$300M data center at former Millinocket paper mill is canceled

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 9, 2025

A $300 million data center project expected to boost economic development at the former Great Northern Paper Co. mill in Millinocket has been canceled. Nautilus Data Technologies introduced the planned 60-megawatt data center with great fanfare in 2021. The Millinocket data center had been slated to be running by the end of 2022. But the company was unable to get the artificial intelligence customer it wanted because the data center would not be able to produce enough power. Instead, One North is courting companies without data-intensive needs. EME Biofuels plans to build a liquid biofuels factory using local forestry products and Great Northern Salmon is applying for permits now for a land-based salmon farm. First, more work needs to be done to clean up the former mill site. One Katahdin has been able to tap brownfields funding from the EPA, but it has been under fire by the Trump administration.

Governor opposed to latest change to Settlement Act backed by Wabanaki Nations

MAINE MORNING STAR • March 9, 2025

Discussion of legislation to afford the Wabanaki Nations more authority over their land revealed that Gov. Janet Mills does not support the change, presenting a steep path for a plan that otherwise has bipartisan support. The governor’s counsel, Jerry Reid, told the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that Mills’ concerns stem from the inability to predict the future needs of state government, an issue also raised in written testimony from the Maine Department of Transportation.

Cape Elizabeth Land Trust gears up for Earth Day cleanup

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 9, 2025

The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust will hold its fifth annual Earth Day Community Clean Up from Saturday, April 19, through Sunday, April 27. There are over a dozen locations community members can register to spiffy up, from school grounds to trails to heavily traveled roads. There is also an option for residents to clean up their own streets. “Many groups and volunteers contribute to this cleanup, which is a huge help to the community,” said Patty Renaud, membership and development manager at the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust. “We can all strive to keep our shared outdoor spaces clear of waste, reducing litter and leaving places better than we found them.”

Jet fuel spill at Brunswick Landing cleaned up

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 9, 2025

Officials at the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority say they have finished cleaning up a 55-gallon jet fuel spill at Brunswick Landing. The spill happened at around 1 p.m. Monday, according to a release issued by MRRA Executive Director Daniel Stevenson. Jet-A fuel, a kerosene-grade aviation fuel, spilled on a paved surface adjacent to a building containing snow removal equipment. Stevenson said on Tuesday afternoon that cleanup had been completed and the MRRA is awaiting water-testing results from DEP. The spill happened after a pallet of fuel containers being transported by a forklift slipped and toppled over, causing the fuel drums to open.

Lawmakers reject effort to stop all development on Sears Island

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 9, 2025

Maine lawmakers have killed a piece of legislation that would have expanded a conservation easement that now protects two-thirds of Sears Island. The bill would have protected the entirety of the island from development, but the Maine Senate rejected it in a 24-9 vote on Tuesday, after the House of Representatives opposed it 76-68 one week earlier. Currently, about 600 acres of the state-owned Sears Island are now legally protected under a conservation easement that was first approved in 2009, while the remaining 330 acres can be developed for transportation reasons. State officials have pursued a range of development projects on that third of the island over the years, including an ongoing effort to build a port facility for a future offshore wind industry.

Letter: ‘Harnessing the ocean’s power’ begins with personal responsibility

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 9, 2025

Many experimental projects that include dumping massive amounts of magnesium oxide into the ocean to bind carbon dioxide. Other companies are experimenting with “sinking rocks, nutrients, crop waste or seaweed in the ocean” to try to lock away carbon dioxide. It seems backward to do huge experiments on the ocean while we are still pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. If Americans told their legislators they want a quick transition to renewables and continued small-scale experiments on ocean sequestration of CO2, this would become a safer and healthier world. ~ Nancy Hasenfus, Brunswick

Brunswick Landing cleaning up jet fuel spill

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 8, 2025

Officials at the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority say they are working to contain 55 gallons of jet fuel spilled Monday afternoon at Brunswick Landing. The spill happened around 1 p.m. Monday, according to a release issued by MRRA Executive Director Daniel Stevenson. Jet-A fuel, a kerosene-grade aviation fuel, spilled on a paved surface adjacent to a building containing snow removal equipment.

This legislation could have consequences for hunters, anglers and outdoor recreation

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 8, 2025

The Maine Legislature reconstituted the Land Use Regulation Commission in 2011 under Republican Gov. Paul LePage. LURC had planning and zoning authority over Maine’s unorganized territories, as well as townships and plantations. It was replaced by the Land Use Planning Commission, which exists today. The policy aim at that time was to grant local control. LD 870 would change the makeup of the commission. LUPC would comprise 13 members instead of eight. The governor would be able to appoint five commissioners instead of just the one already granted by law. The Natural Resources Council and Maine Audubon testified in strong support of this measure. The Maine Forest Products Council and the County Commissioners Association opposed it.

Maine lawmakers reject proposal to extend Sears Island conservation easement

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 8, 2025

Maine lawmakers have rejected a proposal to extend a conservation easement on Sears Island to include the proposed site of an industrial wind port. The Senate voted 24-9 Monday to kill a bill that would have extended the easement held by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust that currently protects about two-thirds of the 940-acre island by adding the rest of it — about 330 acres owned by the state.

America's national parks help protect hundreds of endangered species

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • April 8, 2025

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service. Its mission is to leave natural and historic phenomenons "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Since then, our national parks have welcomed visitors from around the world to experience some of the best the country has to offer and to showcase the country's natural beauty and cultural heritage. Today, the 63 national parks in the U.S. contain at least 247 species of endangered or threatened plants and animals, more than 75,000 archaeological sites, and 18,000 miles of trails.

Maine's Fastest Bird is a True Speed Demon of the Sky

92MOOSE • April 7, 2025

When it comes to Maine wildlife, we are very fortunate for a number of reasons. For starters, Maine isn't really a place where there is a large population of animals that are poisonous to humans. Secondly, Maine IS in fact home to a wide array of different species that people from all over the country come for a chance to see. According to information from the Maine Audubon website, the fastest bird in Maine (and the world) is the super-speedy Peregrine Falcon.

Maine lawmakers consider policy to make 9 appliances more energy-efficient

ENVIRONMENT MAINE • April 7, 2025

On Monday, Environment Maine submitted testimony before the state legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources committee in support of LD 1158: An Act to Expand Appliance Energy and Water Standards sponsored by Representative Arthur Bell. The bill aims to implement energy and water efficiency standards for nine products sold in Maine starting on January 1, 2027. According to analysis from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, if passed, the standards would:
• prevent 2 billion gallons of water from going wasted between now and 2050;
• prevent 286 tons of nitrogen oxide pollution from entering our air by 2050, and
• prevent 3 tons of sulfur dioxide pollution from entering our air by 2050.

Runaway debris pile fire burns 45 acres in Aroostook County

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 7, 2025

A debris pile burn on Saturday in Mapleton got out of control and burned 45.8 acres before it was stopped. The fire threatened three structures, according to the Maine Forest Service. After an earlier fire on April 2 in Fort Fairfield that burned 3.7 acres, the forest service urged caution with outdoor burns, saying early melting of the snow pack this year has left fields susceptible to burning much earlier than normal. 

Bank’s donation boosts Midcoast conservation efforts

TIMES RECORD • April 7, 2025

Maine Coast Heritage Trust and the Maine Land Trust Network got a boost with a recent $5,000 donation from Norway Savings Bank. The donation supports the conservation groups’ 2025 Maine Land Conservation Conference. Scheduled for April 29-30 at the Augusta Civic Center, the conference is hosted by MCHT and MLTN and draws hundreds of conservation professionals, advocates and volunteers from across the state. Last year’s event drew more than 300 participants who exchanged ideas, built connections and talked land conservation across Maine.

Conservation group looking for volunteers for horseshoe crab count

TIMES RECORD • April 7, 2025

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust is seeking volunteers for a long-standing community science program that collects data on horseshoe crab populations in the Damariscotta River estuary. Horseshoe crabs will soon be arriving at the shores of estuary to lay their eggs. A volunteer training session will be from 3-5 p.m. next Friday, April 18, in the Denny Conservation and Education Center at Coastal Rivers’ Round Top Farm in Damariscotta. 

Advocates say proposed cuts to SNAP will drive up food insecurity, harm Maine farmers

MAINE PUBLIC • April 7, 2025

What do a farmer, a food bank director and a Republican state senator all have in common? They're among those sounding the alarm about a proposal in Congress to cut between 20% and 30% from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. In Maine, 174,000 people rely on it for food every month. But if the reduction is approved, advocates say food insecurity will rise and Maine's rural economy will suffer.

New building codes take effect in Maine

MAINE PUBLIC • April 7, 2025

New building codes take effect Monday in Maine. The State Fire Marshal's Office and Governor's Energy Office want builders, residents, architects, and municipalities to understand the changes. The new codes are intended to ensure that buildings moving forward meet updated structural integrity, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality standards. Among the changes are the requirement to use more insulation in floors and walls to improve energy efficiency that the U.S. Dept of Energy estimates will save homeowners hundreds of dollars on their utility bills.

White sharks make frequent visits to Maine’s coastal waters, new data reveals

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 7, 2025

Great white sharks appear to be using the shallow coastal waters next to some of Maine’s most popular beaches in late summer while traveling between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia, most likely snacking on the growing seal populations in the Gulf of Maine. A team of New England scientists documented 107 white sharks off the coast of Maine, ranging from 7 to 16 feet in length, between 2012 and 2023, with most detected within a half mile from shore in less than 65 feet of water, according to a study published last month in Frontiers in Marine Science.

Blueberry barren housing plan sparks yearlong debate in Maine town

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 7, 2025

Geoff Bowley, a Kennebunk-based developer, bought 38 acres of former commercial blueberry land in Blue Hill in 2023 and proposed high-end homes for the site last year. Public resistance in Blue Hill and neighboring towns has been significant, continuing for months without showing signs of stopping. The ongoing debate over the project has illustrated the tension that many Maine communities face as they work to address a critical statewide housing shortage while trying to protect cherished natural resources. It has also demonstrated how traditional uses of land are changing.

Mainers don’t want homes with lots of land like they used to

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 7, 2025

When Dolly Perkins was a young real estate agent, Mainers could easily find an affordable home that came with hundreds of acres. But those kinds of properties, known as “kingdom parcels,” are becoming more and more rare to find in Maine. The ones that are on the market tend to sit for months despite high interest from farmers, developers and hunters, because of their high prices and maintenance needs. “It takes a huge commitment in order to have a kingdom parcel,” said Perkins, a realtor with Realty of Maine. “People, for the most part, tend to gravitate towards 5 or 2 acres a lot where they can just have a house, and they’re not beholden to the property to maintain it.”