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June 20, 2013
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Press releases, events, publications released, etc. from Maine environmental organizations and agencies. Submit content.
Maine Environmental News
Announcement - Wednesday, June 19, 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 25,000 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 |
Scarborough Marsh Early Morning Birding, Jun 19 - Aug 28
Event - Posted - Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Look and listen for snowy egret, glossy ibis, herons, willet, sparrows and more. At Scarborough Marsh, Wednesdays, 7-8:30 am. Maine Audubon members: $3, non-members $5. |
Scarborough Marsh Family Nature Walk, Jun 19 - Aug 28
Event - Posted - Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Explore the marsh for plants and animals through discovery-oriented, fun-filled activities that use all five senses. At Scarborough Marsh, Wednesdays, 10:30 am – 12 pm, Jun 19, Aug 28. Maine Audubon members $5, non-members $7. |
American Nations, Jun 26
Event - Posted - Wednesday, June 19, 2013
There’s never been one America, Colin Woodard argues in his award-winning book, but rather several Americas, each with its own, centuries-old ideals, values, and religious and cultural heritage. At Gilsland Farm, Falmouth, June 26, 7-8:30 pm. Sponsored by Maine Audubon. |
East-West Corridor, Jun 26
Event - Posted - Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Presentation and best guesses about the route of the proposed East-West Corridor. At Airline Snack Bar, Beddington, June 26, 6:30–8 pm.
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Recreation and Conservation on the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, Jun 26
Event - Posted - Wednesday, June 19, 2013
As part of the annual meeting of the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust there will be a presentation about the incredible outdoor recreation and conservation opportunities at the former BNAS lands that were recently transfered to the Town of Brunswick. At Topsham Public Library, June 26, 6 pm. |
Borestone Mountain Naturalist Weekend, Jun 28-30
Event - Posted - Sunday, June 16, 2013
Join Maine Audubon Naturalist Mike Windsor and Maine Guide Gary Roberts on a trip to Borestone Mountain Sanctuary, a 1600 acre North Woods preserve located 20 miles south of Moosehead Lake. Stay in the sanctuary’s historic Adirondack style lodges, which are accessible only by boat or on foot, lending an extra sense of remoteness and tranquility to this special place. Jun 28 - Jun 30. Maine Audubon members $225, non-members $250. |
Scarborough Marsh Full Moon Canoe Tour, Jun 23
Event - Posted - Sunday, June 16, 2013
Experience the sights and sounds of marsh creatures under the full moon. At Scarborough Marsh, June 23, 7:30–9:30 pm. Maine Audubon members $11, non-members $13. |
No-till drill demo, Jun 23
Event - Posted - Sunday, June 16, 2013
A pasture walk to exhibit turf improvements made possible with a “no-till drill” approach will be held at Old Crow Ranch in Durham, June 23, 3-6 pm. Sixty-five of the ranch’s 70 acres have been placed into an agricultural easement with assistance from Land for Maine's Future program and Royal River Conservation Trust. Sponsored by Maine Grass Farmer’s Network. |
The Future of Hope, Jun 23
Event - Posted - Sunday, June 16, 2013
This film brings positive insight into Iceland's decision to adopt sustainable practices to recover after their financial crisis. Patrick McGowan, former regional administrator for the US Small Business Administration in New England and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation, will introduce the film and talk about the importance of sustaining Maine’s natural resources, culture, and traditions as the way towards a healthy future. At Reel Pizza in Bar Harbor, June 23. Sponsored by Maine Chapter Sierra Club. |
Katahdin art reception, Jun 22
Event - Posted - Saturday, June 15, 2013
Evelyn Dunphy art exhibit, "Katahdin and the Great Outdoors." At Center Street Gallery, Bath, June 18 - July 15; opening reception and book signing with David Little, author of "The Art of Katahdin," June 22, 4 pm. |
Invasive Pests and Plants Workshop, Jun 22
Event - Posted - Saturday, June 15, 2013
The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District has rescheduled the Volunteer Trail Clearing Day and Invasive Pests and Plants Workshop at the Demonstration Forest in Williamsburg to Saturday, June 22. These events were originally scheduled for Saturday, June 8. |
Fern Ecology and Identification, Jun 22
Event - Posted - Saturday, June 15, 2013
Mike Windsor, staff naturalist at Maine Audubon, will lead an outing to learn about fern ecology focusing on distinguishing characteristics. At Gilsland Farm, Falmouth, June 22, 9:30 am – noon. Maine Audubon members $12, non-members $15. |
Acadia National Park Service Project, Jun 19-22
Event - Posted - Saturday, June 15, 2013
In honor of the Maine Chapter of Sierra Club's 20th anniversary, the club is holding a service project in Acadia National Park. Camp in the park and perform various service activities as needed (pruning brush along trails, beach clean-up, etc.). On June 21, the Summer Solstice, the group will climb Cadillac Mountain and watch the sun set on the longest day of the year. |
Scarborough Marsh Canoe Tours, Jun 15 – Sep 2
Event - Posted - Saturday, June 15, 2013
Discover the wildlife and plants of Scarborough Marsh as you paddle the Dunstan River with a trained naturalist. Daily, 10–11:30 am. Maine Audubon adult members $10, non-members $12, kids $9. |
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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 a 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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Letter: Resolve GMO confusion
Bangor Daily News - Friday, June 07, 2013
Recently, there has been quite a stir over the issue of labeling genetically modified foods. A survey conducted by the Maine Organic Gardeners and Farmers Association found that 91 percent of Maine’s citizens want genetically modified foods to be labeled. Food labeling policy should promote transparency and reflect the desires of the public rather than permitting modified food producers to shroud the contents of their products. ~ Tyler Cota, Farmington |
Possible end in sight for nuclear waste storage
Coastal Journal - Thursday, June 06, 2013
The ongoing storage of spent nuclear fuel in Wiscasset may finally have a foreseeable end, if recent efforts by legislators for the federal government come to fruition. The plan is to find a host community willing to permit the storage of waste, in return for tax incentives and additional revenue. Currently, the waste is stored at the nuclear plants. |
Andy Cadot Recognized as a Land Conservation Hero
Other - Thursday, June 06, 2013
When you enjoy an open view of the water or a lush farm field, or walk on a wooded public trail around Freeport, odds are that Andy Cadot had a hand in preserving it. Maine Coast Heritage Trust has presented Andy with the 2013 Espy Land Heritage Award. For most of Freeport Conservation Trust’s history, Andy served as its Clerk and Treasurer. He helped shepherd dozens of projects that conserved more than 1,500 acres of open space, now with nearly 20 miles of public trails. “This was an award for showing up,” Andy says of the honor, with his typical humility. |
Lawmakers want to restore rights to residents in wind tower zones
Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting - Thursday, June 06, 2013
A legislative committee Thursday sided with residents in some of the state’s western mountain communities in their fight to have more say over the construction of industrial wind towers in their backyards. If the full legislature approves the bill, it would be the first significant blow to the state’s ambitious Wind Energy Act. The legislation approved by the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee mandates that the state’s Land Use Planning Commission establish a process to allow those communities and dozens of others to once again have a say in the rezoning that was required for wind tower construction. They lost that right when the Wind Energy Act of 2008 put them in the so-called “expedited permitting area,” where wind development was fast-tracked. |
Column: Risk takers abound at Camp Ellis
Portland Press Herald - Thursday, June 06, 2013
A $26.9 million proposal by the Army Corps of Engineers to save Camp Ellis in Saco has risk written all over it. Inside the Army Corps of Engineers’ draft proposal for rescuing Camp Ellis (again) from the ever-advancing Atlantic Ocean is a full-page graphic titled “Projected Shorelines in 2061 based on Sea Level Rise over 50 years.” The first scenario, based on a “historic rate of sea level change,” swallows up 61 existing homes and cottages. The second, projecting an “intermediate” ocean rise, spells the end of 86 humble abodes. And the “high” projection – a growing possibility, given how fast the ocean is actually rising – turns a whopping 101 homesteads into mere memories of the good old days. |
Letter: Well-meant balloon ritual harmful to environment
Portland Press Herald - Thursday, June 06, 2013
In recent weeks people have witnessed numerous tragedies and incredible rescues. To show respect and support for those impacted, the act of releasing balloons is common. Releasing balloons into the air is no different than throwing trash on the ground. Additionally, balloons are filled with helium, a natural gas that is in short supply. My hope in writing this letter is to draw attention to new interests in conservation and environmentalism. Some practices are no longer acceptable; releasing balloons into the air is definitely on that list. ~ Bobbie Rausch, Portland |
SoPo Residents Take Steps to Stop Tar Sands Project
Munjoy Hill News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
South Portland residents announced this morning a new initiative for the November ballot to keep the city safe from tar sands oil. The Waterfront Protection Ordinance would change the city’s zoning ordinance to block ExxonMobil, the majority owner of the Portland-Montreal pipellne, from building two 70-foot smokestacks next to Bug Light and other oil infrastructure needed to export tar sands out of Casco Bay. ExxonMobil, the majority owner of the Portland-Montreal pipeline has proposed to build these smokestacks on the pier in order to export tar sands. |
Senate passes energy bill in 28-7 vote after rejecting LePage-backed amendments
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
The Maine Senate gave overwhelming support to a comprehensive energy bill Thursday, voting 28-7 in favor of a far-reaching measure aimed at expanding New England ’s natural gas infrastructure, boosting funding for energy efficiency, directly lowering businesses’ electricity costs and making it more affordable for residents to abandon oil heat. The 28-7 vote means the Senate would have enough votes to override a veto by Gov. Paul LePage if senators stick with their original votes. The 28-7 vote followed two votes in which Senate Democrats killed proposed amendments supported by LePage. The bill next returns to the House, where it has already received initial approval. |
Senate goes against House, defeats changes to mining law
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
On Thursday afternoon, the Maine Senate voted against a bill making changes to mining law that only a day before had received strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. LD 1302, “An Act to Amend the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act To Protect Water Quality,” failed by an 18-17 vote. Supporters said it would have helped protect water from pollution caused by mineral mining while also protecting taxpayers from footing the bill for mine cleanup costs. |
South Portland Residents Launch Tar Sands Signature Drive
Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Thursday, June 06, 2013
A group of South Portland residents today launched a signature drive for a local citizens' initiative to block Canadian tar sands oil from flowing through their community. Tar sands opponents say that as the eastern shipping port of the Portland-Montreal pipeline, South Portland is the one place in Maine that could block such a project. |
Drug label bill could jeopardize jobs at Madawaska, Bucksport mills
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
Members of Maine’s congressional delegation are drawing attention to a bill that they say could jeopardize jobs at paper mills in Bucksport and Madawaska while also posing potential health and safety risks for Maine consumers and caregivers. The Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act, HR 1919, includes a provision that would allow pharmaceutical manufacturers to make labeling information for pharmacists and other health professionals available by electronic means in lieu of paper. Twin Rivers Paper Co.’s mill in Madawaska and Verso Paper Corp.’s mill in Bucksport, which employ 600 and 500 people respectively, both produce uncoated printing paper used as pharmaceutical inserts in North America. |
South Portland group launches citizens initiative to block tar sands export
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
A group of South Portland residents announced on Thursday a citizens’ initiative to prevent Portland Pipe Line Corp. from being able to pump oil sands, also known as tar sands, from Canada to its facility on South Portland’s harbor. Concerned Citizens of South Portland launched the “Waterfront Protection Initiative,” which might appear on the November ballot if enough signatures are collected. By using the citizens initiative process, the group wants to change the city’s zoning ordinances to prohibit Portland Pipe Line Corp. from making upgrades to its pier near Bug Light that would be necessary if it decides to pursue the reversal of its pipeline so it could pump tar sands from Montreal to South Portland. |
Updates on energy, wind power and waste bills in the Maine Legislature
WERU Radio - Thursday, June 06, 2013
RadioActive host Meredith DeFranceso interviews Glen Brand of Maine Sierra Club and independent activist Hilary Lister about why, on balance, the omnibus energy bill in the Maine Legislature is a bad idea (hint: it could encourage more natural gas fracking). Also, an update on legislative consideration of wind power and waste dumps issues. [audio] |
Aroostook moose sculpture: symbolic artwork or undue expense?
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
When Glenn Hines of southern Aroostook created a life-sized bronze moose in 1998, he wanted to capture the essence of a creature that is “both comical and majestic at the same time.” But when the moose Hines sculpted found its permanent home in Van Buren in April, residents began to take sides on its merits.
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Maine Senate rejects new safeguards for mines
Portland Press Herald - Thursday, June 06, 2013
A bill that would add environmental safeguards to Maine mining laws was rejected by a single vote in the Senate on Thursday, with lawmakers from northern Maine opposing it. In an 18-17 vote, the Senate rejected a largely Democratic version of the bill. That was at odds with a 91-49 vote in favor of the bill in the House on Wednesday. |
New effort seeks to block tar sands oil export from South Portland
Portland Press Herald - Thursday, June 06, 2013
A citizen group opposed to the prospect of Canadian tar sands oil being pumped to South Portland for shipment overseas said Thursday it will attempt to change a city zoning law to prevent the project from coming to fruition. At a rally of a couple dozen supporters outside South Portland City Hall, leaders of the Concerned Citizens of South Portland unveiled the revised zoning ordinance and began gathering signatures to place a question for its approval by voters on the November ballot. |
Column: Sparrows’ shameless sameness can be frustrating
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
Sorting out the identities of species that are all colored alike can be a challenge, but at least with warblers and all their yellowishness, it’s a more exciting shade of confusion. Sparrows offer nothing but a shameless sameness. There are more than two dozen sparrow species in North America and sixteen of those are found in Maine. ~ Bob Duchesne |
Schiller Station pollution data generates debate
Seacoast Online - Thursday, June 06, 2013
Officials at the N.H. Department of Environmental Services said this week that data collected at Peirce Island in Portsmouth indicates the Schiller Station power plant has met stringent EPA sulfur emission requirements dating back to 2009. While that may be true, Peirce Island, located 2 miles from the plant, is a poor air monitoring location and data from there doesn't even begin to tell the story, said Zach Fabish, a national Sierra Club official. He was involved in a 2011 study that indicates high levels of sulfur pollution are aimed at Eliot, Maine, and elsewhere immediately around the power plant. |
Eliot Cutler tells Portland radio show hosts that he’s running for governor in 2014
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, June 06, 2013
Eliot Cutler, an independent who finished a close second to Republican Gov. Paul LePage in 2010, confirmed Thursday morning that he plans to run for governor in 2014. When asked by WGAN radio morning show host Mike Violette if he’s running for governor in 2014, Cutler replied, "You guys have been pressing me for months to announce on your show. I figured I couldn’t make a formal announcement on your show, but I can announce that I will announce,” Cutler said. |
Built by Axe & Saw
Bangor Metro - Thursday, June 06, 2013
The days of swinging an axe to clear the land have faded to folklore. Blood, sweat, and tears have been traded for machines. The forest industry has changed, but it hasn’t disappeared. |
Reopening Brunswick boat launch could spur debate
Forecaster - Thursday, June 06, 2013
A new study released last month could instigate the reopening of Simpsons Point Boat Launch on Middle Bay, but plans to do so could face opposition from people who use the area for recreation. On Wednesday the town Marine Resources Committee discussed the possibility of reopening the boat launch after a study by MER Assessment Corporation suggested that doing so wouldn't have an overall negative impact on the local marine life habitat. Committee Chairman Mark Latti said the committee will determine what direction to take in July. Since the boat launch closed in 2008, nearby residents and others have enjoyed using the area for more recreational uses, such as swimming, kayaking and beachgoing. |
Feathers and Suds
Down East - Thursday, June 06, 2013
Bird enthusiast Doug Hitchcox, of Hollis, is leading the Maine Birds listserv’s 2013 Big Year competition, having so far encountered 108 different species in his travels around the state. He is particularly fond of the Allagash genus, but if he had to choose an individual favorite, it would be the Blended Oxtoberfest, an extremely rare, perhaps never to be seen again, cross. Wait a second. These are birds? No, beers. Specifically Maine-brewed beers, which the bird-watchers are pursuing with the same obsessive zeal they have for a traditional Big Year contest in which participants compete to see the largest number of species of birds in a specific geographical area within a single calendar year. |
UMaine researchers take part in Arctic expedition
Associated Press - Thursday, June 06, 2013
University of Maine researchers are taking part in an international scientific expedition to the Arctic. Two professors and two graduate students from the School of Marine Sciences are participating in the Tara Oceans Polar Circle Expedition 2013 to investigate Arctic planktonic ecosystems in the context of climate change. About 40 scientists from 11 countries are taking turns aboard the schooner Tara, sampling plankton as the vessel circumnavigates the Arctic Ocean in the coming six months. |
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Maine Organic Farmers
and Gardeners Assn
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Visiting Triple Chick Farm and Surry Gardens in Maine |  By Martha Stewart - You may recall a recent blog posting about planting all the urns that adorn the terrace at Skylands, my home in Mt. Desert Island, Maine. In between planting, my traveling companions and I took a little jaunt to visit a few places in the area. One of my favorite farm stands is at Triple Chick Farm located in Town Hill, Maine. They grow the most amazing organic produce, along with flowers, herbs, fruits, and eggs. | | 6/18/2013 11:00:00 PM |
The strawberry edition | | By Meredith Goad - Red, ripe and just about ready for picking, Maine berries bring their sweet something to food and drink. | | 6/18/2013 11:00:00 PM |
25,000 bumblebees killed, dropping from trees in Wilsonville; pesticide suspected | | By Elizabeth Case - An estimated 25,000 bumblebees have been found dead in a Target parking lot in Wilsonville since Saturday, the largest known incident of bumblebee deaths in the United States, according to the Xerces Society. Preliminary information suggests pesticides may be at fault. Initial findings indicate the trees were sprayed Saturday with a neonicotinoid insecticide called Safari. The bumblebee deaths marked an inauspicious start to National Pollinator Week, which runs through June 23. | | 6/18/2013 11:00:00 PM |
18 mayors: Limit use of food stamps to buy soda | | By Jennifer Peltz, AP - The mayors of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and 15 other cities are reviving a push against letting food stamps be used to buy soda and other sugary drinks. | | 6/18/2013 11:00:00 PM |
Maine lawmakers overwhelmingly endorse no toxic chemicals in children's toys | | By Steve Mistler - Lawmakers overwhelmingly advanced a bill aimed at beefing up the state program designed to phase out toxic chemicals in children's products, but final passage is still in question. "My guess is that this law will pass and then it will die" in the budget-writing committee, said Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton. | | 6/18/2013 11:00:00 PM |
GMOs linked to blood cell disorders, leukemia: New study | | By Ethan A. Huff - A new study published in the open-access, peer-reviewed Journal of Hematology & Thromboembolic Diseases has revealed that GMOs indeed damage and toxify human blood cells, and can consequently lead to the development of deadly blood diseases like anemia and leukemia. | | 6/18/2013 11:00:00 PM |
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Natural Resources Council
of Maine
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