shoreland zoning violators accountable.
• Plug-in solar: LD 1730 allows more Mainers to tap into an affordable renewable energy source by increasing access to plug-in or “balcony” solar.
• Improving the LUPC: LD 870adds two new seats to the Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission: one member representing the Wabanaki Nations and another with explicit natural resource-based expertise.
• Battery waste:LD 474 and LD 1519, that require companies that produce certain batteries or electronic smoking devices to take responsibility for their product waste through state-approved stewardship programs.

Opinion: For the health of Greater Casco Bay, Wyman Station cannot be allowed to skirt clean air laws

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 30, 2026

Wyman Power Station on Cousins Island, which burns heavy and residual oil, recently submitted a request for a clean air exemption to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that would allow it to avoid complying with updated air quality standards for nitrous oxides for 13 more years. Wyman should not be granted this exemption. By May 2026, sources like Wyman Station that emit NOx were required to reduce their emissions with new technology or seek the use of alternate technology. A major energy company valued at more than $200 billion should not be allowed to skirt these common-sense safeguards. ~ Ivy Frignoca, Friends of Casco Bay; Luke Frankel, Natural Resources Council of Maine