Yale survey indicates Mainers losing interest in climate change

MAINE PUBLIC • July 31, 2026

Big majorities of Maine residents believe in global warming, think it is caused by human activities, and that it is harmful. But public interest and concern with global warming slipped in 2025, according to the Yale University Program on Climate Change Communication. Big majorities supported transitioning away from fossil fuels, regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant and building solar and wind power in their local area. Fewer than half of people, however, said they have felt the effects of climate change or believe it will harm them personally. Since President Donald Trump assumed office last year, the federal government has hobbled renewable energy, boosted fossil fuels, stopped publishing some emissions data and obstructed research into climate. Meanwhile, the U.S. and other parts of the world are facing bouts of dangerous heat, wildfires and other disasters made worse by a warming climate.

Maine lobster boat builder nets first clean engine waiver

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 31, 2026

A Maine boatyard is building the nation’s first lobster boat exempt from modern clean-air rules thanks to a waiver program designed to offer financial relief to the state lobster fleet, but that opens the door to more diesel pollution in fast-warming New England waters. The exempted vessel taking shape in the yard at Wesmac Custom Boats in Surry is heading south to a Massachusetts buyer, but it sets a powerful example for Maine, home to the country’s largest lobster fleet. The Surry builder said there’s simply no room for a bulky exhaust scrubber under the deck.

Latest Brookfield Dam Shut-Down Hits West Branch of Penobscot Massive Fish Kills

TROUT UNLIMITED • July 30, 2026

A two-hour dam shut down and sparks from old electric transmission lines at facilities owned by Brookfield Renewable on the West Branch of the Penobscot River triggered fish kills and forest fires this week. This is the latest such event, which killed hundreds of landlocked salmon.  The latest fish kills and fires renew repeated calls—so far ignored—for improved onsite dam monitoring and staffing, and proper maintenance of aging infrastructure. "Brookfield has shown no inclination to adequately maintain its transmission lines between McKay Station and Millinocket, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has taken no action to change that since a similar event occurred many times before,“ said Steve Heinz, Maine Council of Trout Unlimited, representing some 1,500 resident conservationists and sportspersons. “On the current course of inaction, we can unfortunately expect more of the same -- fish kills and forest fires.”  

Monumental Success?

DOWN EAST magazine • August 2026

Carving Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument out of Maine's north woods was a big win for conservationists and other supporters. A decade later, questions about what the property could–and should–become are still up for debate.

Midcoast Conservancy to host State of the Lake Aug. 20

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • July 31, 2026

Midcoast Conservancy will host the State of the Lake on Thursday, Aug. 20, 4-6 p.m., at the Jewell Lodge at Wavus Camp in Jefferson. State of the Lake offers an opportunity to hear about the work Midcoast Conservancy is doing throughout the Damariscotta Lake Watershed. Guest speaker Sgt. Justin Fowlie, of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, will present a program on Maine’s regulations on recreation, recent law changes, enforcement policies, and water quality and invasive plant initiatives. Free but registration is requested.

Over 15,000 pounds of tuna landed in Maine this week

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2026

The eighth annual Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza concluded Thursday with anglers landing 30 Atlantic bluefin tuna weighing a combined 15,429 pounds. The total more than doubled last year’s 13 fish, while participation increased from about 40 boats to about 60.

Maine joins seven states legalizing “Plug in” Solar

SUE INCHES BLOG • July 31, 2026

“Plug in solar” and “balcony solar” refer to small solar panels that can be plugged into a standard outlet and can provide electricity directly to a home or business with no connection to the electric grid. Sometimes several units can be strung together. And some units come with battery storage. Plug in solar is ideal for renters, people without a roof suitable for solar, or people who don’t plan to stay in their home long enough to see a rooftop array pay for itself. Plug in solar is a breakthrough because it can save users money without the need for subsidies, permits, or utility permission. In July, Maine became the eighth state to legalize “plug in solar”. Thirty-five other states are considering legislation to pave the way for these portable solar units. This makes sense. Legislators on both sides of the aisle are eager to provide constituents with relief from high energy bills.

Opinion: Bangor should bring back the Flying Yankee

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2026

Bangor once hosted a sleek, stainless steel, diesel-electric passenger train called the Flying Yankee. She was elegant and futuristic and fast, covering the distance to Boston in less than four-and-a-half hours. Hard to believe this train debuted in 1935. America used to have a railway system that was the envy of the world: a combination of long-distance trains, streetcars and interurban light rail. Almost overnight, we scrapped it, replacing rails with blacktop, and the more we extended and widened our highways, the greater the congestion became. The Flying Yankee is presently being refurbished in New Hampshire. The goal is to return it to running condition. Close your eyes and imagine the old girl slipping into Bangor. ~ Robert Klose, Orono

Model finds high tick risk across Franklin County

FRANKLIN JOURNAL • July 31, 2026

Every Franklin County community rates high for potential tick encounters under a new town-level model, with Temple, Weld, Sandy River Plantation, Carrabassett Valley and Carthage tied for the county’s highest peak-season score. The findings come from TickZone, a free website that combines county-level Lyme disease data with satellite land-cover information, seasonal tick activity and daily weather. Founder Nathan Burnett cautions that the scores estimate the likelihood of encountering ticks and do not predict infections.

Letter: Maine roads need to be cleared of vegetation

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2026

Along miles of state roads, highways and interstates, trees, brush, and tall grass have been allowed to grow mostly unchecked, creating a serious safety hazard that should no longer be ignored. Overgrown vegetation can block sight lines at intersections, highway entrance ramps, and merging lanes, forcing drivers to make dangerous split-second decisions. On local roads and highways, it narrows the usable shoulder, pushing pedestrians and bicyclists farther into traffic lanes and increasing the risk of serious accidents. It can also reduce motorists’ ability to see deer and other wildlife before they enter the roadway, leaving little time to avoid potentially deadly collisions. It’s time to stop making excuses and start cutting back the overgrowth. ~ Rod Hathaway, Veazie

How many of these Maine fishing adventures have you completed? See which belong on your bucket list.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2026
Maine boasts unique fishing opportunities and fish that often go underappreciated by locals. Here are six experiences every angler should try at least once.
• Catch and cook a landlocked salmon
• Go smelting
• Catch a fish on a fly rod
• Catch an Arctic charr
• Stay at a historic Maine sporting camp
• Catch a striped bass
Catch a musky or a whitefish? See the alewives migrate or canoe the Allagash? Whatever it is, the best part about an angler’s bucket list is that there’s always another adventure waiting.

Experts say the number of insects in Maine is dropping

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 31, 2026

Reliable, long-term data about the populations of the thousands of insects in Maine is generally limited, individual observations don’t necessarily indicate trends, and many factors can influence their behavior, according to naturalists. But numbers of insects — which pollinate plants, including crops, and fill a key role in the food chain — have declined sharply worldwide in recent decades, and it’s having noticeable impacts in Maine. “Whether you care [about insects] or not on a species level, every living human should care if you want to keep living,” said Doug Hitchcox, a naturalist at Maine Audubon. “We need insects.”

Martin Woods Farm: Evolving Through the Farming Experience

DAILY BULLDOG • July 30, 2026

For generations, family farms have been at the heart of rural Maine, providing food, employment, and a gathering place for neighbors. Today, however, many small farms have evolved beyond traditional agriculture, finding new ways to remain sustainable while continuing to serve their communities. From educational programming and agritourism to locally made products and seasonal events, modern family farms are proving they can preserve rural traditions while embracing new opportunities. That philosophy is evident at Martin Woods Farm in Starks, where owners Sarah and “Bud” Martin have spent the last decade building an 88-acre destination that blends agriculture, horsemanship, education and community.

Kingfish Maine is pushing for help to proceed with aquaculture project in Jonesport

MAINE MONITOR • July 30, 2026

Jonesport voters are expected to decide at a special town meeting Wednesday, Aug. 5, whether to amend a municipal ordinance to accommodate Kingfish Maine. The proposal would give Kingfish 30 months to substantially start construction on its 22-acre, land-based aquaculture project near Chandler Bay. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection must also approve the changes before they take effect. Kingfish Maine has courted Jonesport since November 2019, when the company first proposed building a recirculating aquaculture system to grow an estimated 8,500 metric tons of yellowtail kingfish annually, a species that prefers warm water. Environmental concerns sparked immediate opposition, triggering legal challenges that stalled the project for years. 

Column: From leaf to reef: Managing nutrient runoff from your yard

TIMES RECORD • July 30, 2026

This is the season when lawns get the most feeding, spraying and watering — and not all of it stays put. Some travels downhill into a storm drain, a creek, a river and eventually the ocean. Too much nitrogen or phosphorus feeds algae that overgrow and smother corals. A wise yard care plan is a step on the Water pathway, and it touches Habitat, too. ~ Fred Horch and Peggy Siegle, Sustainable Practice

Black bear dies at Maine Wildlife Park in Gray

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 30, 2026

A black bear died at Maine Wildlife Park in Gray on Wednesday. The wildlife park announced in a social media post on Thursday the loss of “our beloved resident black bear,” Luvey. It said one of the bear’s wildlife keepers had seen Luvey eating and otherwise behaving normally before she “suddenly collapsed.” “Staff responded immediately, but she passed away within minutes,” the park said. Luvey began her roughly five-year stay at Maine Wildlife Park in 2021. “A beautiful cinnamon-phase black bear, she quickly became a favorite among visitors and staff alike.”

Thousands of fish may have died in Penobscot River dam shutdown

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 30, 2026

A sudden Monday shutdown at a dam on the West Branch of the Penobscot River may have killed thousands of fish, leaving Maine anglers and guides warning that a nationally recognized cold-water fishery is being put at repeated risk. A downed power line triggered a “trip event” around 4:30 p.m. at McKay Station, which is about 30 miles west of Millinocket near Ripogenus Dam. The event automatically shut down the turbines. Water levels on the West Branch then fell from about 2,400 cubic feet per second to roughly 450 cfs almost instantly and stayed there for more than two hours. The unplanned outage at the dam has revived criticism of Brookfield Renewable, Maine’s dominant dam owner, its equipment maintenance and its response times when things go wrong.

Drought conditions worsening again in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 30, 2026

Drought conditions in Maine have worsened in recent weeks after months of fairly steady improvement. Maine’s coastline from York County through much of Hancock County is under moderate drought conditions as of this week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. All of Washington County and areas further inland, including most of Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Penobscot counties, find themselves under abnormally dry conditions. Slices of southern Aroostook, Franklin, Somerset and Piscataquis counties are also abnormally dry.

Baileyville paper mill fined $800,000 for ‘willful’ safety violations that killed 2

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 30, 2026

The operator of a Washington County paper mill willfully violated workplace safety laws, resulting in the deaths of two young men in January, federal investigators said Thursday. Twenty-year-old chemical engineering intern Kasie Malcolm and 26-year-old process engineer Allen Hornberger died of complications of hydrogen sulfide exposure when they were working at the Woodland Pulp mill in Baileyville, the Maine medical examiner’s office determined. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Woodland Pulp $794,456 this week. The mill, which has 15 days to contest the penalties, has been owned since 2010 by International Grand Investment Corporation, whose directors are based in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Beyond e-bikes: high-speed electric rides create new road hazards in central Maine

CENTRAL MAINE • July 30, 2026

E-bikes started becoming popular around 2019 and, boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, they became a popular option for commuters and people with mobility issues. But in recent months, reports of e-bike crashes have increased across the country, with many involving children. One such crash occurred last week on Bangor Street in Augusta, where a 14-year-old riding an e-bike suffered serious leg injuries. Andrew Zarro, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, said e-bikes aren’t the problem. Electric motorcycles are. E-bikes can’t go above 28 mph, but e-motos can — some drive up to 65 mph.