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May 24, 2013
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Press releases, events, publications released, etc. from Maine environmental organizations and agencies. Submit content.
Maine Environmental News
Announcement - Friday, May 24, 2013
Thanks for visiting Maine Environmental News, the most comprehensive online source available for links to Maine conservation and natural resource news stories and events. I have posted links to more than 23,000 news articles and announcements. I also post breaking stories and exclusives. Be sure to check not only today's news, but take a look at the headlines from the past several days as well. Articles often come to my attention a few days after they are published. Will Sugg is the website developer. ~ Jym St. Pierre, RESTORE: The North Woods |
Seabirds of Matinicus Rock, Jun 7
Event - Posted - Friday, May 24, 2013
A 32-acre island 18 miles offshore at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, Matinicus Rock is one of Maine’s most important seabird nesting colonies. Atlantic puffins, razorbills, common murres, black guillemots, arctic and common terns, and laughing gulls all nest there. From New Harbor, Jun 7, 8 am – 4 pm. Maine Audubon members $80, non-members $100. |
Lyme Disease Prevention Forum, May 31
Event - Posted - Friday, May 24, 2013
Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Departments of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry and Inland Fisheries & Wildlife are partnering the Western Public Health District to present a Lyme Disease Prevention Forum. At St. Mary’s LePage Conference Center, Lewiston, May 31, 10 am - 12 pm. |
15th Annual Acadia Birding Festival May 30-Jun 2
Event - Posted - Thursday, May 23, 2013
The combination of lectures, walks, and adventures will connect you to Downeast Maine’s many bird species, diverse habitats and local birding experts. Acadia National Park region, May 30-June 2. |
Understanding the Risks of Tar Sands for Maine, May 30
Event - Posted - Thursday, May 23, 2013
Dylan Voorhees, Clean Energy Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, will present the basic background on what tar sands is and why Maine finds itself in the center of controversy regarding tar sands and tar sands pipelines. At Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth, May 30, 7-9 pm. |
Stop the Merger of Maine's Depts. of Agriculture and Conservation
Action Alert - Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Last session, lawmakers passed a proposal to merge the Maine Departments of Agriculture and Conservation. The current Legislature must pass another bill to finalize the merger. In the past year, it has become clear that strong separate departments can best meet the needs of all Mainers. We oppose LD 837 and the proposed merger. ~ Maine Audubon |
Stop the Merger of Maine's Depts. of Conservation and Agriculture
Action Alert - Wednesday, May 22, 2013
In the coming weeks the Maine Legislature will decide whether or not to merge Maine's Department of Agriculture and the Department of Conservation. LD 837 — the “merger” bill — would boost agricultural programs at the expense of conservation programs and shift the focus away from stewardship and toward marketing and development. ~ Natural Resources Council of Maine |
Grassland Birds of Kennebunk Plains, May 29
Event - Posted - Wednesday, May 22, 2013
In heavily forested Maine, large grasslands are uncommon, and so are the birds for which they provide habitat. Kennebunk Plains is an ecologically significant area hosting several state endangered species, and providing habitat for some of the rarest breeding birds in Maine. May 29, 7-10 am. Maine Audubon members $25, non-members $35. |
High Peaks, May 29
Event - Posted - Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Peter McKinley, conservation planner for the Wilderness Society, will speak about the High Peaks Landscape which includes approximately 200,000 acres north and south of the Appalachian Trail, spanning Saddleback Mountain and Mount Abraham in western Maine. This is the largest block of unfragmented high elevation forest habitat as yet unprotected in the state of Maine. At UMaine at Farmington, Roberts Learning Center, Room C 23, May 29, 7 pm. |
Invasive Plant Identification and Control, May 29 & 30
Event - Posted - Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Two workshops will provide participants with an introduction to identification of common upland invasive plants and different control strategies for invasive plants, including both mechanical and chemical methods. At Falmouth Memorial Library, May 29, 1 - 5 pm; and at Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, May 30, 8 am - Noon. |
Cathance Preserve Birds and Ecology Photography, May 28
Event - Posted - Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Ecologists and photographers Ben Williamson and Eric Berube will share their stunning photography of the Cathance River Preserve's captivating nature scenes and abundant wildlife. At Topsham Public Library, May 28, 6:30 pm. Sponsored by Cathance River Education Alliance. |
Thorne Head Birding, May 25
Event - Posted - Saturday, May 18, 2013
Thorne Head Preserve in Bath, on the Maine Birding Trail, is rich in migrating warblers and vireos. Meet at CVS, Bath, May 25, 7:15 am to carpool. Sponsored by Merrymeeting Audubon, Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, and Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. |
Pond Life: Gills, Webbing and Air Bubbles, May 25
Event - Posted - Saturday, May 18, 2013
Families are invited to the museum to dip nets in the pond and go on an exploration of wildlife that lives in the wetlands. See and learn how animals adapt to water. At L.C. Bates Museum, Hinckley, May 25,1 pm. |
Scarborough Marsh Full Moon Canoe Tour, May 24 & 25
Event - Posted - Friday, May 17, 2013
Experience the sights and sounds of marsh creatures under the full moon. At Scarborough Marsh, May 24 and May 25, 7:30–9:30 pm. Maine Audubon members $11, non-members $13. |
Chimney Swifts, May 24
Event - Posted - Friday, May 17, 2013
Enjoy the spectacle of a hundred or more swifts in migration swirling into their chimney roost before they continue to their breeding locations. Carpool from Brunswick Hannaford, May 24 at 7 pm. Sponsored by Merrymeeting Audubon. |
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Thanks for visiting Maine Environmental News, the most comprehensive online source available for links to Maine conservation and natural resource news stories and events. If you are a regular visitor we strongly encourage you to make an annual donation of $35 or more to keep this service going.
Jym St. Pierre, RESTORE: The North Woods, Editor, Maine Environmental News.
Maine Environmental News is provided with free hosting and development by Planet Maine.
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‘Get over it’: Madeleine Albright implores Bowdoin College grads not to give in to self-pity
Bangor Daily News - Friday, May 24, 2013
Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, reflected on life during her college career, calling on Bowdoin College’s graduates of 2013 to approach the changing world with confidence despite the burdens they will inherit from the previous generation. A Bowdoin honorary degree recipient, she was the keynote speaker of the annual Baccalaureate Ceremony Friday. She offered three words of advice to those who are graduating with a sense of self-pity: “Get over it.” Albright emphasized that amid the rapid change of the 21st century, a few things remain constant. She touched upon the need for collective efforts and compassion, especially when we are faced with environmental challenges. |
"Historic" energy bill clears legislative committee, 12-1
Sun Journal - Friday, May 24, 2013
A bill aimed at lowering the costs of energy while dramatically changing the way Mainers consume it vaulted out of a key legislative committee on a 12-1 vote Friday. The vote came after months of hearings, negotiations, compromises and outright wrangling among Democrats, Republicans and Gov. Paul LePage's office over strategic changes to state energy policy. Lawmakers hope these changes will improve Maine's economy by increasing efficiency while diversifying and expanding energy sources. |
Searsport chemical company expanding, joining forces with Mexican firm
Bangor Daily News - Friday, May 24, 2013
A chemical manufacturing plant at the end of a dead-end road in Searsport and a Mexican chemical company are joining forces. Dalegip America Inc., based north of Mexico City with U.S. headquarters in Houston, will construct a total of 5,000 square feet of production space at GAC Chemical Corp. to manufacture speciality chemicals for the paper industry. Plastic pigment, a product used to manufacture coated paper, will be made at the new facility when the plant opens later this year. |
Maine law to set grading system for maple syrup
Associated Press - Friday, May 24, 2013
Gov. Paul LePage on Thursday put his name on a bill that replaces Maine’s existing maple syrup grading system with one proposed by the International Maple Syrup Institute. That change will create a uniform grade of maple syrup worldwide. The law takes effect when the new grading system is okayed by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Canadian government. Maine last year produced 360,000 gallons of syrup. |
UMaine's offshore wind buoy is ready for real test — in the ocean
Associated Press - Friday, May 24, 2013
A data-collection buoy that can be plopped in the ocean and used to determine the suitability of remote locations for offshore wind farms is ready for real-world testing, the University of Maine announced Friday. The university's advanced composites center worked with private industry partners to create a buoy-based system that utilizes a laser system to track wind speeds 400 to 500 feet overhead, the height of offshore wind turbines. The data is relayed to scientists on shore via wireless technology. The university said the devices would allow wind power companies to assess potential offshore wind sites for which data is not currently available. |
Column: Long Lake Dam site an Allagash gem
Bangor Daily News - Friday, May 24, 2013
One of the most beautiful spots on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway is Long Lake Dam. The actual dam is long gone, having washed out many years ago but the remnants still remain. Today, two remote campsites occupy the location that was once a major development in the AWW. It is one of the most remote sites in the waterway. ~ Matthew LaRoche |
Editorial: LePage suggests he is above the law
Maine Environmental News - Friday, May 24, 2013
A large number of bills, including many important environmental and energy proposals, are still in play in the current legislative session. Nonetheless, rather than provide constructive leadership to resolve the difficult issues, Maine Governor Paul LePage has threatened to move his office from the State House. State statute requires that "The Governor shall...keep his office at the State House open for the transaction of the business of the State during all normal working hours of the State House." So moving his office out of the State House is against the law. LePage may also be violating the Maine Constitution, which he swore an oath to uphold. |
Salmon returns on Penobscot slow
Bangor Daily News - Friday, May 24, 2013
After a 2012 season during which only 624 Atlantic salmon were counted at the Veazie Dam fish trap, conservationists hoped that trend would end with a banner 2013 season. Don’t get alarmed … yet. But it hasn’t started out that way. As of Thursday, just 35 salmon had returned to the Penobscot River and been counted. |
Maine bill seeks to protect US loggers' jobs
Associated Press - Friday, May 24, 2013
A bill that would protect some American loggers' jobs from being taken by workers employed by foreign companies has cleared a hurdle in the Maine Senate. Assistant Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson's bill won preliminary approval Thursday. It would bar the state from contracting for timber harvesting on land under its management if the contractor employs foreign workers for logging. Jackson, a logger and Democrat from Allagash, says his bill promotes the hiring of American loggers who have been underemployed as a result of contractors hiring Canadian workers instead. Jackson's bill faces additional House and the Senate votes. |
Letter: Maine Natural Gas best choice for Augusta
Kennebec Journal - Friday, May 24, 2013
A large price differential favors Maine Natural Gas over competitor Summit Gas. MNG's rate proposal quotes are a quarter of a million dollars (50 percent) less per year than Summit for delivery to Augusta schools, municipal facilities and county buildings, and offers an average $530 per year savings on delivery rates for residential customers. MNG is the obvious choice for our city. ~ Don Roberts, Augusta |
Letter: Obstruction is waste of money
Sun Journal - Friday, May 24, 2013
Last week all eight Republican members of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee attempted to stop the confirmation of Gina McCarthy, the president’s well-qualified nominee for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, by boycotting the committee vote. President George W. Bush’s EPA administrator, Christine Todd Whitman, scolded her GOP colleagues and called them "sore losers." Ever since Barack Obama was elected, the goal of the Republicans has been to stop anything from being accomplished. How many other nominations have been blocked? It is a waste of time and money and has accomplished nothing. ~ Nancy Willard, Woodstock
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Aroostook State Park celebrates birding festival's fifth year
Maine Government News - Thursday, May 23, 2013
On Saturday, June 8, Aroostook State Park will host a day that's "all about the birds." For the fifth straight year, the Aroostook State Park Birding Festival will offer walks, displays, demonstrations, and educational programs from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. — all part of what organizers describe as "bird immersion" for those wanting to learn more about birds. |
College fossil-fuel divestment plan gaining traction
Associated Press - Thursday, May 23, 2013
Student activists at more than 200 colleges are trying a new tactic in hopes of slowing the pace of climate change: They are asking their schools to stop investing in fossil fuel companies. The Fossil Free campaign argues that if it’s wrong to pour pollution into the air and contribute to climate change, it’s also wrong to profit from it. |
Broken windmill in Saco takes turn for better
Other - Thursday, May 23, 2013
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Ckourier - The windmill at the Amtrak train station in Saco, which hasn’t been spinning in recent months, will undergo minor repairs and maintenance. Mayor Mark Johnston, who previously donated $15,000 of his own funds toward the windmill’s maintenance, said the windmill is an icon and represents Saco’s commitment to a “greener vision.” |
Rome sues 'Business Person of the Year' for allegedly violating shoreland zone ordinance
Kennebec Journal - Thursday, May 23, 2013
The town of Rome filed a lawsuit Thursday in Kennebec County Superior Court against Scott and Lauren Bolduc of Rome and contractor Keenan Farwell of Mount Vernon, who operates Finishing Touch Landscape. Scott Bolduc was honored earlier this year by the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce as its “Business Person of the Year.” He was cited for his three decades of work building a multimillion-dollar firm, Augusta-based Bolduc Technology Group, that develops adaptive technology that helps people with disabilities drive cars and trucks. The town claims a patio and bark mulch at the Bolduc’s new home were installed too close to Long Pond and in violation of a building permit. |
Maine bill to lower power costs up for vote
Portland Press Herald - Thursday, May 23, 2013
A legislative committee is expected to vote Friday on an ambitious proposal aimed at lowering Maine's high electricity and heating costs. The compromise legislation incorporates ideas from at least nine separate bills, including proposals introduced on behalf of Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic leaders. The bill would enable Maine to make financial commitments to encourage the expansion of natural-gas pipelines into New England, increase funding for energy-efficiency efforts and provide financial assistance to help low-income families switch to more affordable heating systems.
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Lawmakers pass bill to allow for ban of ethanol in gasoline
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, May 23, 2013
A long-debated bill that could have banned the use of corn-based ethanol in motor fuel in Maine passed unanimously through the Senate Thursday evening. The original bill banned ethanol in fuel on the condition that two other New England states do the same. The Senate amended the bill so that the ethanol prohibition will take effect only if 10 other states with a collective population of at least 30 million ban it. |
Basket Trees — Saving a Tradition
Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Thursday, May 23, 2013
For centuries, Wabanaki artisans have woven exquisite baskets from brown ask. Now, an invasive beetle threatens this ancient art form. Researchers from Maine's Sustainability Solutions initiative are teaming up with Wabanaki basketmakers, along with tribes and state and federal agencies, to tackle this looming threat. |
Maine Gov Says He's Moving Out of his State House Office
Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Thursday, May 23, 2013
It's been a rough week for Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic leaders at the State House. On Sunday the governor was denied a chance to address the Appropriations Committee by the Democratic Senate chair. And today both sides found themselves embroiled in a flap over a TV monitor posted outside the governor's State House office. The Democrats say the monitor is not allowed under the Legislature's rules. The governor calls that censorship. And he now says he's movin' out. |
Governor Condemns Democrats’ Appalling Attempts at Censorship
Maine Government News - Thursday, May 23, 2013
While many issues, including numerous significant environmental and energy bills, remain to be resolved in the final weeks of the current legislative session, partisan bickering is reaching new heights. Gov. Paul LePage issued a news release today that says, in part, "In their latest act of censorship, Democrats have told the Governor that he cannot have a television in the Office of the Governor lobby area, which is on the second floor of the State House. In a letter, Governor Paul R. LePage informed Democratic Leadership today that the television is placed in the reception area of the Governor’s Office. Senate President Justin Alfond today told Governor LePage in a morning meeting that he could not have the television on display." |
Editorial: LePage pours fuel on a partisan fire
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, May 23, 2013
The governor set a contentious tone for this legislative session by refusing to meet with Democratic legislative leaders. He later threatened to veto every bill the Legislature sent to him until a plan to pay Maine’s outstanding Medicaid debt to hospitals arrived on his desk. On Sunday, he showed up unannounced and sought to speak at an Appropriations Committee work session, again injecting politics into the delicate bipartisan process. Then on Thursday morning, he erupted when legislative leaders refused to allow him to flout State House rules by displaying television messages that mock them outside his office. Diversionary outbursts, misplaced bravado and an “I’ll show you who’s boss” approach to nearly every major and minor governing question on which Democrats and Republicans differ is the opposite of what Maine needs. |
LePage Leaves Office
Mike Tipping's Tipping Point Blog - Thursday, May 23, 2013
Maine Gov. Paul LePage announced to legislative leaders today that he will be vacating his office space in the State House on July 1st and moving out of the building. The dispute that led to this strange move appears to be a result of a dispute over the Governor’s decision to place a television in the Hall of Flags, a space under the purview of the legislature. Yesterday, both sides seemed to acknowledge that the disagreement was ridiculous. The attitude of the administration changed overnight, however, and the disagreement is now apparently important enough for the governor to abandon his space in the State House. |
House votes to yank Keystone away from President
Maine Environmental News - Thursday, May 23, 2013
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to take approval of the Keystone XL pipeline out of the hands of the White House. The pipeline would move petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta in Canada to the United States. Environmentalists oppose the pipeline. All but one Republican voted for the bill. Nineteen Democrats also voted for the bill. Stephen Kretzman of Oil Change International noted that pipeline supporters in Congress have taken six times more campaign contributions from the oil industry (totaling $56 million) than pipeline opponents. Obama has indicated that he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk. |
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Maine Organic Farmers
and Gardeners Assn
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Senate rejects labeling amendment attached to farm bill | | On Thursday, the Senate overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would allow states to require labeling of genetically modified foods. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said his amendment was an attempt to clarify that states can require the labels, as several legislatures have moved toward putting such laws into place. Both the Vermont House and Connecticut Senate voted this month to make food companies declare genetically modified ingredients on their packages. | | 5/22/2013 11:00:00 PM |
How Two College Pals Are Growing A Solution To Our Reliance On Plastic |  By Patrick James - Six years ago, Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre were college friends with a bright idea: using mushrooms and agricultural byproducts to create an alternative to plastic. Now, they’re growing a business that could change almost everything about how we live. | | 5/22/2013 11:00:00 PM |
What’s in Your Green Tea? | | By Anahad O’Connor - Some bottled varieties appear to be little more than sugar water, containing little of the antioxidants that have given the beverage its good name. And some green tea leaves, particularly those from China, are contaminated with lead, though the metal does not appear to leach out during the brewing process. | | 5/22/2013 11:00:00 PM |
New rules for labeling meat go into effect in US | | By M. L. Johnson, AP - New federal labeling rules that went into effect on Thursday require labels on cuts of meat to say where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. Earlier USDA rules only required labeling with countries of origin; the new label will specify, for instance, "Born in Canada, raised and slaughtered in the United States." | | 5/22/2013 11:00:00 PM |
Gut punch: Monsanto could be destroying your microbiome |  By Tom Laskawy - First the bad news: The “safest” herbicide in the history of science may be harming us in ways we’re just beginning to understand. And now for the really bad news: Because too much is never enough, the Environmental Protection Agency just raised the allowable limits for how much of that chemical can remain on the food we eat. If you haven’t guessed its identity yet, it’s Monsanto’s Roundup, a powerful weed killer. | | 5/22/2013 11:00:00 PM |
Flower Power Helps Fight Pests |  By Bob Hoffmann - Washington State University researchers found that plantings of sweet alyssum attracted a host of spiders and predator bugs that, in turn, preyed on woolly apple aphids, a pest that growers often control with chemical sprays. | | 5/22/2013 11:00:00 PM |
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Natural Resources Council
of Maine
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Alewife Observations | | The Bremen alewife run in Muscongus Brook started about three weeks earlier than the traditional Memorial Day ... | | 5/24/2013 12:00:00 AM |
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