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September 2, 2010
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Press releases, events, publications released, etc. from Maine environmental organizations and agencies. Submit content.
Maine Environmental News
Announcement - Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thanks for visiting Maine Environmental News, the most comprehensive online source available for links to Maine conservation news stories and events. Since the start of 2009, I have posted more than 6,000 news stories and announcements. Articles are posted regularly. Be sure to check not only today's stories, but take a look at the headlines from the past several days as well. Recent articles often come to my attention a few days after they are published. Note: I will be away Aug 29 - Sep 6, 2010, and unable to post articles during that time. ~ Jym St. Pierre, RESTORE: The North Woods |
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America’s Great Outdoors Listening Session, Sep 2
Action Alert - Saturday, August 28, 2010
Representatives of federal agencies are traveling the country to listen to ideas for conserving our lands and waters and reconnecting Americans to the outdoors. The AGO road show will be in Maine on Sep 2 at 3-6 p.m. at the Bangor Civic Center. Don’t miss this chance to speak for the need to expand public lands in Maine. |
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Viles Arboretum seeks volunteers
Announcement - Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Viles Arboretum in Augusta is seeking volunteers to help teach environmental education programs to student, adult and family audiences all year long. Training and support will be provided by the arboretum’s new program director, Mark DesMeules. |
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Landscaping For Wildlife, Sep 4
Event - Posted - Saturday, August 28, 2010
Learn about the wide selection of native shrubs, small trees and other plants that are hardy and attractive, while providing food and shelter for our birds and wildlife. At Maine Wildlife Park, Gray, Sep 4, 11 a.m. |
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Oh, Ranger! Story Tour, Sep 2-6
Event - Posted - Thursday, August 26, 2010
Visitors to Acadia National Park are invited to share their experiences with American Park Network representatives, who will be in Bar Harbor as part of the Oh, Ranger! Story Tour from Sep 2 to 6. A team will record stories of visitors' experiences at Acadia. The program is part of a national initiative to collect stories to showcase the breadth and depth of America's parks as the National Park System approaches its 100th anniversary in 2016. |
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Healthy crops topic of UM gardening forum, Aug 31
Event - Posted - Thursday, August 26, 2010
Gardeners of every ilk will get the chance to learn about maintaining healthy crops during a presentation by a University of Maine Cooperative Extension researcher at the UM Rogers Farm in Stillwater on Tuesday, Aug 31 at 6 p.m. |
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Internet Trail Site for Franklin County
Announcement - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
This new website offers information on 15 mountain biking, hiking, walking, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing trails in Western Maine. More will be added. |
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Schoodic: Where Sea meets Land, Aug 28 & 29
Announcement - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
This film is about the communities of Gouldsboro, Prospect Harbor, Corea and Winter Harbor, Maine. Maine Public TV, Aug 28 at 11:30 am and Aug 29 at 11:30 pm. |
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Open Garden Days, Aug 27
Event - Posted - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The public is invited to join the Belfast Garden Club's Open Garden Days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 27, at the Biebel Garden, 242 Fisher Road, Monroe. Visitors will discover a large organic experimental and eclectic vegetable and flower garden with soil that never needs to be plowed or rototilled due to its rich start as a "lasagna-method" garden. |
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Walks, talk focus on history of St. George River canals
Event - Posted - Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Georges River Land Trust and Montpelier: General Henry Knox Museum are co-sponsoring three free events focused on the history of the canals along the St. George River in Warren and Searsmont. On Monday, Aug 30, two guided walks will be held. Knox's efforts in constructing the canal will be the subject of the third event, an evening lecture by Mendoza at Montpelier on Sep 1 at 7 p.m. |
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Maine Woodsman Day, Aug 28
Event - Posted - Saturday, August 21, 2010
See demonstrations of wildlife carving, including with chainsaws, and hatchet-throwing. At Maine Wildlife Park, Gray, August 28, 11 a.m. |
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Mushroom talk at Belfast library, Aug 31
Event - Posted - Friday, August 20, 2010
On Aug 31 at 6:30 p.m., Belfast Free Library will host a talk titled "Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of New England and Eastern Canada" by David Spahr.
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Palermo Preserve walk, Aug 26
Event - Posted - Friday, August 20, 2010
Professional forester and lands director for the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association, Tish Carr will lead a nature walk at 10 a.m. on Aug 26 around the Palermo Preserve. |
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Astronomer illuminates concerns about dimming starshine, Aug 27
Event - Posted - Thursday, August 19, 2010
If the stars don't look as bright as they did when we were children, it might not be that stars have lost their sparkle. It could be that we have lost our night. On Friday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m., aerospace engineer and astronomer Peter Lord will appear at the Oceanview Grange south of Tenants Harbor. He will use satellite images to illustrate the amazing effect of night lighting around the earth. |
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Endangered whale washes up on shore, Allied Whale responds
Bar Harbor Times - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
An endangered type of whale washed up on an island in Washington County last week. Researchers with Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic's marine mammal research group, first found the marine mammal several weeks ago. Allied Whale began towing the whale to shore, but had to cut it loose when the weather got bad. It was eventually discovered by a sea kayaker last week, when it washed ashore. "There are only about 350 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, so losing even one is a very big deal." |
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Guidebook publisher coming to town to collect public's national park experiences
Bar Harbor Times - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Visitors to Acadia National Park are invited to share their park experiences with American Park Network representatives, who will be in Bar Harbor as part of the Oh, Ranger! Story Tour from Sept. 2 to 6. A team will record stories of visitors' experiences at Acadia National Park. The Bar Harbor program is part of a national initiative to collect stories to showcase the breadth and depth of America's parks, which will become increasingly relevant as the country's system of national parks approaches its 100th anniversary in 2016. |
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Under a macro lens, tide pools spring to life
Bar Harbor Times - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Most people see mud flats as vast stretches of gray muck, their slimy rocks and sucking ooze difficult to traverse. To photographer Pamelia Markwood, the flats are home to an amazing variety of colorful creatures. Not only is each an essential player in an important ecosystem, but every individual also has a unique beauty worthy to be admired and shared with others. |
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Trailing ahead: Crews preserve historic paths for the future
Bar Harbor Times - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Gary Stellpflug manages a staff of 23 seasonal and permanent employees, along with workers from the Acadia Youth Conservation Corps and from the Bureau of Parks and Lands’ Maine Conservation Corps. Volunteers also put in thousands of hours on trail maintenance on Acadia National Park’s extensive network of 130 miles of hiking paths. |
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Environmental agency fines Fox Islands Wind
Herald Gazette - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Maine's Board of Environmental Protection has approved a $3,864 consent agreement between the state and Fox Islands Wind LLC for trenching work done prior to approval in 2009 on Vinalhaven. Fox Islands Wind has already paid the fine. |
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Maine Opts for Voluntary Effort to Cut Plastic Bag Use
Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Even in some of the most remote wilderness areas of Maine, you might find a plastic bag snagged on a tree or meandering down your favorite fishing stream. Whether from a big box retailer or a mom and pop convenience store, single use plastic bags are everywhere. Some states are considering bans on plastic bags. Here in Maine, environmentalists and retailers are working together to encourage the use of reusable bags. |
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Letter: Rails with Trails expands use of existing corridors
Morning Sentinel - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
For nearly two centuries, rail operators have resisted allowing the public to use their rail corridors in the mistaken belief that the best way to avoid accidents and save lives would be to keep the public out. Yet the opposite has been shown to be the case. Each year, 500 people are killed trespassing in rail corridors. No one has ever been killed in the more than 1,000 miles of rail-with-trail corridors that already exist in the U.S. |
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CMP needs more space, time
Kennebec Journal - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Central Maine Power Co. proposed Monday to move its proposed 245-kilovolt transmission line 25 feet farther away from homes on Kennebec Drive than originally proposed. But some residents want CMP to work harder at exploring the cost of moving the lines even farther away -- or better yet, burying them. |
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Letter: EPA cement plant rules latest job-killing action
Portland Press Herald - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The latest ruling of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limiting the release of mercury from cement plants is to be implemented, and as a result, several billions of dollars will be spent to install pollution scrubbers at existing kilns. The response of the industry is that this ruling would lead to plant closures and job outsourcing. |
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Letter: Facts on wind's poor stats not being publicized well
Portland Press Herald - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Why are the very people who serve us so reluctant to spill the facts on the lack of effectiveness of wind energy? How is wind power going to help Maine's dependence on oil, which is not used to generate electricity? |
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Editorial: Small tidal power plant packs oversize potential
Portland Press Herald - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A 60-kilowatt power plant can look kind of small in a world that usually measures generating capacity in thousand-times-bigger increments of megawatts. But the little tidal plant in Eastport represents a giant achievement because it promises so much for the future. |
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Maine Senate approves 75 of governor's nominees
Associated Press - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Maine Senate today approved dozens of nominations by Gov. John Baldacci to Cabinet and judicial posts as well as numerous boards. David Littell, who's been state environmental commissioner for five years, won confirmation for a seat on the Public Utilities Commission. Only 10 of the 31 senators present voted to overturn a committee recommendation to confirm Kurt Adams for appointment to the UMaine System Board of Trustees. The committee voted 7-3 after questions were raised about whether terms of his employment with the First Wind energy company when he left his PUC chairmanship in 2008 constituted a conflict. |
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Opinion: The foolishness of energy tax increases
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
With the economy still suffering, significant hikes in any federal taxes should be off the table, at least until we return to normal levels of employment and output. Energy taxes are foolish at a time when many families are already struggling to make ends meet. |
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Letter: More energy context
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
According to the Federal Energy Information Agency, for every million megawatt hours used to produce electricity from natural gas or petroleum the government subsidizes it 25 cents. For every MWH produced by wind the subsidy is $23.37. The federal government subsidizes wind power 100 times more than fossil fuels. |
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Editorial: Weather or Not
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The next governor should continue to build on Gov. John Baldacci’s laudable efforts at improving the state’s home heating plight. But before big-ticket new technologies are supported with tax dollars, Maine must continue to tighten up. The 3,230 homes weatherized between January 2009 and June 2010 is an impressive start. |
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Adams Wins Seat on UMS Board, Despite Republican Opposition
Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Maine Senate today approved dozens of nominations with little or no discussion -- until it came time to take up assignments to the UMaine System Board of Trustees. Most of the Senate's 15 Republicans opposed the nomination of Kurt Adams to the UMS board after raising concerns that his former role as chair of the PUC and current job with energy company First Wind present the appearance of a conflict of interest. But majority Democrats beat back the opposition. |
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Conservation Corps seeks volunteers on Lake St. George project
Republican Journal - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Maine Conservation Corps field team crew will be working at Lake St. George State Park for the next few weeks. The crew is working primarily on clearing trail corridor and removing blow-downs, and they need help from the public. |
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A village works to raise wind turbine
Herald Gazette - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
This year, Friends of CSD partnered with the Camden Hills Regional High School Windplanners to help them reach their $510,000 fundraising goal. The funds will enable the Windplanners to install a fully functional wind turbine on the CHRHS campus. The turbine will generate enough power to decrease energy costs at the school by a projected $11,000 to $17,000 a year, while serving as a hands-on laboratory for math and science students. |
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LePage: Environmental Groups Have too Much Power
Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Under a Paul LePage administration, Maine's Department of Environmental Protection and every other state agency would be more supportive of the businesses they regulate. LePage says in the 1980s, several peat bogs in eastern Maine were explored as possible sources of fuel. LePage says he was hired by the bank to manage the project. "The state of Maine made me do a three-month buffalo study," LePage says. "The next spring, they had us go out and count black flies." But DEP spokeswoman Donna Gormley says, "DEP did not require Downeast Peat, nor anyone else, to conduct a buffalo study or a black fly study." If he's elected governor, LePage says he'll appoint commissioners of state agencies based on recommendations he gets from trade groups. |
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Effort to Revive Stinson Cannery Hits Snag
Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
When the Live Lobster Co. announced that it had signed a purchase-and-sale agreement with the former owners of the Stinson Seafood sardine cannery, it was the best news that residents of Gouldsboro could have hoped for. But the excitement has since been tempered by concerns that the would-be buyer may actually compete with local dealers of live lobsters. |
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Early tidal power test in Eastport called a success
Bangor Daily News - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Since Aug. 18, a tidal energy generator developed by Ocean Renewable Power Co. has been producing clean, grid-compatible power for the Coast Guard boat. On Tuesday, the renewable power company and Coast Guard officials welcomed dignitaries and local residents to view up close what they described as the first-ever successful implementation of tidal energy at a federal facility. |
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Opinion: Ecotourism Not Delivering for Maine’s Economy
George Smith Blog - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A new report issued by the Maine Center for Economic Policy once again touts ecotourism as the road to prosperity for rural Maine. The study by David Vail dismisses the traditional outdoor activities that have driven, and still drive, our rural Maine economy. “While hunting, fishing, camping and other venerable outdoor recreation activities will continue to contribute to Maine’s rural economy, they show little growth potential.” I am outraged by this condescension. |
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MGMC easement expands Augusta's trails
Capital Weekly - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
MaineGeneral Medical Center has donated a new recreational trail easement to the city of Augusta to provide a direct link to the Augusta Greenway Trail, which runs along the east side of the Kennebec River. |
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Problems persist for former woolen mill site
Morning Sentinel - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has terminated a grant for cleaning up the site of the former Cascade Woolen Mill and has told the town it owes the agency about $1,600. The EPA determined that Oakland was never eligible to receive a $200,000 brownfields grant that it awarded the town in 2008 to clean up the property. The town already has spent about $117,000 of the grant to remove contaminants from the site. |
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Opinion: Alternate alcohol fuels can make us fossil-fuel free
Portland Press Herald - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The solution to our petroleum problem is to follow Brazil's example: Require all new spark-ignition engines be flex-fuel engines and mandate all gasoline contain at least 15 percent alcohol. Produce methanol from CO2 in every state. Eliminate fossil-fuel incentives and providing inducement for alcohol. |
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Natural Resources Council of Maine
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You Can Protect Acadia | | Ever compare Acadia National Park to a piece of Swiss cheese? You should.Acadia is a majestic place ... | | 9/1/2010 12:00:00 AM |
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