Federal funding delay pushes Wilson Lake projects into 2027

SUN JOURNAL • September 9, 2026

A delay in federal funding has pushed planned Wilson Lake watershed improvement projects into 2027 and 2028, Friends of Wilson Lake President Robert Rogers said. Rogers told the Wilton Select Board on Sept. 1 that $150,000 through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Section 319 program had not yet become available, preventing erosion and runoff projects from moving forward this year.

Column: How many deer can a hunter shoot in Maine?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 9, 2026

It used to be a lot simpler. Not so long ago, you could take just a buck or a doe. Period. Now, a hunter with a big game hunting license and four regular antlerless permits could take up to five deer. Then there is Expanded Archery Season. ~ V. Paul Reynolds

Crow in Falmouth tests positive for West Nile virus

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 9, 2026

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention notified Falmouth that it recently identified West Nile virus in a crow, town officials shared on Wednesday. West Nile virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, and it can infect humans, horses, birds and other animals, according to the Maine CDC. Most people infected with the virus don’t show signs of illness, said the state organization, though fever and flu-like symptoms can develop, usually 3 to 15 days after infection. In rare cases, symptoms can be severe or fatal.

Closure of coastal Maine Superfund site to begin next month

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 9, 2026

More than 15 years after cleanup began, work to close a toxic former copper and zinc mine in the Hancock County town of Brooksville is set to start in October and continue through next summer. The former Callahan Mine site on Cape Rosier was mined starting at least as far back as the 1880s before scaling up in 1968 for a four-year stint as the world’s only known intertidal heavy metal mine, washing out to Penobscot Bay. It was designated a Superfund site in 2002, a federal listing that allows the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up contaminated sites. Remediation work started on the ground in 2010. The closure will mark the conclusion of years of work and tens of millions in federal dollars to contain harmful toxins.

Acadia could see more changes under Trump plan to restructure National Park Service

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 8, 2026

The Trump administration is preparing to restructure the National Park Service, granting major parks influence over the agency’s smaller or less popular sites. The plans, published Tuesday and revealed in internal Interior Department documents, suggest the park service could shift to a hub-and-spoke model, which would give “hub” parks decision-making authority over “spoke” sites. The reorganization was developed secretly — only the department’s top leadership was involved in the process, NOTUS reported. Acadia National Park could be a “hub” park.

Hundreds of chanting men have this Maine town searching for a law to stop them

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 9, 2026

Members of Legendarios, an evangelical men’s group that was founded in Guatemala about a decade ago and has a Massachusetts chapter with a heavy Brazilian following, first showed up at Deer Farm, a shuttered campsite by Tufts Pond last year. They have named it “Patriots Valley,” hosting several retreats that neighbors say are disruptive and may violate local laws. Kingfield residents are used to outsiders passing through for skiing at nearby Sugarloaf or hiking along the Appalachian Trail. The sudden influx of worshippers is different. Locals say there have been tour buses full of them, clearing unauthorized paths in the woods, marching and chanting both day and night. “It’s terrifying!” one woman said. Some attendees cited public health and safety concerns.

Maine officials monitoring algae bloom in Casco Bay that can harm marine life

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 8, 2026

The Maine Department of Marine Resources is monitoring an algae bloom in Casco Bay. While the phytoplankton Karenia mikimotoi detected in the bay this week is not harmful to humans, it can be for marine life. The bloom has been observed from Portland Harbor to Middle Bay, and the department says its staff and members of the public have reported brown discoloration and “an accompanying smell.” “Karenia mikimotoi can produce compounds that can potentially impact fish and shellfish, and there have been fish kills and benthic mortality events reported during blooms of this species,” the Department of Marine Resources stated.

Here are 8 of the projects that received trail grants in Maine last year

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 8, 2026

Some of the first projects paid for with a historic $30 million bond for trail infrastructure in Maine are nearing completion. In 2025, the Maine Trails Program granted $7.5 million to 44 organizations across a wide range of uses in outdoor recreation. The awards were between $25,000 and $250,000, and each recipient made a 10% cash or in-kind match. The state is currently reviewing applications for the second round of grants, which saw high demand.

Biddeford withdraws its appeal to Maine’s highest court over UNE pier project approval

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 8, 2026

The city of Biddeford is withdrawing its pending appeal to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court over an approval of the University of New England’s controversial pier proposal, saying a recent decision makes such an appeal moot. In April, the city had asked the state’s highest court to review whether the Saco River Corridor Commission acted within its authority when it approved the pier project in 2024. But on Aug. 26, the commission voted, 7-3, to extend UNE’s permit for the project by two years. The city said Tuesday, there’s no point in continuing to appeal. Even if the court ordered another review of the matter, the decision would likely fall to the commission, leading to the same outcome.

‘A foodie festival’: The Big E state fair overflows with Maine eats

CENTRAL MAINE • September 8, 2026

In between the Big Parade, the giant slide and the petting zoo, Maine’s restaurants, food trucks and agricultural associations are on full display at The Big E. The Big E, the only multistate fair featuring all six New England states and located in West Springfield, Massachusetts, drew over 1.5 million visitors last year. For its 2026 run from Sept. 18 to Oct. 4, there’s even more to sample. From blueberries to lobster rolls to whoopie pies, visitors get a chance to meet the small businesses and agriculturists behind their favorite Maine foods and try something new. 

Fact brief: Did a Maine lobsterman turn down a $15 million offer to build a data center on his Down East property?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 8, 2026

No. There’s no evidence that a Down East lobsterman rejected such an offer. The viral Facebook claim appears to be a fictionalized retelling of a real case in Pennsylvania. In that case, retired farmer Mervin Raudabaugh declined more than $15 million from data center developers for two farms covering about 261 acres in Silver Spring Township. The Lancaster Farmland Trust says the Raudabaugh family instead preserved both farms through conservation easements; the township says the deal closed on Dec. 30, 2025. The family retained the farms but sold its development rights for about $1.9 million, permanently restricting development.

Supporters rally behind floating camp after owners forced to pull out of Brunswick river

TIMES RECORD • September 8, 2026

An online petition is circulating calling on the state to allow a Lisbon Falls family to anchor their non-motorized houseboat, or floating camp, in the Androscoggin River between Brunswick and Topsham, where it has spent every summer for more than a decade. The Oram family pulled their houseboat out of the water in early August after the Department of Marine Resources informed them that under a new state law, they could no longer set up camp on the river. Oram is weighing whether to install a motor on the camp so it can qualify legally as a boat.

Column: Changes to deer hunt necessary to control herd

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 7, 2026

Maine hunters, and citizens in general, should benefit from a couple rule changes this year designed to increase both hunting opportunities and the Pine Tree State’s deer harvest. These changes illustrate, and in some cases exacerbate, the challenges of effectively managing wildlife populations. The first is yet another increase in antlerless deer permits. The second is a significant expansion of the geographic area included in the expanded archery season. Research has shown that hunting is the most effective method to control deer populations. If you’re tired of the deer eating your azaleas and hostas, making your morning and evening commute a perilous proposition or promoting the proliferation of tick-borne illnesses, consider letting hunters onto your property. ~ Bob Humphrey

Maine Healthy Beaches program ends monitoring for the season

MAINE PUBLIC • September 7, 2026

Labor Day weekend marks the end of routine water quality monitoring for the season. The Maine Healthy Beaches program tracks participating saltwater beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Aging infrastructure and heavy summer rains can turn popular beaches into collection points for agricultural runoff, pet waste, and sewage overflows, according to data from Maine Healthy Beaches program. In the off season, program officials suggest that swimmers avoid going in the water near storm drains for 24-48 hours after a heavy rain, or if water smells strange or looks dirty. As of Friday, no beaches were reported unsafe for swimming.

Maine's drought is getting worse, and isn't expected to get better soon

MAINE PUBLIC • September 7, 2026

Drought is expanding in Maine and raising concerns about a second straight year of harm to agriculture, water supplies and increased wildfire risk. Paul Styslinger, Natural Hazards Planner at the Maine Emergency Management Agency says dozens of people have reported dry wells as conditions get worse across the state. "Just like last year, it is dry in Maine and it's getting drier," Styslinger said. Parts of Maine have had at least 12 inches less rain than normal over the past year. Nick Stasulis, a supervisory physical scientist a with the U.S. Geological Survey said co-chair of the Maine Drought Task Force, said groundwater levels are also at far below normal levels.

Maine’s wildfire threat is quietly heating up

INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS • September 7, 2026

The Northeast’s fire season has been quietly heating up. Historically, New England states have been rainy enough to avoid massive, devastating wildfires. In Maine, for instance, most fires are extinguished before they surpass an acre. But in 2025, severe drought quadrupled Maine’s late-summer fire activity. Across the border, Nova Scotia saw its largest wildfires in recorded history in 2023, and more than 10 million acres burned in Quebec, creating a smoky haze that spread thousands of miles southward. Canadian wildfires created haze on the East Coast again this July. As forest managers and firefighters stretch their resources to respond to wildfires in a changing climate, they’re also dealing with new uncertainties from the Trump administration’s plans to radically alter the Forest Service and the new Wildland Fire Service. 

Data show ridership improving on Island Explorer bus service around MDI

MAINE PUBLIC • September 6, 2026

Ridership is up nearly 20% year-over-year on the Island Explorer bus system so far through July. At the same time, federal data show visitation at Acadia National Park is down slightly so far this year.

US tourism groups want to win Canadian visitors back. A testy trade war isn’t helping

ASSOCIATED PRESS •September 6, 2026

The number of Canadians traveling to the United States plunged after President Donald Trump returned to office with remarks about making Canada the 51st state. An acrimonious trade war between the two countries now is threatening to reinforce the informal boycott just as it appeared to be easing slightly. Josh Loewen, a Vancouver marketing executive, said of the U.S. tourism industry’s attempts to woo Canadians like him back before a new president occupies the White House. “It’s just a wasted effort.”

Why 4 Maine rivers flow north instead of toward the ocean

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 6, 2026

Most Maine rivers eventually carry water toward the Atlantic Ocean. But four major rivers in northern Maine flow north: the Upper St. John, Allagash, Fish and Aroostook. All four are part of the St. John River basin, which drains into New Brunswick and eventually the Bay of Fundy. So why do they flow north? Because rivers flow downhill.

These are the people tasked with keeping Maine’s potato industry healthy

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 6, 2026

The Maine Potato Board is a state-chartered head of the potato industry. It’s both the marketing arm that champions Maine’s No. 1 food crop and a leading researcher for its advancement. Established by an act of the Maine Legislature in 1986, the 11-member elected board is made up of potato growers, dealers and processors. Under them works a staff of eight that carries out the board’s will.