King, Pingree demand answers on why USDA cut local food programs

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 17, 2025

Sen. Angus King joined dozens of Senate colleagues to demand that the U.S. Department of Agriculture reinstate funding cut last week for programs that connect schools, community organizations and food banks with locally sourced food. In a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, King, I-Maine, and 30 senators charge that cutting $1 billion to the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs “poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country” at a time when food prices and food instability are rising nationwide. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, meanwhile, helped organize a group of more than 80 House Democrats who voiced “deep dismay and concern” over the cuts in a separate letter to Rollins.

Legislative committee votes against bill to shorten coyote season

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 17, 2025

A bill that would have eliminated year-round hunting of coyotes was voted ought-not-to-pass Monday afternoon by the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. LD716, An Act to Restrict the Hunting of Coyotes, would have established a six-month hunting season from Oct. 1 through March 31. The bill was opposed by Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Professional Guides and several others. Humane World for Animals (formerly The Humane Society of the United States), Maine Animal Coalition and Sierra Club Maine Chapter were among those who spoke in favor of it. The committee on Monday voted unanimously ought-not-to-pass and it died.

Native seeds preserved, protected to counter surging invasives

TIMES RECORD • March 17, 2025

Ash trees, mainly brown ash, are cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and wetland ecosystems in the Northeast. However, they’re under threat due to the spread of the emerald ash borer. The Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik (APCAW), a collective of forest caretakers, works to raise awareness of ash trees’ significance and the efforts, such as seed banking, to conserve them. “Maine, so far, is the only state with non-quarantine habitats free from emerald ash borer,” said Emily Baisden, seed center director at Wild Seed Project. “Studying these helps us plan ahead and learn. We hope that by working with basket makers, foresters and scientists, we can store or distribute emerald ash borer–resistant seeds.” 

Governor Mills Proclaims Maine Agriculture Week and Celebrates Maine Agriculture Day at the State House

MORNING AG CLIPS • March 17, 2025

Governor Janet Mills has officially proclaimed March 17-23, 2025, as Maine Agriculture Week, a time to honor and celebrate the farmers, producers, and agricultural businesses that provide food, fiber, and economic strength to Maine communities. As part of this weeklong recognition, Maine Agriculture Day at the Legislature will take place on Tuesday, March 18, at the State House in Augusta. The day will feature a Hall of Flags showcase from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with exhibits from farmers, producers, and more than thirty agricultural organizations highlighting the diversity and innovation of Maine’s agriculture sector.

Rep. Pingree and Democratic lawmakers demand answers after USDA cuts

MAINE PUBLIC • March 17, 2025

Maine Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is co-leading a group of more than 80 U.S. lawmakers who are demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the agency canceled two programs that supported local farms, food banks, and children. The programs gave funding to state, tribal, and territorial governments to purchase locally grown food and distribute it to food banks, schools, and child care centers. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the lawmakers called the USDA's decision to cancel funding for the programs "reckless and cruel." They say the decision comes at a time when farmers face increased costs and uncertainty and families continue to grapple with high grocery bills.

Sledding the County - Maine Snowmobile Association

WAGM-TV8 • March 17, 2025

“Mother Nature’s been really, really tough on us. She delivered some good snow back in December, then took it all away from us. We finally go the snow we needed, it wasn’t a sticky snow that you could make a base, but once it came the clubs were ready to go. With this week’s warm-up coming, it’s really gonna put a crunch on the season… There are some area clubs that have stopped grooming for the year.” The Maine Snowmobile Association says planning for next season needs to start now. The MSA has been busy working with state officials to secure new funding, something he says is increasingly important given the challenges clubs are facing.

Letter: Wording removal doesn’t change the climate problem

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 17, 2025

Erasing the words “climate crisis” from all government websites does not make the climate emergency go away. The best thing the human race can do is transition from a fossil fuel-driven economy to a green energy economy. And yet our president has declared, without evidence, an energy emergency solvable by “Drill, baby, drill.” President Trump has frozen appropriated funds for clean energy projects even though clean energy has become cheaper than fossil fuel- generated energy in many instances and will continue to drop in price relative to oil, gas and coal. He has stopped approvals of wind farms on public lands and in offshore waters. Trump officials are considering ending fossil fuel regulation. ~ Dorothy Jones, Brunswick

Acadia National Park stops talking about being understaffed

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 16, 2025

Chronic seasonal staffing shortages have been a big challenge for Acadia National Park in recent years, but officials at the park and with partner organizations have suddenly stopped talking about it. That doesn’t mean the problem has gone away. On Friday, U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree said that the damage caused by inadequate staffing at the National Park Service “cannot be overstated.” In the past few years, Acadia officials and others have spoken out about staffing challenges, voicing concerns that the lack of housing and other issues could negatively impact Maine’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry by having fewer staffed services available to visitors. Since Trump took office later in January, however, Acadia officials have not answered questions about how staffing might affect services this year. Park Service officials have not said why they are reluctant to talk, but it comes at a time when federal funding for multiple government programs in Maine has been targeted for elimination.

New survey tracks how far invasive pike have spread up Penobscot

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 16, 2025

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife hopes a new survey will tell state biologists how far north invasive Northern pike are in the Penobscot River. The survey, expected to begin possibly as soon as next week, will include trapnetting and tagging up to 500 pike in the inlet and outlet of Pushaw Lake. Pike pose a threat to native species of fish such as brook trout and landlocked salmon because they can quickly eat up the food supply. The attitude of fishermen in the early 2000s was to get the pike out of the lake, but now they want to fish for them.

Challenging skiing on Hammond Ridge Trails

TIMES RECORD • March 16, 2025

Hammond Ridge Trails near Baxter State Park is owned and operated by New England Outdoor Center (NEOC) and is located a few miles north of Millinocket near the southern entrance to Baxter State Park. According to the NEOC website and Maine Trail Finder, the trails were designed by Olympian and preeminent trail builder John Morton. They report the network is a mixture of exhilarating downhills, invigorating up hills and everything in between; further stating there are 16 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails on rugged terrain that offer spectacular views. We were disappointed with the condition of the trails — wrongly assuming all trails would be freshly groomed. That said, they were exciting, scenic and challenging. We hope to return to complete Black Cat Peak and Hammond Ridge Trails. However, we’ll call and confirm the grooming status before committing the time and travel. ~ Ron Chase

Maine maple producers preparing for sweetest weekend of the year

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 16, 2025

The sweetest weekend in Maine is right around the corner. Maine Maple Weekend, once just the single-day Maple Sunday, returns for its 42nd season on Saturday. The annual showcase comes the weekend of the fourth Sunday in March. More than 110 producers, from every corner of the state, will open their doors to visitors interested in learning how the sugary staple is cooked up — or, rather, down. Each sugarhouse offers a different experience, including taste tests, treats, tours of the tapped trees and more. For a detailed map, including hours and activities, visit MaineMapleProducers.com.

Maine under attack? Trump-Mills clash is followed by chaos and confusion

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • March 16, 2025

The Trump administration has brought chaos and confusion to Maine from every direction. It has left state officials, members of Maine’s congressional delegation and other observers confused and concerned about what might be next. What’s happening in Maine is being watched around the country. “What we’re seeing here is a level of vindictiveness that no president has ever had,” said Jeremy Mayer, associate professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. “I’m sure there is somebody in the White House that’s saying, ‘How can we hurt Maine?” said Mayer. “We’ve seen before that he’s floated the idea of going after states he sees as not sufficiently politically supportive, so this is consistent with that worldview,” said Maya Sen, a political scientist at Harvard University.

How tree bark can lift your spirits

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 15, 2025

A few days ago, I was grumpily walking through the forest. A yellow birch tree saved the day. Its shiny golden bark caught my eye. From that point on, I decided to observe tree bark as I walked. By the end of the walk, I felt more upbeat. The impromptu game had pulled me out of the tangle of my thoughts and into the here and now. The whole experience got me thinking about the benefits of nature observation.

Letter: Save net energy billing for homeowners, not solar farms

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 15, 2025

In a March 11 letter, Karen Marysdaughter raised valid concerns about the efforts in the Maine legislature to do away with net energy billing (NEB) after investing in rooftop solar. She is also correct that some are ignoring the externalized costs of burning fossil fuels, a massive double standard in not taxing fossil fuel pollution. The NEB subsidy was originally intended for small customers like her. That subsidy gives solar free use of the electric system and leaves the costs to non-solar customers. Big solar developers convinced the Legislature that they also needed that subsidy. It created a gold rush of solar farm developers and is projected to cost Maine consumers more than $200 million a year. That money is largely going to out-of-state investors. The large solar farms that we see do not need to be subsidized. ~ Jeffrey Jones, Bangor

Column: Late Winter Ski Trek in Baxter State Park

DAILY BULLDOG • March 15, 2025

I close out a series of winter articles with this account of a Baxter State Park ski trek of nearly 20 miles, hauling a home-rigged pulk (pull) sled into the west-lying ponds region of the Park. In recent years, a good friend and I have made annual winter treks to Baxter, and to the neighboring Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In winter, in lesser-traveled sections of the park, we usually see more wildlife than people. Doing so, we have seen weather extremes – deep cold, high winds, hard rain, and thickly falling snow, but also cloudless skies and even shirt-sleeve temperatures. We would have a taste of that variety on this trek, except for the shirt-sleeves. ~ Doug Dunlap

Column: These territorial birds are all angry with each other right now

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 14, 2025

While we wait for the migrants to arrive, we can amuse ourselves with the resident local birds that are gearing up for spring. I refer to eagles, crows and ravens. I saw my first crow carrying a stick last week. Crows, ravens and eagles all build stick nests, so expect to see lots of stick-carrying too. Use your sighting as a celebration. Spring is here.~ Bob Duchesne

Feds recommend four Kennebec River dams continue operating with minor fish passage modifications

MAINE MONITOR • March 14, 2025

Federal regulators issued guidance last month suggesting that four lower Kennebec River dams can continue operating if their owner makes slight modifications to allow endangered fish to pass through them. The stipulations outlined by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff in a Feb. 28 report are far more lenient than what was proposed in requests from Maine environmental agencies, Wabanaki nations, and environmental advocates, who were hoping for significant passway expansions or the dams’ outright removal.

EPA freezes $15 million in Maine energy efficiency funds

MAINE PUBLIC • March 14, 2025

Efficiency Maine has lost access to $15 million in federal funding meant to boost clean energy and energy efficient projects in the state. The fund was part of a $20 billion clean bank established by the Biden-era Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced this week the funding would be terminated as part of the Trump administration's ongoing mission to seek out what it is calling fraud and abuse of public funds.

‘Damage can not be overstated’ Chellie Pingree says, raising concerns over national park workforce culling

TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY • March 14, 2025

Staffing cuts at the National Park Service, where more than 1,700 full-time workers were forced out just before the start of the 2025 tourist season, may be one of the first real tests of public support for the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the federal workforce. The impacts are already being seen at the 63 parks and 370 other sites managed and maintained by the Park Service: longer lines at entrances, reduced hours at visitor centers, canceled tours with park rangers and fewer trained staff to help with maintenance issues and emergencies. “The damage this Administration is inflicting on the National Park Service cannot be overstated,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, the ranking member of the Interior-Environment Appropriations panel.

Federal regulators recommend Kennebec River dam relicensing

MORNING SENTINEL • March 14, 2025

Federal regulators are recommending that four Kennebec River dams receive new licenses, with some additional requirements to enhance endangered fish passage that go beyond what the dams’ operator had proposed. In a final environmental impact statement released at the end of February, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff outlined its recommendation for relicensing the Shawmut Hydroelectric Project near Fairfield and amending licenses of the Lockwood Hydroelectric Project in Waterville, the Hydro-Kennebec Hydroelectric Project in Waterville and the Weston Hydroelectric Project in Skowhegan. The Kennebec Coalition, made up of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Maine Rivers, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Trout Unlimited and Trout Unlimited’s Kennebec Valley Chapter, criticized FERC’s recommendations.