A Southwest Harbor landfill known for contaminating local wells is being capped

MAINE PUBLIC • September 25, 2026

Work is underway to cap a landfill in Southwest Harbor responsible for polluting nearby wells. It's a project that has been planned for nearly 20 years. The unlined landfill contains town waste and construction debris, says Ben Worcester, the president of Worcester Associates. The landfill hasn't been used since the '90s. And while the waste was previously capped, this project caps construction debris. David Madore, deputy commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, says water under the landfill will still be contaminated. The state has provided filters to homes with nearby wells that have been contaminated. Those filters will continue to be used while efforts to extend public water lines to affected homes continue. Worcester says his company has been working with the Maine DEP for roughly two decades to get project approval. He says funding was also an issue delaying the project which is expected to be completed by next September.

A battle brews over Maine’s salmon farms

MAINE MORNING STAR / INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS • September 25, 2026

The corporation that owns three salmon farming operations in Eastern Bay—Cooke Aquaculture, a Canadian multinational based in Saint John, New Brunswick—is being sued for business practices alleged to harm the environment, local fisheries and tourism. That’s why Beals Island and a few other Maine towns have recently tried to exert more local control over whether and how aquaculture facilities operate in their waters.

Maine town raffles off guns to replace fire gear lost in deadly mill explosion

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 25, 2026

Most of us who have ever camped for long in the big woods, have come to know the Canada Jay (aka Gray Jay, Whiskey Jack, Gorby and Camp Robber). These sociable creatures, next to a hummingbird, are the most interesting of all winged critters. They are non-migratory, a part of the crow family and can live up to 18 years. Somewhat tame and very inquisitive, the Gorby likes to stay in familiar surroundings. It gets through the long winters in the coniferous forest by stashing food in various places, demonstrating incredible resourcefulness. Naturalists speak of the bird’s amazing cleverness when it comes to caching food. Canada Jays are also known to mimic the calls of other bird species.

The Silent Shift in American Hunting

WESTERN OBSESSION TV • September 24, 2026

Hunting participation is declining. In 1982, there were 16.7 million hunters in the United States, representing 7.2% of the total population. By 2022, that number had dropped to 15.9 million. Hunters now represent just 4.8% of Americans.

Department of the Interior announces largest expansion of hunting and fishing by USFWS

NRA • September 24, 2026

The Department of the Interior recently announced the largest expansion of hunting and sport fishing opportunities in the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More than 92 million acres—over 95 percent—of National Wildlife Refuge System lands are available for hunting. The rule will increase access at 111 field stations, including 107 national wildlife refuges and four national fish hatcheries. It also includes first-ever hunting or sport fishing opportunities at 14 refuges and three hatcheries.

Midcoast Wood Bank prepares to meet huge need as heating oil prices surge

TIMES RECORD • September 24, 2026

The Midcoast Wood Bank is bracing to meet high demand for free firewood as heating oil prices peak and temperatures drop. Midcoast Woodbank founder Bruce Wildes said, “The price of oil is through the roof, and people are struggling with heat and food and fuel for their cars. We are counting on donors and volunteers to help us bring the wood to people who need it.” On Wednesday, volunteers split donated wood into 16-inch pieces, and then used a small tractor to dump it on a pile to dry. This batch likely won’t be ready to burn until the fall of 2027. The organization offers two cords of wood to any household that needs it. The volunteer-run operation prepares firewood in Topsham, stockpiling in the leadup to the winter months. Volunteers meet to work from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

Historic Cape Elizabeth barn gets a new life

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 24, 2026

The air smelled of old wood and remnants of smoke. The dark wood-paneled walls were bare, except for a yellowed birthday poster for Peter Eastman – or Pops to some. The creaky floors were empty. Soon, the approximately 100-year-old barn will be buzzing with activity, a new home to educational programs, movie nights and community events for the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust. It will continue the building’s legacy as a gathering space, said Executive Director David Briman.

Will a weekend nor’easter be enough to bust the drought? Keith Carson explores

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 24, 2026

Literally 100% of Maine is in at least a moderate drought, with parts of the coastline in extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The good news: We’re actually in better shape than we were last fall, but we still need a lot of rain to officially be out of a drought. Those graphics show us that Maine’s coast would need almost a foot of rain — 11.29 inches, to be precise — in just one month to stomp this drought out. That’s why one rainy weekend won’t fix this. 

Rural Maine road to a popular hiking trail finally being paved after a year-long battle

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 24, 2026

Chick Hill Road in Clifton was regraded Wednesday and will be repaved Thursday and Friday, according to a notice from the town. The road is used by residents and hikers to gain access to the nearby 1,100-foot peak the road is named after. Chick Hill Road was the subject of multiple agenda items last fall for the Clifton Select Board after it was torn up as part of an improvement project but not immediately repaved.

Happytown Farm, Orland, 55 acres protected

MAINE FARMLAND TRUST • September 23, 2026

In late August, farmers Karen and Paul Volckhausen and Angelica “Munch” Harwood celebrated a new chapter for Happytown Farm as Maine Farmland Trust closed on an easement protecting the 55-acre farm in Orland, with support from Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust. Since the early 1980s, the Volckhausens have been producing organic vegetables, meat, poultry, and flowers, and have long been deeply involved with MOFGA, local farmers’ markets, MFT, and mentoring countless young farmers. As they began to plan for retirement, Karen and Paul searched for many years to find new owners for the farm – and with transition planning support from Land For Good, farm employee Angelica “Munch” Harwood recently took over operations under a rolling lease agreement, which should allow her to build the equity necessary to eventually complete the purchase of the farm, while MFT’s and GPMCT’s purchase of the easement on the farm will help to make this arrangement financially feasible for Paul and Karen. The Volckhausens also donated a trail easement across the property.

Deering Family Farm, Scarborough39 acres protected

MAINE FARMLAND TRUST • September 23, 2026

The Deering Family Farm has become the latest in a growing cluster of protected farms in Scarborough. In August, the Deering family five siblings, including longtime MFT Lands Committee member Glen Deering, purchased 39 acres from the O’Donal family while simultaneously closing on a conservation easement with MFT to permanently protect the land. The Town of Scarborough contributed half of the funds toward the easement through the town’s conservation Land Bond.

The New “Hot” Issue: Home Heating Bills Spiking Due to the Iran War

THE NEW REPUBLIC • September 23, 2026

On Tuesday, the House Majority PAC released an ad slamming Paul LePage, the Republican candidate running against Democrat Matt Dunlap in Maine’s 2nd congressional district. “LePage supports a foreign war that’s sending gas and oil prices in Maine through the roof,” the ad says. Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson’s campaign tied heating oil prices to Senator Susan Collins in a statement to The New Republic: “Susan Collins has spent decades selling out Mainers by supporting an agenda that raises their energy costs, dismantling programs aimed at lowering prices, signing off on Trump’s war that’s jacking up the cost of heating oil as Mainers schedule their tank fill-ups for winter,” said a campaign spokesperson.

EPA waives Wilton’s $273,000 match for water main project

SUN JOURNAL • September 23, 2026

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Wilton’s request to waive a $273,000 local match for a water main upgrade backed by $1.09 million in federal funding. The agency said Wilton qualified under financial capacity criteria used for the Community Grants Program. Communities where at least 11.7% of residents receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits may request a waiver. EPA said 13.9% of Wilton’s population receives SNAP benefits and verified the town’s supporting documentation before approving the request.

Opinion: Maine’s outdoor recreation economy relies on access to gear

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 23, 2026

Outdoor recreation is a key piece of Maine’s economic vitality. Over the last decade, our state’s outdoor recreation economy has nearly doubled, generating almost $4 billion per year. While growth has not stalled, it is slowing. In order to keep up the momentum, we must prioritize affordable access to the outdoors. One of the best ways to overcome our current barriers is to increase equitable access to outdoor equipment, from canoes and fishing rods to sleeping bags and hiking boots. What makes Maine’s outdoor recreation economy extraordinary is the opportunity to try and learn an activity and be hooked for life. That’s the economy we need to protect for the future. ~ Jeff McCabe, Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation.

Inland Woods + Trails celebrates land donation to Rumford Community Forest

SUN JOURNAL • September 23, 2026

Inland Woods + Trails celebrated on Sept. 19 the donation of 52 acres to the Rumford Community Forest, a permanently protected, nearly 500-acre natural and recreational area at 161 Isthmus Road. Gabe Perkins, executive director of Inland Woods + Trails, said the tract will be called the Lucy and Christy Pachios Woods in honor of the couple whose family donated the land.

Norway Paris Solid Waste board calls for forensic audit as $100K turns up missing

ADVERTISER DEMOCRAT • September 23, 2026

Directors of Norway Paris Solid Waste board voted Sept. 22 to pursue a forensic audit of its books after a review found that more than $100,000 is missing. The board of directors is working to remedy years of poor financial oversight after discovering missing grant funds, bank accounts closed without authorization and account statements that do not match balance sheets, among other discrepancies.

Lobster processor’s waste overwhelms Bucksport water treatment plant

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 23, 2026

An area lobster dealer’s processing facility has strained the limits of Bucksport’s wastewater treatment plant for more than a year, leading the town to require the company to improve its own treatment. Greenhead Lobster, a Stonington-based dealer that is among Maine’s largest, opened its 15,000-square-foot processing plant in Bucksport’s industrial park in 2019. By 2025, it was handling up to 40,000 pounds a day as market demand shifts toward frozen and processed products, rather than whole live lobster.

Waterfront property values just spiked 200% in this Maine town

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 23, 2026

Waterfront property values in Greenville have jumped 205% on average after the lakefront community’s first market adjustment in decades. The increase is pushing up tax bills for many property owners in the Piscataquis County town that has a mix of multimillion-dollar homes and more modest ones surrounding Moosehead Lake, an area where home values have surged since the onset of the pandemic. “The whole Moosehead Lake region is exploding,” Town Manager Mike Roy said.

Patagonia announces 11.2 Million Vote Project

PATAGONIA • September 22, 2026

Patagonia has a plan to reach millions of environmentalists who did not vote in the 2024 U.S. General Election. There are 90 million acres of public land at threat across the U.S, and 11.2 million registered-to-vote environmentalists did not vote in the 2024 election. The outdoor apparel business will ask its U.S. customers and community to encourage friends and family to make a plan to vote in the upcoming midterms. Participants who get three people to create a plan to vote will earn a $100 credit to redeem on patagonia.com or in a Patagonia retail store, or they can opt for Patagonia to donate $100 to the League of Conservation Voters. If the 11.2 Million Vote Project is successful, 112,000 people will get $100 off their Patagonia order or make a $100 donation. This means Patagonia is committing up to $11.2 million to help its community engage their friends and family to make a plan to vote. The program could reach 336,000 people

Maine joins lawsuit over federal deal to redirect offshore wind investments to fossil fuels

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 22, 2026

Maine and six other states have joined New York in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a maneuver to kill offshore wind developments and steer energy developers toward fossil fuel enterprises. In a pair of lawsuits, filed in New York and Maine, attorneys general from the states claim the administration illegally used $1.4 billion in public funding to pay two companies that planned to build offshore wind developments on the East Coast to instead invest in fossil fuel plants in other parts of the country. The states argue that the payments, in addition to being illegal, will deprive them of electricity that they needed from the offshore wind developments.