The most comprehensive online source of conservation news and events in Maine and beyond, edited by Jym St. Pierre
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Sincerely,
Jym St. Pierre
Editor, Maine Environmental News
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 21, 2025
An executive order that President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office targeting further development of offshore wind complicates, and likely delays, Maine’s budding effort to stand up an industry to capitalize on winds sweeping the Gulf of Maine. At stake are three projects in Maine: commercial offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Maine; a University of Maine research site, also in the Gulf of Maine; and plans to build a terminal on Sears Island to assemble turbines.
MAINE PUBLIC • January 21, 2025
Nordic Aquafarms announced Friday that it will no longer pursue its land-based salmon farm in Belfast, after years of legal challenges from opponents. The company said it has spent tens of millions of dollars on the project, and secured local, state and federal permits; calling the decision a sad day for the Maine economy and aquaculture industry. But the project faced legal setbacks when trying to secure access to Penobscot Bay to draw water and discharge wastewater. Upstream Watch, which has long opposed the project, said it is a huge win for the city, and that the project was ill-conceived, and would have polluted Penobscot Bay.
MAINE PUBLIC • January 21, 2025
Hours into his new term, President Donald Trump hit the pause button on American wind power development. The move may hobble Maine’s plan to meet ambitious clean electricity targets. Trump’s executive order puts a stop to federal leases for ocean wind power. And it suspends permitting and funding for offshore and land-based turbines until federal agencies review the impacts of wind projects. It might affect Maine’s long term goal of using 100% clean electricity by 2040, which leans on building 3 gigawatts of offshore wind. Jack Shapiro, of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said he’s perplexed by the opposition to an industry with the potential to lower energy prices, grow the state’s economy and reduce reliance on electricity made from fossil fuels.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 21, 2025
Trump is particularly bothered by the existence of unspoiled land, so industrializing as much as possible is obviously desirable. It will be interesting to see how manufacturers, which have been gearing up to transition to more energy saving devices and cleaner engines will react when Trump says not to bother. It will also be interesting to see how easily we can export manufactured items that no longer meet energy saving guidelines. Grownups in Europe still take climate seriously. Why should they buy these inferior products? Trump is proudly, willfully ignorant of the realities posed by climate change. He deserves whatever he gets in terms of blowback, but we don't. And our children certainly don't. ~ Bevtmaine
TIMES RECORD • January 21, 2025
Shellfish living in streams near the Brunswick Executive Airport were contaminated by the August firefighting foam spill, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Tests conducted weeks after a hangar malfunctioned and released thousands of gallons of toxic foam into the nearby environment show elevated levels of PFOA (PFAS “forever chemicals”). “The release of firefighting foam greatly increased the concentration of PFOS in fish from the affected parts of Merriconeag Stream and Mare Brook,” the agency said. “But as there was already a do-not-eat advisory in place, there is no change for fish consumption advice given these latest data.”
MORNING SENTINEL • January 21, 2025
The last of the century-old pine trees standing high over Goodwin Cemetery were cut down Jan. 10, leaving residents grappling over the loss of a grove that had looked over some of the town’s most historic headstones. The warrant article seeking to cut 20 trees at the cemetery passed at the town meeting last June, allotting a maintenance budget twice as high as in previous years. Yet some residents said they weren’t aware of the tree cutting included in the cemetery maintenance warrant article, and that the matter was discussed only briefly at the sparsely attended 2024 town meeting — leaving the question of why the trees had to come down in the first place. Town officials say the maintenance is necessary to protect historic gravestones.
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 21, 2025
The chance of devastating fires erupting here in dry coastal Maine is very real. It happened in 1947. I see tinder everywhere in our Brunswick neighborhood. Despite calling itself a “Tree City, USA,” there is little management of leaves, brush or trees growing into street sightlines. Maine wants to be a forest and we love our trees, but wooden houses, dry leaves and brush piles everywhere with below-normal rain and snow is a recipe for fire. ~ Charles Annable, Brunswick
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 20, 2025
Chester and Aaron Barrett, the father-and-son fishermen from Addison who went missing over the weekend, had planned to drag for scallops close to home on Monday. But they needed to get Chester’s boat, Sudden Impact, from Edmunds back to South Addison, their friend Chris Beal said Monday. When they set out on Saturday morning, they ran into foul weather. They headed for Cutler. But the Barretts and their scallop dragger did not make it to Cutler and were reported overdue that evening. After a Coast Guard search late Saturday and on Sunday, the boat is believed to have sunk en route.
MAINE PUBLIC • January 20, 2025
In its latest report to the legislature, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection said it does not expect to be able to complete its investigation into PFAS contamination by the end of the year. In the report, the Department said it doesn't have enough time to gather its findings by December, because since it began the investigation, it has identified 366 additional sites that require testing. The department is also asking for guidance from the legislature on how to implement new lower federal PFAS standards for drinking water, and on what to do about the costs of long-term monitoring and maintenance of sites with filtration systems.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 20, 2025
Wolfden Resources Corp., the company trying to develop a metallic mineral mine in northern Penobscot County, has agreed to sell 3,770 acres, just over half of its 6,826 acres, to Altius Royalty Corp. in a $1.5 million cash deal expected to close on Jan. 31, according to Wolfden. Altius, a Newfoundland-based mining and mineral royalty company, already holds a percentage of the royalty rights to the zinc, lead, copper and silver allegedly located in the northern Penobscot County site. Wolfden will retain another 3,082 acres around Pickett Mountain — located about eight miles north of Patten — that are not included in the sale. For five years, it will also retain the right to explore and buy-back the mineral rights of the land it’s selling.
TIMES RECORD • January 20, 2025
This winter, thanks to LincolnHealth’s Community Health Improvement Fund (CHIF) support, Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES) announced the start of an after-school outing club for sixth to eighth graders in collaboration with Hearty Roots. Misha Barker and Erin Quinley, Hearty Roots staff, created the program. Barker emphasized there are definitive advantages for children spending time away from screens and enjoying the fresh air. While being nature-deficient in Maine is hard, she feels many kids crave free play between structured school days and extracurricular engagement. And that’s what this program aims to offer.
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 20, 2025
The firestorms ravaging our country’s second-largest city are just the latest of extreme weather that is growing more furious as well as more unpredictable. Wildfires are burning hotter and moving faster. Storms are getting bigger and carrying more moisture. And soaring temperatures worldwide are leading to heat waves and drought, which can be devastating on their own. The question remains: When are we going to stop killing our planet from burning fossil fuels to power our homes, cars and industries? ~ Ron Sadler, Rangeley
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 20, 2025
As Los Angeles burned for days on end, scientists made an announcement that 2024 was the hottest year on record. With temperatures rising around the globe, scientists are warning that the world has entered a dangerous new era of chaotic floods, storms and fires made worse by human-caused climate change. Around the globe, extreme weather and searing heat killed thousands of people last year and displaced millions. The question remains: When are we going to stop killing our planet from burning fossil fuels to power our homes, cars and industries? ~ Ron Sadler, Rangeley
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 20, 2025
Regarding the Jan. 9 article “South Portland debates natural vs. artificial grass at planned athletic facility,” the School Board and the public should understand that athletic fields are not nature preserves, parks or grassed lawns. They are not “natural.” Athletic fields are engineered systems that require significant resources (mowing, watering, fertilizer and maintenance) to maximize their use and longevity. The presentation from Portland’s nonprofit Defend Our Health was not applicable to the turf/infill products proposed in South Portland. Opponents spoke about microplastics. Microplastics are an emerging contaminant and most studies focus on drinking water originating from surface water sources. This is not applicable to the proposed turf. ~ Aaron Martin, South Portland
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 20, 2025
Maine has yet to ban coyote killing contests, despite the cruel and malicious nature of this masquerading “sport.” I implore voters to contact their state representatives and encourage them to support an upcoming bill: “An Act to Prohibit Coyote Killing Contests.” Coyotes are a vital part of Maine’s ecosystem. They have as much of a right to live here as the rest of us, and there is no credible science to support that their extermination would effectively manage Maine’s wildlife. In fact, the killing of coyotes further complicates wildlife restoration efforts, as it damages the delicate predator-prey relationship that is essential as humans encroach on natural spaces. ~ Madison Ellingsworth, Portland
BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 19, 2025
The Maine Marine Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and other rescue agencies are searching for two missing fishermen and their 34-foot scallop boat off the coast near Lubec and South Addison. The fishermen — Chester Barrett and his son Aaron Barrett — were reported missing Saturday night by a family member when they didn’t return as expected. Barrett’s boat left Cobscook Bay State Park at approximately 5 a.m. Saturday. After encountering rough seas, the crew planned to seek refuge in Cutler but never arrived.
MAINE PUBLIC • January 19, 2025
With the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners, the Nature Conservancy in Maine has added nearly 3,000 acres to the Narraguagus Forest Preserve north of Tunk Mountain. The parcel includes a variety of habitats as well as permanent protection of almost five miles of the West Branch of the Narraguagus River. TNC’s forest program director Mark Berry said the heavily forested addition is now part of 46,000 contiguous acres of conservation lands in eastern Hancock County.
CENTRAL MAINE • January 19, 2025
The impact of PFAS (also known as forever chemicals) is the focus of a free community forum set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at Hallowell City Hall, 1 Winthrop St. PFAS are man-made substances that have been measured at elevated levels in Hallowell drinking water. The forum will cover local drinking water safety, ongoing efforts to address it, and practical steps that residents can take to protect themselves. The panel of experts discussing various aspects of PFAS contamination.
MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 19, 2025
For nearly 40 years, Land for Maine’s Future — a statewide, bipartisan land conservation program — has helped to conserve over 660,000 acres of land across the state for hiking, hunting, snowmobiling and other public recreation. Roughly half of this is also working land used for timber harvesting, farming and commercial fishing. One of the secrets to the program’s success over the years has been the partnership between Maine land trusts and sporting groups. While short-term funding is essential, we are also looking at long-term funding strategies, which will be key to sustaining this program well into the future. ~ Jeff Romano, Maine Coast Heritage Trust; Kaitlyn Nuzzo, The Nature Conservancy in Maine; David Trahan, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine
