Western Maine conservation project offers 'ecologically important' reprieve for wildlife

MAINE PUBLIC • July 27, 2026

In the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine, several conservation groups have permanently protected 78,000 acres around the Magalloway River watershed from development. Heavily forested, with a cold water fishery, this is an ecologically important landscape that still feels remote and wild. It has one of the last sustaining brook trout populations in the country, so it's a fly fishing haven. But it's also a popular birding destination. Even more significant for wildlife facing climate change is that the Magalloway parcel connects with half a million acres that have previously been conserved.

Man critically injured in Aroostook boat crash

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 27, 2026.

A crash between a boat and a SeaDoo on Long Lake on Saturday left a man in critical condition, according to North Lakes Fire & Rescue. The injured man is 25-year-old Evan Pelkey, North Lakes Chief Darren Woods confirmed Monday. Few other details about the crash are available because the Maine Warden Service is investigating,

Opinion: Environmental justice requires a higher standard for Juniper Ridge Landfill expansion

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 27, 2026

A case now before the Penobscot County court — Penobscot Nation v. Maine Department of Environmental Protection — concerns environmental justice. The dispute centers on the proposed expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill in Old Town. The landfill is state‑owned and operated by Casella subsidiary NEWSME, which has intervened alongside the DEP. The Penobscot Nation agrues that the agency’s analysis fails to meet the environmental justice standards required by law. The DEP ignores documented cancer disparities, leaves out key contaminants, misstates sustenance‑fishing exposure, substitutes landfill‑to‑landfill comparisons for cumulative burden analysis, and treats PFAS treatment as a cure‑all. Most importantly, it fails to meaningfully address the sovereign rights and cultural continuity of the Penobscot Nation. Maine must choose a future in which the Penobscot River — and the people who have cared for it for thousands of years — are protected without condition and without expansion. ~ John Krueger, former division director of licensing and enforcement at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection

Boothbay Harbor Eastside Waterfront Park

In July 2018, our community came together to purchase and preserve a vital waterfront parcel in one of Maine’s most beloved harbors. We are lifelong, year-round and Summer residents, fishermen and tradespeople, hospitality workers, kids, educators and preservationists who believe that a resource as beautiful and important as this one must be secured for generations to come. An ever-growing list of supporters is raising funds to build a Boothbay Harbor Eastside Waterfront Park. Preserving waterfront access for everyone, today and for generations to come.

Trump’s new 50% tariff on some Canadian goods could shake Maine businesses

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 27, 2026

New tariffs on some Canadian goods could roil Maine’s markets, experts say. The new import taxes were ordered by President Donald Trump last week. The U.S. will charge a 50% tax on the value of a wide range of goods from Canada, including paper products, beginning Aug. 19. Trump has used tariffs extensively since his second term as both bargaining chips in trade negotiations and as a revenue generator; he’s long called himself “a tariff man.” The new tariffs could send shockwaves through exhausted supply chains.

11 Maine boat rides and tours for water-powered fun this summer

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 27, 2026

Things are different on the water. The breezes are cooler, the horizon is wider and the sunsets are more vivid. Living in Maine in summer, it’s easy to make a water escape anytime. You can board a sloop with sails aloft, take a concert cruise on a Casco Bay ferry, go on a sightseeing tour of the Kennebec River, travel on a replica Mississippi River paddle wheeler on Long Lake or engage a pedal-powered party boat. There are lots of excursion boats up and down the coast, as well as some on Maine’s lakes. Whether you want to haul lobsters, see oysters, hear music or just chill out, it’s easy to find one near you. The Maine Office of Tourism has an interactive boat cruise section on its website, where you can search by region.

Seeking lower prices, Maine PUC changes electric purchase process

MAINE PUBLIC • July 27, 2026

The Maine Public Utilities Commission is changing the way it procures electricity for Maine's largest electric utilities in an effort to hedge against price spikes in volatile energy markets. For years, the commission has taken one day late in the year to select an electricity supplier to provide annual "standard offer" fixed price power through a competitive bidding process. But this year, commissioners decided to break up the process — buying up to half of the state's projected 2027 electric load this month, and the remainder later this fall.

Historic land deal clinched, conserving 78K acres in western Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 27, 2026

One of the largest gaps in Maine’s conservation landscape has been closed. The final paperwork was filed Friday to complete a multi-year effort to protect 78,000 acres of rugged woods in north Oxford County from development. Bridging two other conserved areas, the Magalloway project creates a 500,000-acre wildlife corridor in New Hampshire and Maine. The land has been sold and all conservation easements are now on file, but the $62 million deal isn’t quite done — the four conservation groups behind the project still have $1.9 million left to raise to create a long-term stewardship fund and cover the last of their legal fees.

Historic deal permanently protects 78K acres in western Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 27, 2026

A landmark conservation project in western Maine has officially closed, permanently protecting more than 78,000 acres in the Magalloway River region while preserving public access for hunting, fishing, paddling, snowmobiling and other outdoor recreation. The project, first announced in March 2025 after conservation groups reached an agreement with Bayroot LLC and Wagner Forest Management, was contingent on raising $62 million before it could close. The completed effort connects more than 500,000 acres of contiguous conserved land across western Maine and neighboring New Hampshire through a partnership among Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Forest Society of Maine, Northeast Wilderness Trust and The Nature Conservancy. The conservation deal protects wildlife habitat while maintaining the region’s working forest. More than 62,500 acres will remain privately owned 

How Maine farmers are weathering climate change

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 27, 2026

A new report by the Northeast Climate Disaster Relief Network outlines the recent challenges farms have faced, from extreme heatwaves to intense rainfall. It highlights loss of profit, unpredictable yields and labor stress as the main impacts on agriculture. In response, the report calls for coordinated action to build a more durable safety net when farmers face increasingly common harsh weather.

As Trump boosts nuclear power, regulators seek to eliminate a longstanding radiation safety rule

ASSOCIATED PRESS • July 26, 2026

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to eliminate a foundational safety principle that has for 50 years minimized the radiation people in the United States are exposed to and that has been adopted around the world. Currently, facilities such as nuclear plants, hospitals or academic institutions that use radioactive materials must ensure radiation exposures are kept “as low as reasonably achievable” — the ALARA principle. The NRC proposal would abandon that philosophy while keeping a separate standard on maximum radiation exposure. The two standards have worked together in radiation safety.

New owners keep historic Blue Hill farm growing

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 26, 2026

A historic small farm on Route 15 in Blue Hill is continuing to produce fruit, vegetables and flowers under new ownership, a year after its last owner worried it would become strictly a residential property. The roughly one-acre property on Route 15 was known for decades as Backstage Farm. Started as a kitchen garden by Elena Bourakovsky and the late Bill Raiten, it also grew to supply a fermented food business. Now, new owners MC Brower and Mike Sarraino are running a farmstand there under the name Lindenleaf Farm.

Open Farm Day invites visitors to experience Maine agriculture firsthand

FOX NEWS • July 26, 2026

More than 80 farms across Maine invited visitors to discover the people, products and places that make Maine agriculture unique during the 37th annual Maine Open Farm Day on Sunday. For more than three decades, Open Farm Day has connected visitors with authentic farm experiences throughout Maine. The tradition is hosted by Real Maine, a Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry program.

Visitors celebrate agriculture and history at Shaker Village

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 26, 2026

On a normal day, New Gloucester’s Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village would be quiet and still, with the exception of sheep’s bleat or a bug’s buzz. But during Maine’s statewide Open Farm Day on Sunday, the farm welcomed an estimated 1,500 visitors. “We really like to use it as a big community event,” Shaker Village Office Manager Jamie Ribisi-Braley said. “We’ve seen so many families coming year after year, we could watch their kids grow up. It’s amazing.” The most popular activity is a wagon ride that takes visitors through the nearly 250-year-old village, and up through the herb gardens.

Pelagic Adventure to Brier Island & Lurcher Shoals, August 16

MAINE AUDUBON • July 26, 2026

It has been 30 years since Maine Audubon’s annual pelagic trip from Bar Harbor started, and the frequent feedback is: 1) people want better weather or 2) people want more opportunities to get offshore. We haven’t made in progress in controlling the weather, but we have partnered with FLUKES: International Whale Tours to offer an exciting new trip on Sunday, August 16, to the waters off Brier Island, Nova Scotia and Lurcher Shoals. August is one of the best times for maximum seabird numbers (especially shearwaters) and diversity of whales, and we’ve chosen a route to access one of the most productive areas in the Gulf of Maine.

Letter: Congress must keep harmful measures out of Farm Bill

SUN JOURNAL • July 27, 2026

At Butting Heads Farm in Gardiner (where we raise everything from pigs to produce), we believe the Farm Bill should support responsible family farms and preserve states’ ability to set agricultural standards that reflect the values of their communities. That is why we urge Congress to reject the Save Our Bacon Act and ensure it is not included in the Farm Bill. This proposal would undermine these values. We urge Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King to oppose the Save Our Bacon Act and work to ensure this harmful proposal isn’t included in the Farm Bill. ~ Jackie Frost, Gardiner

Aug 4: Two Concerts for Climate

FRIENDS OF CASCO BAY • July 26, 2026

Join us for a special private piano concert on August 4 to benefit Friends of Casco Bay in collaboration with Concerts for Climate. Pianist, composer, and climate activist Sydney Patten will share her passion for the environment and her music in a live performance. Friends of Casco Bay will share a special update about our work. A reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres will conclude the event.
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
First concert: 3-4 p.m.; Second concert: 5-6 p.m.
Location: Sydney and Bill Patten are welcoming us into their Falmouth home for this performance. Details will be shared after registration.
Cost: A donation is suggested for this event. Suggested levels are $100-$1,000 per attendee.

The Right Whale film, July 26

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • Jul, y 26, 2026

“The Right Whale: Tales of Resilience and Hope” celebrates the enigmatic lives of right whales as they navigate the world’s oceans. At Harbor Theater, Boothbay Harbor, July 26, 6 pm, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers Cheryl and Nick Dean and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Senior Research Scientist Nick Record.

Opinion: How do Mainers love heat pumps? Let me count the ways …

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • July 26, 2026

Heat pumps helped the state beat its goal of 100,000 installations two years ago and reach 143,000 units in 2025. Now the target is 175,000 by 2027. Why do Mainers love heat pumps? Because Maine is the most heating-oil dependent state in the country. And when prices shoot up, they get hosed. Maine has been trying to kick its petroleum addiction since the 1974 Middle East oil embargo. Heat pumps are just the latest tool. ~ Tux Turkel

Cinnamon Fern Through the Lens of Time

DAILY BULLDOG • July 25, 2026

In the Northeast, cinnamon fern is one of the easiest ferns to recognize when its cinnamon-colored spikes are still present. Remarkably, the cinnamon fern has changed very little over time, appearing in the fossil record in late-Cretaceous rocks, and its lineage has remained stable even longer. In 2014, researchers described a 180-million-year-old fossil rhizome of a close relative from a volcanic mudflow in Sweden, where mineralization was so rapid that nuclei and even chromosomes were preserved. These matched those of the modern cinnamon fern almost exactly in size and number. Why have cinnamon ferns changed so little from the times that the last dinosaurs were walking among them? Possibly because the wet, acidic, low-nutrient ground that suits cinnamon fern has existed continuously on the planet since the Mesozoic, and because traits like tough rhizomes and quick-germinating green spores work so well in those wetlands that there has been little pressure to change. ~ Naya Banerjee