Proposed national park changes could be bad for Acadia, conservation group warns

MAINE PUBLIC • September 14, 2026

A plan by the Trump administration to overhaul the way national parks are managed is raising concerns with conservation groups and local communities. The reorganization plan calls for the creation of so-called "hub and spoke parks," where parks designated as hubs would have oversight over parks designated as spokes. John Gardner with the National Parks and Conservation Association says the plan could place more pressure on staff at Acadia.

The family that fought a Maine landfill leaves their town behind

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 14, 2026

Debbie Cooper left Heartland five years ago. Grassroots protests and an unsuccessful legal action against Maine regulators drew hostility in this rural community of 1,600 about an hour north of Augusta. The ill will continued even after residents voted in 2021 to spend $3.5 million to expand the town-owned landfill, and it eventually drove Cooper to Carmel. Now her son’s family is leaving the home four generations of Coopers have occupied, citing the same odors and tensions that pushed his mother out. The Coopers’ story shows how the regional problem of deciding where to put growing mounds of waste from industry and construction can carry serious consequences for families.

People who oppose bear baiting have no idea what they’re talking about

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 14, 2026

When it comes to hunting in Maine, no topic breeds more division between not only hunters and non-hunters but also within the hunting community itself than whether we should be able to hunt bears over bait. In 2014, Maine bear baiting faced its greatest threat in the form of a citizen-initiated referendum. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife launched an expensive but effective counter campaign in support of all bear hunting practices, including baiting. As a result, the proposal was defeated. Despite the referendum’s defeat, there continues to be strong opposition to bear baiting in Maine. Without baiting, hunters would be unable to even come close to the state’s bear harvest goals. ~ Chris Sargent, originally published in August 2022

This remote Maine trail follows the route of a boy who survived 9 days lost in the wilderness

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 13, 2026

During the fourth and fifth days of his extraordinary ordeal in July 1939, 12-year-old Donn Fendler followed the old Wassataquoik Tote Road, the same route that runs through this remote corner of Baxter State Park. More than 80 years later, I’m following part of that route. My primary goal on this five-day journey is to hike the Grand Falls Trail, a little over four miles of footpath that has eluded me through all these years of exploring Baxter. I am a couple miles’ walk to Russell Pond. If there’s a beating heart in the middle of Gov. Baxter’s magnificent wilderness, this has to be it. ~ Carey Kish

Opinion: A beautiful and devastating show of humanity on Tumbledown Mountain

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 13, 2026

As we arrived at the shoreline, we realized that the screams from the swimmers were becoming desperate. By the time I arrived at the island, one person had started chest compressions and I began administering rescue breaths. Strangers came together to perform a million little acts of courage, support and kindness while the realization of the horror we were experiencing became clear. We weren’t able to save a life that day on Tumbledown. But every single one of us tried our hardest. All of us strangers who happened to be on a mountaintop in Maine under a partial solar eclipse — we tried so hard and poured all of our love and faith and power into the trying. We came together, we did our very best with what we had, and together we experienced the devastation and beauty of what it is to be human on this Earth together. ~ Leah McDonald, registered Maine guide, wilderness first responder and licensed clinical social worker, Cumberland

Could Arctic char be restocked in Rangeley Lake? Officials say it’s a long way off.

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 13, 2026

Arctic char, also known as blueback trout, were once a dominant species in Rangeley Lake and its surrounding tributaries. Known for their vibrant red and blue shading during the fall spawning season, the fish became synonymous with Rangeley in the 1800s, helping to solidify the town as a popular sporting destination. Overfishing and the introduction of competing species like the landlocked salmon and rainbow smelt ultimately caused the population to collapse. But, while currently unrealistic, officials are hopeful that, through conservation and restoration efforts, the species will one day make a comeback in the Rangeley region.

Letter: Beach rules for Maine dogs should pertain only to shorebirds

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 13, 2026

This is in response to a letter in the paper, “A suggestion for keeping dog waste off Maine beaches.”The letter suggests banning dogs from all Maine beaches (because of their waste). As a dog owner in Maine who loves to take his dog to the beach, a ban on dogs from all Maine beaches is absurd. The real problem with dogs being on beaches is that they can disturb the nesting sites of Maine’s beautiful and diverse shorebirds. These birds include the federally threatened piping plover and the endangered least tern. At the very least, dogs should always be kept on leash on beaches where it is known that shorebirds nest. Even the most gentle dog can harm shorebirds by simply causing panic. ~ Oliver Gordon, Falmouth

Column: 4 tips, and a bonus suggestion, to help birds as they migrate

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • September 12, 2026

September is when the migration of most songbirds peaks in Maine. On some nights, millions of birds pass overhead. This is also a time of great diversity, as shorebirds are still moving south, and some of the wintering ducks are just starting to arrive. It is an especially important time to take action to help birds, so here are four recommendations:
• Lights out
• Clean your bird feeders
• Plant native plants
• Keep cats indoors
• Bonus: Go birding
~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox

Classic Chronicle: Wildlife and cross-border ties shape eastern Maine

WCVB • September 11, 2026

At Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge near Calais, biotechnician Lisa Plagge tracks woodcock as part of a population study that helps wildlife managers understand the birds' survival and informs future hunting regulations. Nearby, bald eagles continue a remarkable recovery in Maine.

Maine trail builders see grants as a path to growth

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 11, 2026

In 2024, voters approved a historic $30 million bond for trails. The state awarded $7.5 million in grants last year and plans to announce a second round of awards this fall. The infusion of money comes as the sector is growing and professionalizing nationally and in the state. “That kind of investment in trails creates this pipeline of trail projects, and that ultimately does create growth,” said Aaryn Kay, executive director of the international Professional TrailBuilders Association.

Review: Discovering New England's native plants through poetry and art

BOOTHBAY REGISTER • September 11, 2026

The creative team of author and poet Susan Schadler and artists Lynne and John M.T. Seitzer recently released “Growing Wild: Four seasons of New England and Native Plants and Their Creatures.” Lynne and John’s artwork and Susan’s accompanying poetry make this book both an enchanting and informative read. This combination of poetry and art? Perfection. ~ Lisa Kristoff

Unique stretch of New England forest under threat after proposed rollback of roadless rule

MAINE MONITOR • September 11, 2026

One of the few unbroken stretches of land in New England reaches across the White Mountains that straddle the border of Maine and New Hampshire. And the unique ecosystem is under threat. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed to rescind “in its entirety” the national 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which prohibits road construction, logging and mining on about 30% of lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. “The attempt to rescind this is not just an attempt to remove robust protections for healthy habitat, animal migration, healthy soil — it’s really an attempt to try to steal a public health resource,” said Jeff Swayze, a registered New Hampshire guide and mental health counselor.

Maine forests still largely green as foliage reports begin

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 11, 2026

Maine began its annual fall foliage reporting season Sept. 9, but forests across the state remain overwhelmingly green. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry rated both color change and leaf drop as “very low” in all seven foliage zones. Maine Forest Service experts expect color to develop along its typical progression from north to south, with trees at higher elevations generally changing before those at lower elevations. “Even though this summer’s lack of rain may dull the colors and shorten the season in some areas, Maine should still have beautiful fall colors across the state, especially in the western mountains, which have received a good amount of rain,” state foliage spokesperson Gale Ross said.

Baxter State Park sues owner of historic cabins on Katahdin Lake

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 11, 2026

Baxter State Park Authority is suing a man who allegedly allowed the decay of historic wilderness sport cabins on Katahdin Lake. Charles FitzGerald bought the more-than-100-year-old Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps in 2002. The park started leasing him the 31-acre site to operate as a wilderness sporting camp in May 2007, and the one-year lease was renewed through 2018. The lawsuit alleges FitzGerald breached his contract and seeks to have a judge declare that the park has the right to his personal property at the camps. FitzGerald has not operated the wilderness camps since at least 2018 and has held onto the property despite the lease ending in May 2019. He has not paid rent since the lease ended. Without FitzGerald, the Katahdin Lake area would not have been acquired by the park, according to a letter written by his wife and sent to park officials.

Portland sees big turnout — and varied opinions — on long-awaited Franklin Street redesign

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 10, 2026

City staff, who unveiled the draft plan this week after years of talks about redeveloping the busy arterial between Marginal Way and Commercial Street. The concept calls for significant reductions in road and lane widths, restoring connections to several neighborhood streets, adding separated bicycle lanes and improving pedestrian crossings. The redesign would also create roughly 3.5 acres of new land for future development, or up to about 700 new homes.

Clynk closing Biddeford processing facility, says 54 layoffs are part of modernization

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 10, 2026

Clynk, the drop-off bottle and can redemption service, is closing its Biddeford processing facility and laying off dozens of workers. Chuck Riegle, a senior vice president for Tomra, the Norwegian resource recovery company that acquired Clynk last year, said the decision is part of a larger effort to modernize the South Portland-based company’s operations. On Wednesday, Clynk filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN notice, with the state indicating it will lay off 54 employees.

Maine House speaker touts clean energy in stop at former Loring Air Force Base

On a statewide tour highlighting Maine’s rising energy costs, Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau touted clean energy as a solution to diversify the power grid. Fecteau, D-Biddeford, appeared at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone Thursday, where he toured a set of municipal solar arrays that cover roughly 70% of the electricity needs of the town and magnet high school within it. “This is a great example of how communities can take charge and address energy challenges on their own,” Fecteau said. Retail electricity costs in Maine have risen nearly 80% in the last decade, owing to aging infrastructure and the destabilization of the global gas market in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other conflicts.

Clynk files layoff notice for 54 workers at Biddeford facility

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 10, 2026

Clynk, the drop-off bottle and can redemption service, has filed a notice with the state indicating that it intends to lay off dozens of workers at a Biddeford facility. Count & Crush LLC, doing business as Clynk, filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN notice, on Wednesday that says it will lay off 54 employees working at 565 Elm St.

Opinion: America’s public lands are more than development acreage

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 10, 2026

For many who don’t own land or a camp on a lake or in the woods, public lands are their only gateway to nature. We trust the governments that hold these public lands to ensure they remain for public use and enjoyment. That trust is being tested. President Trump has issued orders that represent a significant shift in how the federal government manages public lands. His goals include expanding energy production, accelerating mineral and coal development and reducing safeguards for wilderness. Public lands are not simply real estate. They provide clean water, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, recreational opportunities and increasingly rare places where people can experience forests, rivers, mountains and solitude without having to own them. We are temporary beneficiaries of public lands, held in trust by our government. ~ Karin R. Tilberg, former president/CEO, Forest Society of Maine

PFAS from 2024 spill are showing up in Harpswell’s birds

HARPSWELL ANCHOR • September 10, 2026

Eider ducks and bald eagles that nest in and around Harpswell have levels of PFAS chemicals four to five times higher in birds within about 5 miles of Brunswick Landing compared to those sampled 40 miles away, following an August 2024 spill of firefighting foam on the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. Scientists from the Biodiversity Research Institute found themselves in a unique position after the spill, when 1,450 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam concentrate leftover from the U.S. Navy’s firefighting system mixed with 50,000 gallons of water entered streams and waterways that drain into Harpswell Cove. The institute’s researchers had been testing eider ducks in Casco Bay for mercury since about 2015.