Letter: Voters should reject fossil fuel subsidies

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 16, 2026

The world as we know it today was built on the back of burning fossil fuels. Unfortunately, this process has come at a tremendous cost. Emissions from burning fossil fuels are rapidly warming our world at a rate that has never occurred in the history of our planet. Why, then, do we continue to burn planet-killing fossil fuels? One primary reason is the tremendous control the fossil fuel industry has over our government. Our federal government spends between $20 billion to $35 billion a year on direct handouts to the fossil fuel industry. It is time for voters to demand absolute transparency and use their ballots to reject candidates who prioritize fossil fuel payouts over our planet’s future. ~ Ron Sadler, Bangor

Maine is a top destination for people moving within the US

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 16, 2026

People in the U.S. are moving to Maine more than any other New England state. Maine gained 7,406 more residents than it lost from July 2024 to July 2025, according to a report from SEO Backlinks. This earned Maine the seventh spot among states with the highest rate of population growth during that time. The data aligns with a report from the Maine State Economist, which announced in January that Maine’s population reached a record high of more than 1.4 million in 2025.

Lubec Shellfish Committee update: El Niño’s impact looms over Maine’s clam flats

MAINE MONITOR • June 15, 2026

Lubec shellfish harvesters planted seed clams in the Lawrence’s Factory, Globe Cove and Klondike flats last week with help from Kyle Pepperman of the Downeast Institute. The new beds will require year-round tending and close monitoring for predators and for biofouling from algae and seaweed. The Lubec Shellfish Committee, which monitors, manages and preserves shellfish harvesting, plans to track conditions on the freshly planted flats and report changes as they occur. A strong El Niño this year is expected to make that work even more critical for the clams’ survival.

The next turtle you see on the road may need your help. Here’s what to do.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 15, 2026

In late May or early June, our local freshwater turtles embark on a mass exodus from their wetlands. They leave their watery homes to make the journey to a warm, dry spot to lay their eggs, then return home. Our native turtles travel up to a mile to nest, and that means crossing roads full of cars, yards full of people and dogs, and even construction sites full of heavy equipment. In two or three months, when the eggs hatch and the young emerge from their underground nests, they must make their way back to the water on their own. What can you do to help turtles crossing roads? Stop if it’s safe and help the turtle get to the side they’re headed towards. Put your flashers on and try to motion to let the next driver know why you pulled over. ~ Pamela Meier, The Turtle’s Back, Inc.

What’s the state of drought across Maine?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 15, 2026

Maine’s drought conditions are improving thanks to a rainy spring, but experts say more precipitation is needed to get out of the woods — that, and avoiding the long dry spells the state saw last summer. But even if conditions continue to improve on the surface, the issue may persist beneath. Sarah Jamison, senior service hydrologist at the National Weather Service in Gray, said, “We’re still not where we want to be in our groundwater, and that could be around for a long time.”

Messages on climate change on display at Acadia after judge rules against Trump order

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 15, 2026

After a federal judge late last week ordered the Trump administration to restore signage that it had removed from national parks, some messages about the impact of climate change were on display in Acadia on Monday. But some displays that were removed last fall from public view in Acadia have yet to reappear. A coalition of environmental and historical organizations sued the Trump administration in February over its attempts to “erase history and censor science” at America’s national parks. “This ruling is from a Biden appointed judge,” an unidentified spokesperson for the Department of Interior said in an email to the Bangor Daily News. “The Department is looking at our appeal options.”

Climate and Wabanaki signs to return to Acadia

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 15, 2026

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to return educational signs to national parks and monuments, stopping a government campaign to erase climate science and Indigenous history from places like Acadia National Park. The ruling on Friday requires federal officials to restore dozens of Acadia’s displays on warming oceans and Wabanaki heritage by July 3. This legal victory ensures that the millions who visit Maine’s coast this summer will receive an unvarnished look at the state’s changing environment. State Rep. Gary Friedmann, of Bar Harbor, said people in his district felt a combination of disbelief and outrage when the Trump administration ordered the Wabanaki heritage and climate change signs removed from Acadia. He considered that level of federal interference an attack on history, science and truth.

Scarborough Land Trust expands Pleasant Hill Preserve by 25 acres

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 15, 2026

The Scarborough Land Trust again has expanded Pleasant Hill Preserve’s footprint by 25 acres, giving it a total of 211 acres. The preserve, located at the intersection of Pleasant Hill Road and Fogg Road, is made up of open fields, woods and wetlands. Home to over 100 bird species and other wildlife, it is part of 500 acres of contiguous conserved land that includes the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. The preserve has 2.4 miles of public trails for hiking, wildlife watching, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Rhonda and Jim Finely sold the 25 acres to the trust for less than the fair market value to conserve the land.

Bears are showing up in a Maine beach town

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 15, 2026

Bears are wandering out of the woods into Old Orchard Beach in search of either food or vacation. Two black bears were spotted Sunday morning near Saco and Lucette avenues, according to the Old Orchard Beach Police Department. The bears later retreated into the woods. Police urged residents to secure their trash, take down bird feeders and clean their grills to minimize the attractions for the bears. Additionally, police asked residents to keep their pets on leashes when outside.

Holding Central Maine Power accountable

MAINE AUDUBON • June 15, 2026

When development projects—no matter how big or small—impact Maine’s natural resources, especially those that are ecologically unique, the state’s environmental agencies direct companies to avoid or minimize impacts as much as possible, and if they cannot accomplish that, mitigate and/or compensate for losses to natural resources. CMP’s NECEC transmission corridor permit required them to protect and connect 50,000 acres of predominantly mature forest habitat within the vicinity of the project as that was a central habitat type that was lost due to the creation of the new transmission line. CMP’s plan to make up for these losses is a failure. ~ Francesca "Ches" Gundrum, Maine Audubon

Body of missing boater found in Rockland lake

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 15, 2026

A missing boater was found dead in a Rockland lake on Sunday night. Divers from the Maine Warden Service recovered the body of 59-year-old Timothy Payson from Chickawaukie Lake around 10 p.m. A resident had reported hearing a man yelling for help from the water earlier that morning. He arrived at the water to find a small, Zodiac-style boat moving in circles with a dog onboard, but did not see a man on the boat or in the water.

Inside Carrabassett Valley’s thawing conflict with the Penobscot Nation

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 14, 2026

Six years ago, the Penobscot Nation posted its land in Carrabassett Valley. The tribe owns 24,000 acres there and the decision barred the public from much of the outlying woodlands that bikers, hikers, ATVers and snowmobilers had come to rely on. At the time, the tribal council had received numerous complaints from its members that outside users were not respecting the land. It was littered in trash, and gates were commonly left open or locked behind tribal citizens. Since then, the local ATV club has all but disappeared and the local snowmobile club has dropped from 150 members to 55. New zoning will allow the Penobscot Nation to build more homes on its land in the town. It’s an indicator that the long-chilled relationship between the two governments may be thawing.

After a lifetime in politics, a former Maine congressman finds his biggest fight at home

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 15, 2026

Mike Michaud is either the driving force behind revitalizing East Millinocket’s former mill site or misusing millions of dollars meant to bring it back to life, depending on whom you ask. Since winning a seat on the East Millinocket Select Board eight years ago, the former congressman has poured much of his time into rehabilitating the site once home to the Great Northern Paper Co. mill. He has attracted millions in federal grants that have been used to renovate it and house new companies. Not everyone in town agrees that Michaud has made improvements. Former Select Board Chair Clint Linscott abruptly quit and blamed Michaud for pushing a dozen town employees out of their roles. “It’s working out the way it should work out. We’re not always going to agree, but the fact that things are moving in the right direction is good,” Michaud said.

Bar Harbor’s cruise ship battle has cost the town $111K in less than a year

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 11, 2026

In less than a year, Bar Harbor has spent more than $111,000 on legal and regulatory expenses tied to ongoing disputes of the town’s controversial cruise ship passenger cap, which a federal judge ruled partially unconstitutional last month. In May, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Walker ruled that the town’s cruise ship ordinance — a voter-approved cap that limits cruise ships to disembarking no more than 1,000 passengers per day — can only be enforced during July and August, the town’s peak tourist season.

Column: I don’t like hiking or the ocean. Then I visited one of Maine’s most famous coastal walks.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 14, 2026

I’m not much of a hiker. I climbed a few of Maine’s highest mountains in my younger days just to be able to say I did, but any hiking since then had to have trout or something to hunt at the end of the trail. And it may be a tad strange coming from someone born and raised within 30 minutes of the Gulf of Maine, but I’m not a big fan of the ocean. But few coastlines I’ve seen are as scenic as Maine’s. In York County, one of the best-known cliff walks is the Marginal Way in Ogunquit. Anyone visiting the southern Maine coast this summer would not be wasting their time by putting this famous footpath on their to-do list. ~ Al Raychard

A cow moose and calf showed up at a North Maine Woods checkpoint

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 14, 2026

Suzanne Hebert spotted a cow and calf moose around 7 a.m. Wednesday at the St. Francis North Maine Woods checkpoint. Hebert said she has been working for North Maine Woods since 2020. “I love working here,” she said. “I get to see all kinds of wildlife — deer, moose, fox, squirrels and all types of birds.” The tiny calf, still wobbly while walking, was recently born.

Searsmont assistant fire chief dies a month after lumber mill explosion

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 14, 2026

The Maine state fire marshal’s office announced the death of Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury on Sunday at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Woodbury, 76, suffered serious injuries after responding to a devastating fire on May 15 at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont. The fire and explosion at the lumber yard killed another firefighter, 27-year-old Morrill firefighter Andrew Cross, and injured at least 10 other people, several of whom remain hospitalized.

Search underway for missing boater on Rockport pond

MIDCOAST VILLAGER • June14, 2026

A search was underway Sunday for a boater missing on Chickawaukie Pond. Knox County Regional Communications received a report shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday from a local resident who heard a man calling for help on the pond. The resident had earlier seen the man and a dog in the boat. The boat was later found going in circles near the shore on the Rockport side of the pond. Crews arrived at both the Chickawaukie Pond Road side but also at the boat launch on the Rockland side. The person was not located.

10-year-old boy safe after being rescued from Androscoggin River

SUN JOURNAL • June 14, 2026

A 10-year-old boy is safe after officials from multiple agencies swiftly rescued him from the Androscoggin River in Turner Saturday night. Just after 8:15 p.m., the Androscoggin Regional Communications Center received a call about the boy, who had entered the fast-flowing river near Hawes Corner Road. The boy’s father informed the dispatcher that his son had been swept by the current, and was stranded on a cluster of rocks in the middle of the river. Turner Fire and Rescue navigated the current using a rescue boat, secured the child and brought him back safely to shore where officials determined he was uninjured. The Sherriff’s Office urged caution around public rivers, reminding people that they can quickly become dangerous, despite appearing calm.

How to get away this summer without leaving Maine

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • June 14, 2026

Mainers often think about tourists as the people who cause traffic jams in coastal downtowns and long waits at popular restaurants. But data shows that locals account for nearly one-fifth of the annual visitors. We can get away without ever crossing state lines. This summer, you can do the same. This guide helps Mainers explore our own state this summer, whether you join the throngs at a tourist hot spot or follow the road less traveled.