The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
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Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News
MAINE PUBLIC • December 20, 2024
A Greenville nonprofit is launching a fundraising campaign to purchase Big Moose Ski Resort, the latest development in a long-running saga over the mountain's future. Friends of the Mountain has leased and operated the ski hill for over a decade. Board president Amy Lane said the group has weathered multiple rounds of investors proposing to buy and develop the property, only to see those plans fall through time and again. "We cannot waste any more time trying to come up with a solution. It's already been so many years," she said. Lane's group is partnering with the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation to raise $6 million to purchase the mountain outright. Lane said she hopes to be able to raise the money by the end of 2025. She said her group has already invested around $150,000 this season in snowmaking equipment.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 20, 2024
GOP lawmakers say they will use Heather Sanborn's confirmation hearing to promote their agenda to limit offshore wind and incentives for solar developers. Rep. Reagan Paul, R-Winterport, a member of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, said in the Republicans’ weekly radio address that members of the party plan to take advantage of the hearing to promote their energy policies, which are essentially the opposite of the priorities of most Democrats.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 20, 2024
Patrick Bittman, 28, of Portland, set off alone Wednesday evening to watch the sunrise from Mount Lafayette in the White Mountains. Near the top of Franconia Ridge, Bittman encountered deep and blowing snow, but when he decided to turn back, he couldn’t find the trail and descended into the Dry Brook drainage. Bittman called for help about 8:15 a.m. Thursday when he could no longer move through the deep snow because his limbs froze and he became hypothermic. By 3 p.m., the clouds lifted, allowing the Army National Guard to reach Bittman by helicopter and lower a medic to assist him and hoist him before the clouds moved back in. Bittman was immediately flown to Littleton Regional Healthcare.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 19, 2024
Engineers from across Maine expressed concern Thursday about proposed new rules that are meant to encourage natural methods for restoring and protecting the state’s shorelines, but that would restrict the use of harder protections such as seawalls and layers of stone known as riprap. During a hearing before the state Board of Environmental Protection, some of the opponents said that they generally support nature-based solutions to protect shorelines — such as vegetation and biodegradable materials like logs — but they argued that the proposed rules would be too restrictive for coastal property owners who have long relied on the stronger protection offered by riprap. The BEP is accepting feedback on the rule change until Jan. 13.
TIMES RECORD • December 20, 2024
Peaking in the early 1900s at some 300, commercially run Maine sporting camps today number a few dozen, as many have closed or been sold to private individuals or corporations that no longer take paying guests. At the same time, some remaining camps are thriving. Maine’s first camps were influenced by the development of grand, private “camps” (read “mansions”) in New York’s Adirondack mountains. Guidebooks and other publicity in the late 1800s brought attention to the Rangeley Lakes area of western Maine and eventually to northern regions of the state. The more rustic camps there targeted traveling sportsmen. The future of sporting camps is “uncertain given the number of issues that they face,” wrote Catherine Cyr, associate curator at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath in her master’s thesis about Maine camps.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 20, 2024
This month, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act. On Dec. 16, 1974, President Gerald Ford signed the act into law, which created a standards playbook for all public water utilities set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Nearly 150,000 public water systems operate in the United States, providing water to about 90% of Americans. All of them are subject to the regulations in the Safe Drinking Water Act. The act set off unprecedented investments in water treatment facilities across the country to meet the new regulations. This anniversary marks a reason for celebration, not just of the Safe Drinking Water Act, but also of the people dedicated to ensuring high-quality water reaches your tap when you need it. ~ Michael Cummons, Maine Water Utilities Association
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 20, 2024
Maine’s backyards are connected to eastern Canada’s vast forest. Winter conditions there affect what we see here. Canadian biologists participating in the Finch Network predicted pine grosbeaks would stay north this winter. So far, they’ve been uncannily correct. The finch forecast predicts a moderate southward movement of evening grosbeaks this winter. Purple finches were predicted to leave Canada, and they did. It looks like they have also departed northern Maine. Redpolls were predicted to stay north this winter. So far, they have. Pine siskins were predicted to stay north of the border in their search for adequate balsams. So far, that’s exactly what’s happening. Red crossbills are not coming into Maine much, yet. White-winged crossbills were predicted to stay north. Most have. The Finch Network predicted that Canada’s healthy fruit crop would keep the Bohemian waxwings out of Maine this winter. Sure enough, they’re all over mountain ash berries in Québec. Blue jays were predicted to move south in big numbers. Supposedly, that is happening. But you can’t prove it in my yard. They’re cleaning out my feeder daily. ~ Bob Duchesne
ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 19, 2024
American farmers and small business owners are among those who will suffer if Congress cannot agree on a new spending bill after President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan that included more than $100 billion in disaster aid.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024
A bill that would expand road access to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument from Millinocket cleared the U.S. Senate Wednesday night. The legislation, proposed by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, was approved by unanimous consent, according to the senator’s staff. The bill would allow the National Park Service to acquire two parcels of land at the southern edge of the monument and existing road corridors from Millinocket to the park. The bill still needs House approval and the president’s signature to be enacted.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 19, 2024
If Congress doesn’t pass a spending plan by the end of Friday to temporarily fund the federal government through March, the looming government shutdown will affect Maine in various ways. A bipartisan array of lawmakers were initially optimistic about passing a continuing resolution before midnight Saturday to avoid a shutdown and provide about $100 billion in disaster aid to states hit by extreme storms such as Hurricanes Helene and Milton. But President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office in January, threw a wrench in those plans Wednesday when he and Vice President-elect JD Vance demanded Republicans renegotiate the stopgap measure. National parks would close, though Acadia National Park and its surroundings on Mount Desert Island still have accessible areas for winter visitors.
MAINE PUBLIC • December 19, 2024
A public lands bill that would improve access to the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument was unanimously passed in the Senate. The bill would allow the National Park Service to acquire almost 2,500 acres of land, either through purchase or easement, to provide southern vehicle access to the monument. Brian Hinrichs, executive director for the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters, said the owners of the logging roads connecting the monument to Millinocket as well as community members are in favor of the bill. Hinrichs said the biggest concern now is that the U.S. House will not have time to pass the bill before the end of the legislative session.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024
After nearly 30 years living in the Maine Wildlife Park, Suzie the black bear has died, the park announced Thursday. The park did not say when exactly Suzie died, but said in a written announcement that her declining health and mobility indicated that “it was time to say goodbye.” “Suzie wasn’t big for a black bear, but her bear boss attitude reminded her larger bear friends to respect their elders,” the park said. “Her more delicate side came out during snack time. She was known to pluck grapes from a bunch one at a time with her dexterous lips and had a funny habit of balancing snacks on the back of her paws to nibble at daintily.”
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024
The federal government could shut down this weekend after President-elect Donald Trump ordered Republican lawmakers to oppose a bipartisan spending deal reached earlier this week. More than 11,000 federal workers in Maine could be furloughed or expected to work without pay during a shutdown. As a result, air travel would not be disrupted. And there are about 2,500 state employees who are funded either entirely or in part by federal agencies. Acadia National Park would likely close its gates, along with other national parks and monuments. In 2013, the National Park Service turned away millions of visitors to more than 400 parks, monuments, and other sites, leading to a loss of more than $500 million in visitor spending nationwide.
MAINE MORNING STAR • December 19, 2024
The efficiency of AFFF to fight fires relies on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), thousands of synthetic chemicals that persist indefinitely in the environment and accumulate in bodies—potentially disrupting hormonal, immune and reproductive systems, and increasing the risk of cancers, the leading cause of death among active firefighters. A recent survey of Maine fire departments found that 70% used AFFF prior to 2022, primarily for combustible fuel fires, vehicle fires and routine trainings, but occasionally, for birthday parties and at parks for community events. In 2021 Maine banned AFFF manufacture, sale and distribution (temporarily exempting airports and oil terminals), and mandated containment and reporting of any use, but through the preceding decades firefighters “trained with foam because it was required. Many of us are sadly waiting for the day that we get a diagnosis.”
CENTRAL MAINE • December 19, 2024
In response to the opinion of Dec. 13 about mining in Maine, I am disappointed to see the same outdated tropes considering the robust mining rules that were established for Maine in 2017 (“Opinion: Maine Legislature needs to strengthen mining regulations”). I am a retired environmental geologist of 37 years. The Callahan Mine remediation is close to completion, with the site posing no risk to human health. The 2017 mining rules are based on modern scientific standards and focus on the protection of the environment and human health. The statement that the DEP is not staffed with qualified scientists to address metallic mining is inaccurate and insulting. ~ Keith Taylor, Hallowell
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • December 19, 2024
Bangor and four other Maine municipalities saw new community solar farms go into operation in November, adding a total of 25 megawatts of power to the grid. That adds to the 630 megawatts of community solar operational in Maine over 453 projects. Community solar projects are expected to cost electricity customers $220 million a year by 2025, with the increase continuing for the next 20 years. But the popular farms continue to grow in the state. The solar farms save local subscribers about 15 percent on their electric bill.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024
All of Maine looked toward Rumford last week as the snow turned brown from pollution. An industrial accident at the paper mill owned by ND Paper discharged black liquor waste into the atmosphere and discolored the snow. This pollution event occurred in the birthplace of Maine’s Edmund S. Muskie, U.S. senator, environmental advocate and author of the Clean Water Act of 1972. Last year, I witnessed the snow turn black with coal dust on Portland’s waterfront. This, too, led to DEP testing. This pollution event occurred during delivery of 45,000 tons of coal at Sprague’s Cassidy Point Terminal, which is transported by uncovered train and destined for burning at this same mill in Rumford. I implore us to follow Sen. Muskie’s lead and raise our collective voices for environmental protection since it affects all of us. Muskie’s experiences and passion for Maine improved the environment and the health of the entire country. ~ Sarah Southard, RN, MSN, NP, Portland
TIMES RECORD • December 18, 2024
The group overseeing the cleanup of an August toxic firefighting foam spill at Brunswick’s airport has spent $774,000 on cleanup efforts so far, according to documents. Those same documents reveal that Hangar 4’s fire suppression system, which malfunctioned releasing 1,450 gallons of toxic foam concentrate mixed with 50,000 gallons of water, was renovated about five years prior. Some questions remain unanswered, such as what exactly caused the system to malfunction four months ago. In October, MRRA sent requests to Gov. Janet Mills’ office for funding to help clean up toxic chemicals in its hangars. MRRA made a similar appeal to the FAA under the Military Airports Program, which can provide grants to help convert military airports into public use. MRRA has not yet heard back.
ASSOCIATED PRESS • December 18, 2024
Two endangered North Atlantic whales have been spotted entangled in fishing gear off Massachusetts, and one is likely to die from its injuries, NOAA said this week. Environmentalists have pushed for new restrictions on commercial fishing and shipping to try to protect the whales. The whales were once abundant off the East Coast, but they were decimated during the era of commercial whaling. They have been federally protected for decades. Some scientists have said climate change is a major threat to the whales because it has changed the availability of their food. That has caused them to stray from protected areas of ocean.
