Maine’s network of gear libraries can help you get outside this summer

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 5, 2026

Maine has a growing network of gear libraries designed to help people play outside even when they don’t have the requisite gear at home. Each one has a different pricing structure and unique inventory, but all share a commitment to access and sustainability. Eva Fury, co-founder and co-director of Kindling Collective in Portland, said. “Not everybody needs one of everything, especially if you’re only using it a couple times a year or once a year. So why not put that spending power into one place? We can get the best, coolest, highest-quality equipment, and you can borrow it when you need it.”

3 strangers came to his aid at Monroe Falls. Weeks later, he’s still trying to find them.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 5, 2026

On May 20, Anthony Pollard was swimming alone at Monroe Falls. It was a quiet, peaceful day, he said. The sun was shining and it was the perfect day to swim. About 10 minutes later, everything changed. Pollard suddenly went into shock. “My legs stopped working, my arms went rigid, and it felt like I was being stung by thousands of jellyfish all at once,” he said. He genuinely didn’t think he was going to make it back. He managed to kick toward the rocks and pull himself from the water. Pollard remembered seeing three young people nearby earlier. He tried calling for help. The group called 911. Five days after the incident, he posted a sign at Monroe Falls asking the trio to contact him. He has also shared his story on social media. More than two weeks later, Pollard is still searching for the people who helped him.

Avoid Maine’s tourist traps by taking the roads less traveled

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 4, 2026

Here are some alternatives to our busiest summer spots that will still check the boxes of a quintessential Maine vacation.
• Instead of Red’s Eats, go to Erica’s Seafood in Harpswell
• Instead of Portland Head Light, go to Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse
• Instead of Tumbledown Mountain, go to Mount Blue
• Instead of Popham Beach, go to Seawall Beach
• Instead of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, go to The Gardens at Pineland Farms
• Instead of Mount Desert Island, go to Isle au Haut

Historic crane in Hallowell park deemed public safety hazard, will be removed

CENTRAL MAINE • June 4, 2026

Contractors will soon remove the 19th century wooden crane on display at Granite City Park after an inspection Tuesday found the structure “poses an imminent risk to public safety.” The 37-foot-tall wooden crane — one of the last remaining from the area’s mid-1800s granite mining heyday — was found at an abandoned Augusta quarry in 1985 and was displayed at a bank before being donated to Hallowell in 2003. The 36-foot-long boom swings in a full circle, and is similar to ones used to load granite blocks onto boats in the Kennebec River. After a decade behind the public works building, the crane was moved to Granite City Park. Hallowell became well known across the country for its white granite beginning in the 1820s. At least nine companies operated quarries in Hallowell during the mining peak.

Trump uses wartime powers to dole out $700m to ‘clean, beautiful’ coal

THE GUARDIAN • June 4, 2026

Donald Trump is using wartime presidential authority to hand $700m to coal-fired power plants in the US, the latest move by the president to bolster what he called “clean, beautiful coal,” despite it being the dirtiest of fossil fuels. Trump is using the Defense Production Act, a cold war-era statute used to accelerate American industrial output in times of national need, to provide grants to more than a dozen existing coal plants across the US, including facilities capable of exporting coal. “As a result of the $700m investment that I’m announcing today, we will protect 14 coal plants and 42 coalmines, a tremendous number, and build two new coal plants and one massive new export terminal,” Trump said. Environmental groups strongly criticized the administration’s latest aid for coal.

Bicyclist finishes coast-to-coast ride in Maine … 50 years after he started

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 5, 2026

Riding his bicycle toward East End Beach on Wednesday, Cecil Elbert looked a bit different from when he started his coast-to-coast trip. It’s been 50 years, after all. His original plan was to ride from Portland, Oregon, to Portland, Maine, then travel to Montreal for the Summer Olympics. Everything was going well until Thief River Falls, Minnesota, where a crash stopped Elbert’s journey short. When he dipped his front wheel into the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, it was four days behind his original schedule, but 50 years to the day after his accident. Walking his bike down the boat launch at East End Beach in Portland, he smiled. He had finally reached the end of the line. He could rest now.

Do you own 10 forested acres in Maine? You could get up to $20K to protect it.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 4, 2026

Many Maine hunters and outdoor enthusiasts own wooded property. A new state program could help them improve wildlife habitat, increase forest diversity and make their woods more resilient to pests, disease and severe weather. The Maine Forest Service is seeking applications for its new WoodsWISE Resilience Program, a $9 million initiative that provides financial assistance and professional guidance to landowners interested in improving the health of their forests. Eligible landowners can receive up to $20,000 in funding to help cover approved forestry work. 

New England Aquarium pens letter opposing changes to vessel speed limit

MAINE PUBLIC • June 4, 2026

In a letter to NOAA fisheries, the New England Aquarium says it opposes efforts by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to deregulate vessel speed limits designed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. The speed limits were established in 2008 in management areas where right whales were observed during their migration. The NMFS has posted an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of a “possible deregulatory action” to its website. The aquarium cited studies that say vessel strikes remain a threat to the small population of right whales left on the East Coast. Between 2020 and 2025, 22 right whale vessel strikes were detected in U.S. waters, of which six were fatal and two resulted in serious injuries.

Maine advisory council starts debating possible data center restrictions

MAINE PUBLIC • June 3, 2026

A new panel set up to examine potential policies and restrictions aimed at large-scale data centers in Maine has about eight months to deliver its recommendations to state lawmakers. The 17-member Maine Data Center Advisory Council held its first meeting Wednesday. The body was set up by Gov. Janet Mills this spring. The council is tasked with examining existing state regulations and devising ways to insulate Maine from damaging effects of huge data centers experienced elsewhere in the country. Communities around the U.S. that host big data centers have blamed the facilities for soaring electric bills, high water use and light and noise pollution.

planet maine vol. 30: what does a future full of climate-friendly solutions look like?

MAINE PUBLIC • June 3, 2026

Don’t ask Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, author of “What If We Get it Right: Visions of Climate Futures,” about hope. As a scientist, she says she’s too well-acquainted with the facts on climate change to feel hopeful about the future. “If I waited to feel hopeful I’d be waiting a very long time without acting,” she says. Her 2024 book, recently updated and published in a new paperback edition this year on Earth Day, is an attempt to paint a picture of the possibilities of what the best climate future looks like — and introduces readers to a whole host of people working to help create it. I sat down with Johnson to discuss the book.

Letter: Farm Bill opinion appears totally disingenuous

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 3, 2026

A May 26 op-ed written by Will Coggin of the Center for the Environment and Welfare offered support for the 2026 Farm Bill that strips enforcement of California’s Proposition 12. I did a little research. Coggin works for a public affairs PR firm based in Virginia specializing in campaigns for food, fuel and alcohol corporations. The center appears to be just a website funded by corporate interests. Industries are welcome to share their points of view, but it is disingenuous to do so hiding behind a creatively named nonprofit. ~ Larry Ely, Falmouth

Column: A community came together to get a lost bird home to Lewiston

SUN JOURNAL • June 3, 2026

When Bijoux joined the family, he was accepted by all, including Boots the family cat and Wicket the dog. All was well: a family scene fit for framing. Until, that is, a brief lapse in household security led to anguish. The door was open for a split second. Out Bijoux flew into a world with which he was not familiar. The bird’s family watched in horror as their beloved conure vanished into the night. There was no chance that Heather was going to give up on Bijoux. She went to a popular Facebook page. One lady reported that Bijoux almost landed on her shoulder. That’s how eager he was to find his way home. The good news came from Lewiston’s animal control officer, Chris Sanders, who was enlisted to return the bird to its proper home. It was only through the empathy and generosity of the strangers that this story was brought to a joyful conclusion.

Franklin County leaders criticize Sugarloaf for not repaying $152,224 grant

SUN JOURNAL • June 3, 2026

Franklin County commissioners Tuesday criticized Sugarloaf Mountain Corp. for failing to repay the county $152,224 owed by the ski resort from a canceled project to replace Caribou Pond Dam. At issue is a grant awarded to Sugarloaf in 2020 to replace the Caribou Pond Dam in Mount Abram Township, an unorganized territory in northern Franklin County. It was aimed at improving Sugarloaf’s snowmaking ability and the environment for aquatic life and wildlife. However, the project was dropped after it was determined the cost was too great for the benefits received. Sugarloaf repaid Franklin County $69,547 of the total, leaving $152,224.

More than 120 nests of these endangered birds are hatching right now

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 3, 2026

If you’re visiting a beach in southern or midcoast Maine soon, keep an eye out for piping plovers. These tiny shorebirds are hatching right now. According to Maine Audubon Coastal Birds Seasonal Outreach Coordinator Kevin Mullan, four chicks hatched in Biddeford over Memorial Day weekend. Maine Audubon has identified more than 120 piping plover nests this spring, meaning many more chicks are expected to hatch in the coming weeks.

The remarkable story behind Maine’s record Atlantic salmon that vanished for decades

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2026

Oct. 7, 1980, on Maine’s Sheepscot River, angler Howard Clifford is fly fishing the Larabee Pool. Then it happens. “Fish on!” Clifford’s salmon was 43 inches long, had a 19-inch girth and tipped the scales at 28 pounds, 1 ounce. It was a U.S. record. Clifford agreed to let L.L. Bean display the fish for five years before it was returned to him. After much inquiry, Maine marine scientist Paul Christman eventually located a deceased Howard Clifford from Southampton, New York. He got Linda Clifford on the phone. She was the wife of the late Howard Clifford and, yes, she had the fish. Christman picked it up in New York on April 13, 2026, returning the historic fish to Maine. He plans to display the impressive mount for a time before donating it to the Maine State Museum.

Belfast City Park neighbors say pickleball noise is ruining their lives

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2026

Neighbors of Belfast City Park say nonstop noise from the park’s pickleball courts is making their house “uninhabitable” and causing them mental distress. “This is not a background tone,” Alexander Giblin told the City Council on Tuesday. “It is a relentless invasive barrage that penetrates our windows, our closed doors. We hear it in every room. There is no reprieve.”

Business owner clear-cut land in Scarborough without approval

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 2, 2026

A business owner clear-cut land near Route 1 without a permit, according to a notice of violation from the town of Scarborough. Cary Seamans is the owner of Seamans Construction and CVS Foundations LLC, according to Seamans’ LinkedIn account. Seamans recently purchased around 10 wooded acres with a single home. A large part of the property is also subject to the shoreland zoning ordinance — which protects the environment and wildlife on land near a pond, river, stream or wetland — as it is within 250 feet of the Stuart Brook east of the Maine Turnpike. Seamans needed approval to clear or remove vegetation for the portion of the property in the Stream Protection 2 Overlay District. “I didn’t have any real reason for the trees to be removed,” Seamans said. “We were thinking about hopefully developing the property.”

For World Fish Migration Day, eyes turn to restoring the Mousam River

MAINE PUBLIC • June 2, 2026

On World Fish Migration Day at the end of May, dozens of people gathered in downtown Kennebunk on the banks of the Mousam River. There were informational booths, a fly tying demonstration and live fish on hand to demonstrate the kinds of species that make the river their home. Chris Schorn, southern Maine land protection project manager for Maine Coast Heritage Trust said the 27-mile river snaking through York County is a biodiversity hotspot with a “diversity of rare, different rare, threatened and endangered species." It's also one of the most heavily dammed rivers in Maine. There are 11 dams on the Mousam's main stem, almost one every two miles. Fish trying to make it upstream halt at a series of three aging hydropower dams in Kennebunk, just a few miles from where the Mousam meets the Gulf of Maine. MCHT, along with local and state advocacy groups, wants the dams taken out and the lower Mousam restored to a free-flowing river. It's a scenario that's playing out all over Maine, on rivers big and small.

Acadia advisory panel created by Congress fails to meet for 3rd time in 18 months

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 2, 2026

Acadia National Park’s citizen advisory commission has missed its second meeting in a row,  and its third meeting in less than a year and a half, amid funding cuts and staff departures across the National Park Service. In 1986, Congress established the 16-member commission to advise the secretary of the U.S Department of the Interior on Acadia National Park management and development. Since President Donald Trump was sworn into office in January 2025, there has been a mass firing of federal workers that included eight full-time employees at Acadia, where chronic seasonal staff shortages have left the park struggling to keep up with services.

Action Alert: Oppose Increased Funding for Trump’s Dept. of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division

Under the Trump administration, rather than focusing on enforcing the nation's bedrock environmental laws against billionaire corporate polluters, Trump has directed the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) to defend meritless and lawless rollbacks to clean air and water protections, challenge state and local efforts to protect themselves from pollution, and reduce accountability for industries that continue to destroy our natural heritage. ENRD is now more focused on finding and bringing meritless lawsuits to undo state-level efforts to address even the most basic efforts to address the climate crisis and to wreak havoc with every effort to expand renewable energy in this nation. Send a message to Maine's federal delegation calling on them to oppose this funding!