Public Scoping Meetings for Bay of Fundy Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment Project Set for Nov. 13 and 14

MAINE GOVERNMENT NEWS • October 30, 2024

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the State of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries, and State of Maine Department of Marine Resources are sponsoring Public Scoping Meetings to discuss the proposed Bay of Fundy Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment project in Washington County. The first meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, YCC Building, 103 Headquarters Rd., Baring, Maine, at 6 p.m. The second meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at the Cobscook Institute, 10 Commissary Point Rd., Township of Trescott, Maine, at 6 p.m.

Massachusetts ratepayers to pay extra $512 million for transmission line through Maine

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 30, 2024

Three Massachusetts utilities and Central Maine Power’s parent company have agreed that Massachusetts ratepayers must shoulder $512 million in additional costs caused by delays in construction of a power transmission project in Maine that will allow Canadian hydropower to reach the New England power grid. The project’s cost grew from $1 billion to at least $1.5 billion because of inflation and delays caused by opponents. Supporters of the project say the 1,200 megawatts of electricity it provides would lower electric rates across the region, reduce carbon pollution and help Massachusetts to meet its clean energy goals.

Scarborough council set to revise piping plover restrictions

SCARBOROUGH LEADER • October 30, 2024

The Scarborough Town Council will consider revisions to the town’s piping plover ordinance next week. The amendments, expected to be up for a vote at the council’s Nov. 6 meeting, would expand protections for the birds and one other endangered species found on Scarborough’s beaches — least terns — between April 1 and Labor Day.

Experts focused on Maine’s resilience to extreme weather call for enhanced alerts, education

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 30, 2024

A state commission created in the wake of last winter’s severe storms is finalizing its first report on how Maine can prepare for and recover from extreme weather events made more frequent and more intense by climate change. On Wednesday, the Commission on Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience called for improved emergency communications, an online flood risk disclosure, streamlined rebuilding permitting, storm preparedness grants for homeowners and voluntary buyouts for oft-flooded properties.

Buckfield voters approve 180-day pause on solar projects

SUN JOURNAL • October 30, 2024

The six-month moratorium will allow the Planning Board to develop a policy on how to handle future commercial solar energy facilities in town. One project under construction in town will not be affected by the moratorium.

These divers are trying to make a dent in Maine's 'ghost gear' problem, one abandoned trap at a time

MAINE PUBLIC • October 30, 2024

Buzz Scott’s nonprofit, OceansWide, has been training scuba divers to recover derelict, or "ghost gear," from the seafloor. He estimates there are potentially more than 15 million abandoned lobster pots in Maine waters. OceansWide is part of the New England Regional Fishing Gear Response and Removal Team, a recently-formed coalition of organizations that are working to clean up marine debris from the Gulf of Maine and educate the public about the problem. So far, Oceanswide divers have recovered about 13,000 traps near Boothbay, Matinicus and Gouldsboro. A federal marine debris grant will allow them to eventually expand to Stonington, Jonesport, and Vinalhaven.

Midcoast land trust hosts workshops to combat invasive species

TIMES RECORD • October 30, 2024

Invasive species are on the rise. According to Sarah Wolpow, a certified master gardener and local permaculture designer, 95% of lawns consist of invasive monoculture plants. For the first year, the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust launched biweekly invasive plant removal workshops. Under Wolpow’s guidance, trail corridors obstructed by multiflora rose were cleared, allowing wildlife to return. Based on the pilot program’s success, the nonprofit aims to educate more members in 2025, including newcomers and those who have battled invasive plant issues for decades. 

Opinion: Trail cameras allow hardworking Mainers to hunt successfully

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 29, 2024

The definition of “fair chase” varies wildly. For example, fair chase in Maine means we do not bait deer, however we bait bear, and in many southern states they consider baiting deer and bear fair chase. So, sure, if trail cameras are found to be the reason deer, moose and bear populations are anemic, ban them. None of those populations are a concern, however. Trail cameras allow these hard-working Mainers to ensure that they are in a solid spot for the limited hours that the state and their work schedule allow them to hunt. The only standard by which game should be managed is an objective biological one, with harvest goals, methods, seasons and strategies dictated by the needs and opportunities of the wildlife. Mainers do not need anyone’s opinion on their achievements. ~ Jared Bornstein, Democratic lobbyist, hunting advocate and registered Maine guide, Skowhegan

Column: The vital Comprehensive Plan

TIMES RECORD • October 30, 2024

In 2021, Brunswick began the process of updating its 2008 Comprehensive Plan but was stymied by the pandemic. That was just the beginning of the public input process to develop the plan — a process that is now being restarted with an upcoming public meeting from 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the Brunswick High School gym. While Brunswick’s coast is just one of many facets that define our town, it is among the most sensitive both in terms of development pressures as well as impacts from land-based activities. For that reason, this is one of the many areas that the Comprehensive Plan will include. ~ Susan Olcott

Building permits for proposed Bucksport fish farm expire

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 30, 2024

Construction permits that Whole Oceans obtained in 2019 to build a land-based salmon farm in Bucksport have now expired, according to town officials. Whole Oceans, which is owned by Iowa-based pork producer Dale Reicks, was the first of multiple large-scale fish farms that were proposed for Maine to obtain all of its needed permits. But like the other proposals, some of which have since gone defunct, it has yet to break ground to build anything. Now, it will have to go through the town’s planning board review, and get new permits, if it wants to move ahead with the project.

Acadia sets new record for daily visits

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 30, 2024

The record-breaking numbers of visits at Acadia National Park on the Oct. 12 holiday weekend tell a story. That story is currently leaning toward an expanding season for a park that typically sees most of its visitation in the summer months. That story is also leaning toward challenges in how to provide a great experience for people visiting the park while protecting its resources.

Column: The Great Heat Pump Adventure, Part 2

CENTRAL MAINE • October 30, 2024

This is a cautionary tale, not about heat pumps, but about new technology. We got badly burned on the original heat pump installed in 2009. Then, the mini-split did not heat the house as depicted. Some friends speak highly of their mini-splits; others gripe about the fan and limitations on heat circulation. You just want to make sure how much heat will actually get pushed down from the ceiling, where most people do not spend much time, into the places where you usually live, before you hook up one. Or two. Or three. Battling the human-induced warming of the planet has been a long, strange trip here in Troy. And this is apt to be just part of the first installment of a much longer story. The changing climate and the electric utilities have a lot more in store for us in coming years. ~ Dana Wilde

Illness is on the rise as ticks become more active in fall

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 30, 2024

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention urged Mainers in October to be careful of tick bites, saying there are more cases of anaplasmosis, babesiosis and hard tick relapsing fever this year than last October. Maine saw a record-breaking 2,943 Lyme disease reports in 2023. As of Oct. 14, 2,544 cases have been reported this year.

The Disney classic ‘Bambi’ is a love letter to the Maine woods

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 30, 2024

How old were you when you first watched “Bambi,” the animated Disney classic? Those sweeping landscapes of forests and mountains, those idyllic scenes of flowers, fields and woodland creatures are all inspired by Maine — and in fact, the film is actually set in Maine. That’s thanks almost entirely to Maurice “Jake” Day, a Damariscotta-born artist and animator who by the late 1930s was one of the top talents at Walt Disney Studios. Day — an established outdoors illustrator for magazines and publishing houses — was sought by Disney himself to add a painterly touch to his movies, specifically for his upcoming animated adaptation of the book “Bambi, a Life in the Woods” by Felix Salten.

Maine Public Health Association Wins National Excellence in Climate Leadership Award

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • October 29, 2024

The American Public Health Association’s Center for Climate, Health and Equity recognized Maine Public Health Association with its Excellence in Climate Leadership Award on Tuesday. The award recognizes professionals and organizations for their work to combat climate change and mitigate its effects on health. As this year's award winner, MPHA was honored for its work to advance evidence-based climate policies, train the public health workforce in climate science and strategies, elevate the voices of communities most impacted by climate change, and provide strategic leadership and collaboration on climate resiliency and response in Maine. 

Greenville ski area is for sale after developer’s grand plans fell through

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 29, 2024

Big Moose Mountain Ski Area in northern Maine was listed for sale Monday for $27 million after a developer’s big plans for it fell through over the summer. The ski area being listed might come as a surprise. For the last few years, the property has seen some notable redevelopment efforts led by Perry Williams, a developer who had a $126.3 million plan to create a year-round ski resort there. In May, Williams revived those efforts, but the property’s listing agent said Tuesday that any deal “went off the table” in July. That deal falling through is the latest chapter in a frustrating story for the Greenville community, which is eager to see something happen with the mountain.

US chooses winning bids for Gulf of Maine floating offshore wind sites

ASSOCIATED PRESS • October 29, 2024

The U.S. government chose winning bids Tuesday to develop wind power off New England in the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic coast. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a lease sale and selected nearly $22 million in winning bids for four lease areas from two firms. The lease areas are in the Gulf of Maine, which is a critical fishing ground for the U.S. lobster industry. Two of the leases went to Avangrid Renewables. The other two leases went to Invenergy NE Offshore Wind. The four areas combined are more than 625 square miles.

Brunswick Landing authority asks governor’s office for $21.9 million for PFAS removal

TIMES RECORD • October 29, 2024

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority is asking Gov. Janet Mills’ office for funding to help clean up toxic chemicals in its hangars in the wake of a disastrous firefighting foam spill in August. In a budget request letter dated Oct. 28, the Authority said that it wants to pursue an emergency project that will cost about $21.9 million to remove and replace its fire suppression systems and substances that contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at Brunswick Executive Airport. The Authority said the funding would be used to design, demolish, permit, bid and construct new fire suppression systems, as well as dispose of hazardous PFAS chemicals in Hangars 4, 5 and 6.

Opinion: Let’s return a pro-environment majority to the Maine Legislature

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 29, 2024

As a former state legislator, I’ve seen what it means when we elect lawmakers who prioritize protecting the environment and addressing the climate crisis, and what happens when we fall short. Electing pro-environment lawmakers is one of the best ways to ensure strong protections for the air, lands and waters that we love. It can mean the difference between phasing out toxic PFAS to protect drinking water or continuing to pollute the resources we rely on; between helping towns all over Maine adapt to increased storm damage or leaving them to fend for themselves; between implementing the will of the voters or disregarding it. When our elections are decided by slim margins, every vote really counts. ~ Cathy Breen, Maine Conservation Voters and former Maine state senator