Court restores protections for endangered whale species to prevent entanglement in fishing gear

SPECTRUM NEWS • February 4, 2025

Commercial fishermen who hoped for a loosening of fishing regulations during President Donald Trump's administration faced a setback when a federal appeals court reinstated rules meant to protect a dwindling whale species from getting entangled in fishing gear.The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's decision on Thursday and reinstated the protections. The lower court had ruled against a federal law banning lobster fishing in a 200-nautical-mile area off the New England coast from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually. Lethal entanglement in lobster fishing gear is one of the biggest threats to the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers less than 380 and is in decline. The other major threat is collisions with large ships.

Maine State Park Named Among 7 Best in the Nation

WCYY • February 4, 2025

According to Business Insider, Maine is home to one of 7 best state parks in the entire nation. While all the tourists flood Acadia National Park, time for a detour to the beauty of one of the best state parks you'll find anywhere. Known as being the home to the easternmost point in the contiguous U.S., Quoddy Head State Park already has some built-in popularity thanks to being the first place you can watch the sunrise each day.

America’s Wildlands Under Siege: Trump Ditches Plan to Protect 30% by 2030

MSN • February 4, 2025

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that effectively rescinded the previous administration's commitment to the "30 by 30" conservation goal. This executive order has halted the initiative that sought to preserve a significant portion of the nation's lands and waters. The decision has sparked widespread concern among environmentalists who view it as a setback for conservation efforts. The "30 by 30" initiative was not just a domestic goal but also part of a larger, global movement to protect biodiversity.

Maine officials wary of how trade war would affect lobster industry

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 4, 2025

A possible trade war between the U.S. and Canada would have a big impact on Maine’s lobster industry. Unlike more specific tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed on Canadian goods during his  first term in office, the new 25 percent tariffs that he initially announced for cross-border trade — combined with Canada’s retaliatory 25 percent tariff on imported goods from the U.S. — would have directly affected the flow of lobster. Adding to the uncertainty is that late Monday afternoon, Trump announced he was delaying the tariffs on the northern neighbor for 30 days. Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake.

Maine braces for increased energy prices from Trump tariffs, despite 30-day postponement

MAINE PUBLIC • February 4, 2025

President Trump’s looming tariffs on Canadian energy resources could hit Maine homes and businesses but officials say the impacts are still uncertain. Maine relies heavily on Canada for refined petroleum products including heating oil, used in over half of homes in the state. It could also affect electricity prices, particularly for some 58,000 customers in Eastern Maine who rely on the New Brunswick power grid. Tariffs on Canada were set to go into effect on Tuesday before the president delayed them.

Maine’s problems with Lion Electric buses began immediately

KENNEBEC JOURNAL • February 3, 2025

Of the nine Maine school districts who received buses from Lion Electric Co. paid for by federal grants, plus Vinalhaven, which bought a bus itself, six almost immediately began reporting problems to state officials, dating back to January 2023. Two years later, the buses largely remain sidelined after having barely been on the road at all, frustrating school officials who had depended on them to safely transport students.

Opinion: It’s time for Mainers to speak up on clean energy

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 4, 2025

Our climate system is becoming both more erratic and more extreme, and we must do more to stop the emissions of fossil fuels that are causing these disasters. The only way that we can do that, while creating good-paying union jobs and stabilizing electricity prices, is to stay the course on offshore wind. So no matter whether your concern is affordable electric bills, a reliable grid, protecting communities from future disasters, or perhaps just being able to get out and enjoy winter, it is a time to remember to speak up. ~ Lucy Hochschartner, Maine Conservation Voters

PFAS-free outerwear has arrived in Maine. Be prepared to pay.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 4, 2025

The forever chemicals that bead up water on a hiker’s slicker and other outerwear are getting increased scrutiny from lawmakers who pointed out such fabrics are getting a tax break over potentially safer alternatives. L.L. Bean and Patagonia are among the outdoor retailers that have replaced the products they sell that contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have been linked to cancer, but at a cost. Substitute water-resistant chemicals, which include silicone and new organic materials but not rubber or plastic, are hit with a 27 percent tariff. Members of Maine’s congressional delegation are trying to change that.

Opinion: I was a federal whistleblower. I know what an assault on science and regulation looks like.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 4, 2025

More information is essential to act in the public interest. The Clean Water Act led to a dramatic turnaround in water quality and ecosystem health, with a direct impact on the health of Americans. The willingness of politicians to reach bipartisan compromise to study the problem and regulate the offending industries was driven by a sense of fairness and accountability. Now that we face widespread toxic contamination again we should remember how science and regulation led to a more livable Maine. What we should not do is shoot the messenger. How we manage to uphold these values despite the best efforts of billionaires and mega-corporations will define Maine’s environmental and public health future. ~ Joel Clement, 10th generation Mainer and award-winning former federal whistleblower with a background in climate change, science, and the environment

Maine’s industry braces for impact from new tariffs

NATIONAL FISHERMAN • February 3, 2025

President Trump’s recent decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on Chinese goods will affect many industries. For the U.S. seafood industry, mainly focusing on lobstering, the new trade policies have sparked serious concerns about supply chain disruptions and economic consequences. Trump announced the tariffs on Saturday, February 1, and said they would go into effect on Tuesday, February 4. Industry leaders fear increased costs due to tariffs will create instability for American harvesters and Canadian partners. Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada, told Spectrum Local News, “These tariffs, if they actually happen, will badly impact Maine harvesters and the Maine lobster sector just as it will impact Canadians.”

Auburn, Lewiston advocating for more recreation as part of Great Falls dam relicensing

SUN JOURNAL • February 3, 2025

City officials on both sides of the Androscoggin River are working with environmental organizations to negotiate better river access and recreational amenities as the owner of the Lewiston Falls Hydroelectric Project looks to relicense the dams. Eric Cousens, executive director of public services in Auburn, said that since the hydropower facility is relicensed once every 30-50 years, this is the cities’ “one shot to advocate for fair and balanced use of the public river.” The cities and its partners in agencies such as the National Park Service are still far apart in negotiations with Brookfield on some requests, including timed releases, a portage trail, emergency and recreation access below the falls, and recreational flow info that can be made available in real time to the public for trip planning.

Maine and Canada's highly integrated lobster industries may face impacts under potential tariffs

MAINE PUBLIC • February 3, 2025

Trade experts say American consumers should expect higher prices for lobster, under a proposed 25% tariff on Canadian goods. The Maine and Canadian lobster industries are highly integrated, said Kristin Vekasi, a political science professor with the University of Maine. Some lobster that is caught here in Maine is shipped to Canada, where it's processed and sold to third markets, or back to the United States. Vekasi said if Canada eventually imposes retaliatory tariffs on American lobster, there's a possibility that the same product will be taxed twice.

The Maine lumber industry, with close business ties to Canada, braces for possible tariffs

MAINE PUBLIC • February 3, 2025

Maine exports about 2 million tons of wood products annually, and imports 2.3 million tons – mostly from Canada, according to a recent industry report from the Maine Forest Service. Lumber industry officials are concerned the Trump administration's sweeping tariffs could hurt business, said Patrick Strauch, Executive Director of the Maine Forest Products Council. "Maine's forest economy is really intertwined with both Quebec and New Brunswick, Strauch said. "We're concerned about a broad tariff and how it would distrust disrupt the economy."

Maine benefited from $2.2B in US clean energy spending and incentives

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 3, 2025

Maine businesses and residents and Wabanaki Nations benefited from an unprecedented $2.2 billion in federal clean energy spending and private investment incentivized by Washington, an environmental group said Monday as it warned of what’s at stake if President Donald Trump follows through on promises to scuttle Biden administration initiatives. The largest share, $866.3 million, is for distributed energy, according to the report by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Distributed energy is the use of smaller generation units on the consumer’s side of the meter such as rooftop solar panels and battery storage.

Yarmouth Farmers Market sees abrupt end, vendors pivot

FORECASTER • February 3, 2025

Following the approval of a development project at the market location, the market manager said the Yarmouth Farmers Market will no longer be possible in the summers. “In short, the market has unforgiving deadlines. I’m one volunteer, and I cannot launch an eight-month enterprise each year with uncertainty,” wrote Sinclair in the announcement. “For all these reasons, I realized it was the right time to call it quits,” said Sinclair, who has operated the Yarmouth Farmers Market for nine years after taking over management from the town of Yarmouth.

American bald eagles are having a moment, ecologically and culturally

ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 3, 2025

Along the long road from American icon to endangered species and back again, the bald eagle — the national bird of the United States, often seen against a clear blue sky — is having a moment. The eagles find themselves in an environmental updraft of sorts since the early 2000s, when the federal government took the thriving birds off its endangered species list with more states following suit. Culturally, too, the animals are soaring. In December, Joe Biden signed legislation making the raptor the country's national bird (thought that was already the case? More in a bit).

Massachusetts teen seriously injured in Eustis snowmobile crash

SUN JOURNAL • February 3, 2025

Three people were injured Saturday morning, including a 17-year-old Massachusetts teenage boy who was seriously hurt, when snowmobiles crashed into a stopped machine. A group of eight snowmobilers were traveling east on the Tim Pond Snowmobile Trail towards Eustis. As the group was stopping, five of the snowmobiles crashed into each other. Due to the remote area where the crash occurred, the teen was taken by a snowmobile rescue sled over 12 miles to an awaitingambulance, and then he was taken to the hospital in Farmington.

Body of missing scallop fisherman recovered from sunken boat

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 3, 2025

A team of highly skilled volunteer divers found and removed the body from inside the cabin of the 34-foot fishing vessel “Sudden Impact” around 7 a.m. Sunday, according to the Department of Marine Resources. The body of the second fisherman has not been found. Chester “Chet” Barrett and his son Aaron, commercial scallop fishermen from South Addison, were reported missing Jan. 18 by a family member when they didn’t return from a trip that began at Cobscook Bay State Park. Officials have not identified the body found Sunday, but an online update for the family said that they believe it was Chet Barrett.

Renewable energy generation grew again in New England last year

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 3, 2025

ISO New England says renewable energy generation grew again in the region last year, continuing a long term trend. Electricity generation from large-scale solar arrays was up 18 percent over the year before. Electric output from wind farms grew by 7 percent. While wind development has leveled off, new solar projects keep coming online. The six New England states still get more than half of their electricity from natural gas generators and nearly a quarter from nuclear plants.

UMaine study of last winter's snowmobile season reveals drop in revenue generated

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 3, 2025

A UMaine study of last year's snowmobile season revealed that $582 million was generated by the industry, but it was $128 million less than the year before. Jessica Leahy, study author and professor in the School of Forest Resources at UMaine, said stakeholders like power sports companies and chambers of commerce reported the 2023-2024 winter season was not good for snowmobilers. "I think snowmobilers need to adapt to how they are approaching that sport.” Some towns in western Maine are getting creative and building movie theaters and bowling alleys for visitors when the snowpack is lacking.