Work to restore waterways in the Magalloway reaches far downstream

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 7, 2026

In July, more than 78,000 acres around the Magalloway River in northern Oxford County was conserved in a joint effort by four groups, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, Forest Society of Maine, The Nature Conservancy and Northeast Wilderness Trust, which formed the Magalloway Collaborative in spring of 2025. The four groups have worked together to raise the $62 million needed to buy the development rights to the land. But there is still conservation work to be done. Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust has identified many undersized or failing stream crossings that hinder the movement of fish in the preserve, which have been in place on logging roads for decades.

Maine agency fines Fryeburg Solar $204K for damaging environment

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 6, 2026

New Jersey-based Fryeburg Solar jumped the gun in 2021 by starting work at the 45-acre site before it got final approvals and demonstrated that it could afford to decommission the facility if needed. State inspectors found construction crews exposed more land at one time than allowed, failed to maintain erosion controls and winter construction standards and let sediment and soil runoff pollute wetlands, streams, properties and nearby Lovewell Pond. The runoff problems began in 2021 and, despite repeated state inspections, violations persisted. In December 2025, DEP declared the restoration a success and began drawing up a civil penalty of $204,499. If approved, the Fryeburg Solar deal will be the sixth consent agreement of 2026.

Opinion: What Maine’s next generation of farms needs to succeed

SUN JOURNAL • September 6, 2026

The Lisbon greenhouse facility operated by Springworks Farm is headed to auction. Roughly 40 miles away, Vertical Harvest, a high-tech producer of indoor leafy greens in Westbrook, has faced significant delays and has yet to reach the commercial scale it originally envisioned. If Maine is going to support innovative agriculture with public resources, it should ask before a project moves forward: Is the operation ready to run? I’ve spent three decades in commercial horticulture. I served as general manager for Backyard Farms, the 40-acre tomato greenhouse range in Madison. A lesson I’ve learned throughout my career: operational readiness is fundamental to success. Operational readiness is having the people, systems and discipline to run a facility reliably from day one. ~ Ryan Douglas, Maine-based strategic advisor to cultivation businesses

Supreme Court declines to take up Maine lobster boat tracking appeal

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 5, 2026

The lower court ruling allowing the GPS tracking of federally licensed lobstering boats will stand, ending the suit by Vinalhaven lobsterman Frank Thompson, who argued that it infringes on his Fourth Amendment rights.

Letter: Weakened fuel efficiency goals will cause lasting damage

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 5, 2026

The Trump administration recently lowered goals for fuel efficiency in many gas-powered vehicles from 50.4 miles per gallon in 2031 down to 30.1 mpg. This reduction will increase emissions and accelerate climate change when we need to slow it down. This change is short-sighted, environmentally harmful, and will have lasting negative impacts on all of us. Keep this in mind when voting this November. ~ Erica Bartlett, Portland

Foot and Paddle: Little Jackson

DAILY BULLDOG • October 4, 2026

Little Jackson, one of my year-round favorites among the Western Mountains of Maine, rises north of Webb Lake and the town of Weld, in the unorganized territory of Township 6 North of Weld. Mainstays of the Tumbledown-Jackson Range, Little Jackson ( 3445’) and its nearby twin, Big Jackson (3555’), are the two highest peaks in the Weld Region. The Jacksons tend to be less frequently visited than the very popular Tumbledown Mountain, with its iconic Tumbledown Pond; prominent Mt. Blue with its observation tower; and bare-summited Bald Mountain, south of Weld. I hope to see you on trail! ~ Doug Dunlap

Nature-Based Inspired Playground Brings Learning Outdoors

DAILY BULLDOG • October 4, 2026

A new nature-based playground at the Foster Career Technical Education Center in Farmington is giving children from birth to age five a unique place to learn, explore and play while providing Early Childhood students with hands-on experience in their future profession. “We wanted to create an environment where children could use their imagination, make choices and learn through hands-on experiences with nature- no matter their age or ability,” said Sara Spear, Early Childhood Education and Teaching Instructor. “At the same time, our CTE students get to see firsthand how the environment can support children’s development.”

Column: It took me 9 years to finally find this remote Maine trail

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 4, 2026

Lobster Lake is situated in the wild, wooded country east of Moosehead Lake and south of the Golden Road. The name lobster isn’t one you’d normally associate with the northern Maine woods. But owing to a fluke of topography, the lake happens to be shaped like a lobster claw. A two-mile trail leads from Jackson Cove to a lookout at roughly the 2,000-foot contour on Lobster Mountain. The hike is just three in the entire Maine Mountain Guide that are accessible only by water. The trail winds gradually over the northern slope, and in just over an hour, we’ve reached the main outlook and a nice bench. My GPS reads 1.5 miles. The view over Lobster Lake is grand: wild, forested country as far as the eye can see. We step down to look around the corner and are greeted with a huge look at mighty Katahdin and many of its high neighbors. ~ Carey Kish

World Animal Day, October 4

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 4, 2026

World Animal Day unites the animal welfare movement, mobilising it into a global force to make the world a better place for all animals.

Maine Forest Service report highlights effectiveness of forestry practices that protect water quality

EIN PRESSWIRE • October 3,2026

A new Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Maine Forest Service (MFS) report underscores the effectiveness of environmentally friendly practices during timber harvesting. Released Oct. 1, the "Maine Forestry Best Management Practices Use and Effectiveness Data Summary" draws on hundreds of observations at timber harvesting sites across Maine. This MFS study shows how forestry and timber industry professionals use recommended practices statewide. It also demonstrates that the risk to waterbodies greatly increases when they are improperly applied.

Letter: Keep trails accessible

ELLSWORTH AMERICAN • October 3, 2026

Is it possible when establishing or maintaining hiking trails, to consider placing some basic benches along the paths specifically for the purpose of intermittent recovery and pacing? As one of over 300,000 seniors in the state of Maine, speaking from the perspectives of retirement from the field of physical therapy and from trail building as a volunteer, something as simple as a sturdy bench along the hike might keep accessible for many, the thousands of beautiful trails in our state. ~ Deb Jarosz, Franklin

Column: AMC adds the Whitecap Highlands to Maine Woods Initiative

CENTRAL MAINE • October 3, 2026

The Alpine-like summit of 3,650-foot White Cap in the heart of the 100-Mile Wilderness affords one of the finest mountaintop vistas in all of Maine. To the north stands mile-high Katahdin and its neighbors in Baxter State Park. Looking south, the grand view includes the rest of the White Cap Range, the Barren-Chairback Range, Big Moose Mountain and so much more. Much of the land around the White Cap Range has been preserved by the Appalachian Mountain Club over the last two decades or so, to the tune of 130,000 acres. AMC now has its sights set on the Whitecap Highlands Forest. This 29,500-acre tract is a mix of fragile high-elevation terrain and cold-water stream habitat for Atlantic salmon and native brook trout. ~ Carey Kish

Sue Ely hired as NRCM Senior Director of Advocacy

NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • October 3, 2026

Sue Ely will soon be joining NRCM as Senior Director of Advocacy, succeeding Pete Didisheim as he begins a well-earned retirement after three decades of leadership for Maine's environment. Ely previously served on NRCM's advocacy team as an attorney and policy expert and has spent the past several years serving as an attorney with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Throughout her career, she's earned a reputation as a thoughtful strategist, skilled lawyer, and collaborative leader who knows how to bring people together to tackle complex challenges.

Eastport files motion to intervene in underwater data center case

MAINE MONITOR • October 2, 2026

The City of Eastport registered a formal motion to intervene with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Tuesday in an attempt to block a controversial subsea artificial intelligence data center proposal, DeepGreen Western Passage SPV. The councilors, who also sent an accompanying statement to FERC that was posted a day later, joined a growing list of residents and organizations fighting the project, including the nonprofit research group the Center for Biodiversity, by registering official concern over the DeepGreen Western Passage application for 48-month preliminary permit, which was accepted for filing by the agency in August.

Here’s why some southern Maine towns haven’t considered pausing data centers — yet

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 2, 2026

Brunswick, Bangor, Westbrook, Gorham, Gray, Sanford, Scarborough and Saco have approved temporary moratoriums on data center developments since May, intended to give them time to address concerns about the facilities and potentially adjust their zoning ordinances accordingly. Other municipalities, including North Berwick, Buxton and Wells, are set to let voters decide on either moratoriums or outright bans, with more southern Maine communities in the early phases of considering halts. On the other hand, some towns, including Yarmouth, have not taken action regarding data centers and are taking a “wait-and-see” approach.

Certain algal bloom bacteria not as toxic as previously thought

MAINE PUBLIC • October 2, 2026

A certain type of algal bloom on Maine lakes may be less harmful than previously thought according to a study from Bigelow Labs and others. Climate change and environmental degradation have led to a rise in algal blooms in Maine lakes in recent years. Toxic cyanobacteria bacterium can cloud clear water and interfere with swimming, fishing and other recreational activities. But one variety of cyanobacteria may not be toxic to humans, as originally thought. Gloeotrichia echinulata tends to bloom in clear lakes, forming thick mats of visible green or white puff balls in otherwise clean water. "There have been reports that this is producing toxin, but now through this new way of looking at it through the genetic lens, we are not seeing any way that these could be producing things like microcystin," said Bigelow Labs research scientist Robin Sleith. Microcystin is known to be harmful to the liver.

5 large whales found entangled off the Maine coast in 2025

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 2, 2026

Five large whales were found entangled in heavy ocean ropes off the coast of Maine last year, but new federal data carries a vital silver lining for the state’s multimillion-dollar lobster fleet: not a single one was a North Atlantic right whale. Rescue teams and aerial surveyors documented three humpback whales, one fin whale, and one minke whale caught in ropes off Maine’s coast in 2025. The complete absence of right whales in Maine gear last year arrives at a high-stakes moment for coastal communities. North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered. Because the dwindling species teeters near extinction, federal regulators have spent years imposing strict rules on how Maine lobstermen set their gear.

Kristi Noem posts from a Maine moose hunt

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 2, 2026

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted photos to Facebook on Thursday from a successful moose hunt in Maine. Noem was accompanying her daughter Kassidy Noem Peters, who bagged a bull and described the outing on Instagram as a “once in a lifetime moose hunt.” “After the hunt, we explored the surrounding conservation areas, habitat and Amish community,” wrote Kristi Noem, who now serves as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. A photo showed a sign marking the “Donald J. Trump Jr. Rifle Range.” The president’s son and his company bought 3,900 acres in Crystal and Island Falls in 2024. (Ed: Shield of the Americas is coordinating measures directed at 24 organizations designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations.]

Letter: Further research needed on offshore wind in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 2, 2026

Previous to the Trump administration holding offshore wind hostage, Maine announced plans to develop an offshore wind manufacturing, assembling and launching facility on Sears Island. Those plans failed to adequately consider a number of other, viable options and failed to generate sufficient funding. Maine needs to consider the least environmentally damaging and most economically beneficial offshore wind development strategy. Climate change poses a clear and present threat to Maine’s future. Clean, renewable energy production helps reduce climate change impacts. Prudence points to further research now into whether offshore wind can be part of Maine’s adaptation. ~ Stephen Miller, Islesboro

Learn about e-bikes at Westbrook’s BikeFest

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 2, 2026

Whether you’ve never ridden a bike or you’re an expert cyclist, prefer road or mountain bikes, bike as your mode of transportation or just do it for fun, Westbrook’s BikeFest is for everyone who wants to learn more about biking. The annual festival is returning to Rock Row from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday to increase awareness and involvement in bike culture. This year’s festival features an educational forum on e-bikes, hosted by Vision Zero Maine, a citizen-led group of Mainers committed to creating safe streets. Industry experts, law enforcement and elected officials will speak about the difference between e-bikes and e-motos and how each should be used.