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February 6, 2012
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Press releases, events, publications released, etc. from Maine environmental organizations and agencies. Submit content.
Maine Environmental News
Announcement - Sunday, February 05, 2012
Thanks for visiting Maine Environmental News, the most comprehensive online source available for links to Maine conservation and natural resource news stories and events. Since the start of 2009, I have posted more than 16,000 news articles and announcements. Be sure to check not only today's stories, 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. ~ Jym St. Pierre, RESTORE: The North Woods |
Defining Wilderness: Defining Maine
Event - Posted - Sunday, February 05, 2012
This book discussion series is offered by the Maine Humanities Council. The discussions will be held at the Cary Memorial Library in Wayne on four Mondays: Feb 13, Mar 19, Apr 23, May 14. Discussion leader: Carol Kontos, English professor at UMA. |
Windfall
Announcement - Sunday, February 05, 2012
We can all agree that energy independence is a worthy objective, right? Alternative energy sources like solar power can help free the U.S. from fossil fuels and the grip of unstable Persian Gulf states. And wind power — wait, not so fast, says “Windfall,” Laura Israel’s urgent, informative and artfully assembled documentary. An account of rural Meredith, in upstate New York, when wind turbines came to town, the film depicts the perils of a booming industry and the bitter rancor it sowed among a citizenry. ~ Andy Webster, New York Times |
Intro to Winter Camping, Feb 10-12
Event - Posted - Friday, February 03, 2012
Introduction to Winter Camping with David Butler. This course will provide information about the skills to maximize your winter camping experience. At Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, Feb 10-12. |
Tracking with a naturalist, Feb 10
Event - Posted - Friday, February 03, 2012
Join naturalist Nancy Holmes to learn how to identify the animal tracks you will (hopefully) see in the snow this winter. At Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association office, Jefferson, Feb 10, 3:30 pm. |
Dirty Tar Sands Oil Coming Through Maine? Feb 9
Event - Posted - Thursday, February 02, 2012
Learn about the environmental and safety risks of this proposed project and about ways you can join the effort to prevent Portland from becoming the tar sands capital of the eastern U.S. The Canadian oil and gas giant Enbridge is proposing to pump dirty tar sands oil from Ontario to South Portland, where it would be shipped by tanker to refineries along the East Coast or Gulf of Mexico. The pipeline passes next to Sebago Lake, the drinking water supply for more than 15% of Maine people, and could endanger Casco Bay and our fishing and lobster industries. At USM, Glickman Library, Portland, Feb 9, 7-8:30 pm |
The Wildness Within: Remembering David Brower
Publication - Wednesday, February 01, 2012
The twentieth-century environmental movement owes much to a single man: David Brower. For the hundredth anniversary of David Brower’s birth, his son Kenneth Brower, an acclaimed nature writer, has brought together the testimonies of twenty environmental leaders whose lives and careers were transformed by David Brower; the result is a book in which a repertory company of path-forgers reveal their deepest values and most moving experiences. Available May 2012 from Heyday. |
Reducing coastal erosion, Feb 8
Event - Posted - Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Megan Facciolo, district manager of the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District, will talk about reducing coastal erosion. At Lamoine Town Hall, Feb 8, 7 pm. Sponsored by Lamoine Conservation Commission. |
Managing Your Timber Harvest, Feb 8
Event - Posted - Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Maine Forest Service District Forester Morten Moesswilde will talk about harvest planning, working with professional foresters and loggers, different harvest methods, wood values, closing out the job, and other aspects of harvesting. At Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association office, Jefferson, Feb 8, 6-8 pm. |
Birds, Bats & Blades-Wind Turbines & Wildlife, Feb 7
Event - Posted - Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Steve Pelletier, Wildlife Ecologist, Stantec, speaks about bats and wind power. At Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, Nov 7, 7 pm. Sponsored by Friends of Merrymeeting Bay. |
Winter Extremes: Oh, Deer, Feb 7
Event - Posted - Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Regional Biologist Keel Kemper will discuss current wildlife issues, including the effects of severe winters on Maine's deer herd. At Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association office in Sheepscot Village, Newcastle, Feb 7, 6:30 pm. |
Great blue heron flies into Merryspring, Feb 7
Event - Posted - Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Danielle D’Auria, Maine wildlife biologist, will give a presentation on the Great Blue Heron at Merryspring Nature Center, Camden, Feb 7 at noon. |
Smelt/Ice Festival, Feb 3-4
Event - Posted - Saturday, January 28, 2012
Ice Cutting-Smelt Fishing Festival. At Mailly Waterfront Park, Bowdoinham, Feb 3-4. Part of a yearlong celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Town of Bowdoinham. |
Family Winter Ecology Festival, Feb 4
Event - Posted - Saturday, January 28, 2012
This year’s Family Winter Ecology Festival will offer a variety of free indoor and outdoor activities for the entire family. At Merryspring Nature Center, Camden, Feb 4, 10 am to 12:30 pm. |
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Readers' Choice 2012: Appalachian Trail, 100-Mile Wilderness
Other - Thursday, January 26, 2012
Backpacker - The sign at the north access point to the 100-Mile Wilderness cautions you “not [to] attempt this section unless you have a minimum of 10 days supplies and are fully equipped. This is the longest wilderness section of the entire AT, and its difficulty should not be underestimated.” True enough, but it should also warn you that this section of trail might be the finest you’ll ever hike. |
Maine Senate confirms marine resources commissioner
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Maine Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed Patrick Keliher as the new commissioner for the Department of Marine Resources. Gov. Paul LePage nominated Keliher to the post earlier this month about six months after his original DMR commissioner abruptly resigned. |
Round Two Begins for Maine’s Water, Land, and Wildlife
Maine Environmental News - Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thursday morning people from all across Maine travelled to the State House to discuss these issues with Maine legislators as part of the 8th annual Environmental Priorities Coalition Legislative Breakfast. Following the breakfast event, the coalition announced their top priorities for the 2012 legislative session: support the Clean Energy Citizen Initiative, pass the new rule on Inland Wading Bird and Waterfowl habitat, improve the LURC reform proposal, strengthen Maine’s Clean Election Act, oppose the so-called ‘takings’ bill, and support a bond that would fund the popular Land for Maine’s program. |
Opinion: If LURC loses, so do Maine's citizens
Kennebec Journal - Thursday, January 26, 2012
Each legislator represents a region and its constituents, but collectively, they represent all of us. The LURC issue is much too important to tolerate angry partisan outbursts and finger pointing. Shame on us and legislators if we choose party allegiance ahead of Maine's best interests. Two of the LURC reform panel's final recommendations are very troubling. A county opt-out clause will result in inconsistent application of land use regulations. Secondly, reserving six seats for county commissioners on the proposed new LURC board empowers them to appease county constituents by advocating for unsound projects and gives them power to override the interests of the vast majority of the citizens who live outside LURC jurisdiction. A stronger LURC is needed to protect a statewide vision of 10.4 million acres under its jurisdiction. ~ Ron Joseph |
Letter: Inconvenient truths
Portland Press Herald - Thursday, January 26, 2012
The following is quoted from an article by Miles Grant, in Wildlife Promise on Jan. 9: "Build the Keystone XL pipeline to refineries on the Gulf Coast and suddenly oil companies don't have to keep selling it at a discount to drivers in the Midwest. They can just put it on the global market and ship it to the highest bidder in China or anywhere else. Building Keystone XL would result in Americans paying $5 billion more every year, not just in higher gas prices, but in higher production costs for food and other goods. That's why Cornell University researchers actually say Keystone XL would result in a net loss of American jobs." ~ Ann Hancock, Scarborough |
Letter: Long-term deal for dirty oil not needed
Portland Press Herald - Thursday, January 26, 2012
Newt Gingrich says the president's "no" to the tar sands pipeline is "stunningly stupid," and Mitt Romney quips that Obama is putting "politics ahead of policy." I would suggest that ole Newt is stunningly ignorant about the realities of global warming. And that Mitt, who may well be in pandering mode again, lacks the courage demonstrated by the president to speak out against this latest effort by big oil to dictate climate change policy. Were the pipeline approved and constructed, it would commit us to the dirtiest of oils for decades to come, just when we should be transitioning to wind, solar and geothermal energy through cleaner burning natural gas and biofuels. ~ Joe Hardy, Wells |
CBC Says Forest Service Weakening National Forest Wildlife Protections
Other - Thursday, January 26, 2012
The U.S. Forest Service today released a new proposal for the nation’s 193-million-acre national forest system that will weaken rules protecting fish and wildlife from logging, livestock grazing, mining and off-road vehicles, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The new proposal is the Forest Service’s fourth attempt since 2000 to revise nationwide regulations governing national forests. All three previous attempts were challenged in court and found unlawful. Like the 2000, 2005 and 2008 rules, the Obama administration’s planning rule would decrease longstanding protections for wildlife on national forests. “Today’s rule is a step up from the Bush administration’s rule, but its protections are still a far cry from Reagan-era regulations that the Forest Service has been trying to weaken for 12 years,” said Taylor McKinnon, CBC public lands campaigns director. |
U.S. to unveil new forest management rules
Associated Press - Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Obama administration says new rules to manage nearly 200 million acres of national forests will protect watersheds and wildlife while promoting uses ranging from recreation to logging. The new rules, to replace guidelines thrown out by a federal court in 2009, are set to be released today by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The rules, which reflect more than 300,000 comments, strengthen a requirement that decisions be based on the best available science and recognize that forests are used for a variety of purposes. The guidelines will encourage forest restoration and watershed protection while creating opportunities for the timber industry and those who use the forest for recreation. |
Maine warmer for plants, but let's not go bananas
Associated Press - Thursday, January 26, 2012
The southern portion of York County and the stretch of Maine coast from the Sheepscot River to Penobscot Bay are now in the same planting zone as central Massachusetts and northern Connecticut, according to a new planting guide published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The color-coded map of planting zones often seen on the back of seed packets is being updated by the government, reflecting a hotter 21st century. |
Water certification program has more questions than answers
Other - Thursday, January 26, 2012
AgriNews - Minnesota's Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program has people talking. "Minnesota farmers are great stewards of the land and that is why it is a perfect fit for us to work with the USDA and EPA on this new program regarding conservation practices," said Doug Peterson, state Farmers Union president. NRCS Chief Dave White applauded Gov. Mark Dayton and the state agencies for taking on the task of creating the Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. "I think what Minnesota does can be the template for Maine to Hawaii," he said. The goal is to accelerate adoption of voluntary conservation. |
Acadia Sea Farms Wins Approval For Huge Goose Cove Oyster Farm
Ellsworth American - Thursday, January 26, 2012
Department of Marine Resources Acting Deputy Commissioner Joseph Fessenden signed a decision on Monday granting the application of Acadia Sea Farms Inc. for a 50-acre aquaculture lease to raise oysters in floating cages on the waters of Goose Cove. |
Maine Forest Service: Bark-Peeling Effort Shows No Sign of Invasive Insect
Maine Government News - Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Maine Forest Service, under the Maine Department of Conservation, this week finished up its bark-peeling project to look for evidence of the highly dangerous invasive insect, emerald ash borer. The results were just what MFS entomologists were hoping for. After participating in two workshops on Jan. 17 and Jan. 24 and peeling 52 logs down to the cambium, or living layer, the volunteers found no tell-tale signs of the harmful EAB that is threatening Maine’s forests. |
Lawmakers, industry decry ‘backdoor approach’ to limiting potatoes in schools
Bangor Daily News - Thursday, January 26, 2012
While pleased that new guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for school meals do not restrict servings of potatoes, members of the potato industry and the state’s congressional delegation are still concerned that the spud is taking a back seat to other vegetables. U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Mark Szymanski, a spokesman for the National Potato Council, issued statements late Wednesday evening saying they were not entirely pleased with the final rules for school meals issued by the USDA. |
Opinion: Sustainable living mutates into monstrous Agenda 21 for RNC members
Maine Campus - Thursday, January 26, 2012
It seems — according to the Internet — that everything from Smart Growth, Wildlands Project, Resilient Cities, Regional Visioning Projects and other “Green” or “Alternative” projects are really the tentacles of a United Nations monster called Agenda 21 that wants to eat your soul and slap your babies. According to an unpublished document circulating the Web, the Republican National Committee unanimously passed a resolution exposing the evils of Agenda 21 at their winter meeting this month. The resolution claims Agenda 21 is being pushed covertly into towns around the country and will destroy our way of life by taking our cars, our homes and our farms. Did it occur to anyone on the RNC that maybe towns across the nation have dabbled in sustainable development because the idea makes sense for better lives and stronger communities? ~ Mackenzie Rawcliffe |
Wind energy standards added to Farmington town meeting warrant
Sun Journal - Thursday, January 26, 2012
March town meeting voters will decide whether to include proposed wind energy performance standards in the town zoning ordinance. Farmington Selectmen voted 3-2 Tuesday to add the issue to the warrant. Selectmen Ryan Morgan and Andrew Hufnagel wanted to see more "tweaking" on the performance standards by the Planning Board and voted not to add it to the warrant for the March 19 meeting. |
Maine farmer survey finds optimism
Village Soup Gazette (Knox County & Penobscot Bay) - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Maine farmers surveyed recently for a University of Maine Cooperative Extension research project expressed optimism about the state's farming opportunities and suggested business would improve if the "buy local" message reaches more consumers and institutions. |
NH Senate blocks eminent domain for Northern Pass
Associated Press - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The New Hampshire Senate voted 23-1 to prohibit a major electrical power project from Canada into southern New Hampshire from using eminent domain to acquire private land. The project proposes to build 180 miles of power lines through the center of New Hampshire, including 40 miles through the scenic North Country. |
Orrington kayak maker left a broad wake
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Earl H. Baldwin Jr. got into kayaking in an era when people would joke that they didn’t even know what the pointy little boats were. He began building kayaks before anyone really wanted to buy them. He competed in local and national competitions — faring well against athletes much younger than he — until after his 86th birthday. Baldwin, who lived in Orrington, died Monday. He was 87. On Tuesday, he was remembered by fellow paddlers as a kind-hearted visionary who helped introduce the sport to generations of participants in the Bangor area.
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Bangor Y to launch Outdoor Adventure Club
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Bangor Y’s new Outdoor Adventure Club is set to launch Feb. 12, with lessons on rock climbing and paddling canoes and kayaks. The club’s activities will expand from there. |
Bill to impose fees on landfill waste should be ready for February vote
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
State legislators are working out the final details of a bill that would establish fees on some waste that goes into Maine landfills, according to the lawmaker sponsoring the bill. Rep. Robert Duchesne said the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee met Tuesday for a work session to discuss LD 1278, An Act To Stabilize Solid Waste Management Funding. The bill should be ready to go up for a House vote in February, said Duchesne. He said it has bipartisan support on the panel. |
Notorious Maine fisherman going back to federal prison
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
A Bass Harbor fisherman with a history of criminal convictions is being sent back to federal prison for violating his federal probation again. Shaun G. Lemoine, who last November was found guilty of a state civil charge of molesting another lobsterman’s fishing gear, on Monday was ordered back to federal prison for seven months, according to federal court documents. He also was ordered to serve another two years of federal probation upon his release. |
LePage focuses on energy costs, creating jobs
Mainebiz - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Lowering energy costs, creating good-paying jobs and reducing taxes were among the main points Gov. Paul LePage highlighted in his first State of the State address last night. He said the high costs of doing business in Maine, including the cost of energy, puts Maine at a competitive disadvantage. He spoke against proposals to boost Maine's use of renewable energy, however, saying it "[pads] the pockets of special interest groups." He also called for more scrutiny of statistics on energy conservation, saying Maine is "being sold a bill of goods," and that programs that use taxpayer dollars for energy efficiency should also be charged with studying cost effectiveness. |
New estimates of Atlantic, Gulf fishing will help determine limits
McClatchy Newspapers - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday announced that it’s using a new way to estimate the amount of fish caught by recreational saltwater anglers on the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, the result of years of work on how to make the numbers more accurate. The new estimates will have an impact on millions of fishermen and those who make a living from recreational fishing. |
Opinion: LePage’s nice words hide the truth of his policies
Bangor Daily News - Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The compact and neat rhetoric of Gov. LePage's State of the State address that draws applause runs into fierce opposition when the discussion moves from the general to the specific. The idea of lower energy prices is appealing. Despite the fact that Maine has the lowest electricity prices in New England, our rates are high compared to states outside our region, especially those with large publicly funded energy projects or deep reserves of coal. But the solution to our energy costs is not to discover coal in the North Woods. Instead, the most cost-effective way to cut costs is through energy efficiency and increased competition and expansion of new, local renewable energy. ~ David Farmer |
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Natural Resources Council
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Do I Dare to Plant a Peach? | | It's a sign that Maine and the nation are getting hotter, according to a new analysis by the U.S. De... | | 1/30/2012 12:00:00 AM |
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Maine Organic Farmers and
Gardeners Association
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The myth of the self-made yeoman |  By Gene Logsdon – No figure is more endearing and enduring in agriculture than the lonely plowman out there on the horizon who raises himself by his own bootstraps to financial success. Only problem is, there is no occupation more dependent on the cooperation of society and nature to achieve success than farming. | | 11/2/2011 12:00:00 AM |
Sharp, careful eye brings Maine mushrooms from forest to table |  By Avery Yale Kamila – On a crisp morning at the end of October, chef David Ross and I step off a dirt road in Kennebunk and head into a forest dominated by pines and smaller hardwood. Our objective: To track down a few chanterelles and any other wild mushrooms we can find this late in the season. This trip will mark one of the last of the year for Ross, who is an avid mushroom forager and the owner of 50 Local in Kennebunk. | | 11/2/2011 12:00:00 AM |
New climate prediction: ‘Weird’, getting weirder |  By Seth Borenstein (AP) – For a world already weary of weather catastrophes, the latest warning from top climate scientists paints a grim future: more floods, more heat waves, more droughts, and greater costs to deal with them. A draft summary of an international scientific report obtained by The Associated Press says the extremes caused by global warming could eventually grow so severe that some locations become “increasingly marginal as places to live.” | | 11/2/2011 12:00:00 AM |
What to feed your chickens to get the best eggs |  By Nina Lalli – "I have a theory, and I don't think you're gonna like it." Justin was seated across from me at a communal table in a "Secret Restaurant." We had met not half an hour before, but were now deep in discussion about what chickens should eat to produce the best-tasting eggs – an obsession of mine recently. | | 11/1/2011 12:00:00 AM |
Factory farming: not just on land anymore |  By Wenonah Hauter – When most people think of factory farming they typically think of feedlots, hog factories or chicken operations–not massive open net pens growing millions of fish in our oceans. However, factory fish farming will soon pose many of the same threats to the environment and to consumers as its land-based counterparts. | | 11/1/2011 12:00:00 AM |
Bt resistant rootworm spreads | | By Dr Eva Sirinathsinghji – Bt is a toxin from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces a large family of similar proteins that target different insect pests; and quite a few of them have been incorporated in genetically modified crops to act as ‘biopesticides’. Unfortunately, the pests soon develop resistance to it. | | 10/31/2011 12:00:00 AM |
Cranberry juice beats extract at fighting infection |  By Christine Lepisto – Just between you and me, ladies, what do you do when you feel that irritating burn, knowing it can only mean a urinary tract infection? Do you run to the doctor's office for antibiotics, only to fight the yeast infection that sets in when drugs knock other systems out of balance? Then you probably haven't heard yet that cranberries can fight infections naturally, and very effectively. | | 10/30/2011 12:00:00 AM |
‘Hobby farm’ couple do part, feed hungry |  By Bill Nemitz – It's not uncommon for someone to show up at the Bread of Life Soup Kitchen in Augusta with a bag full of fresh broccoli, tomatoes or other leftovers from their garden. In recent months, however, Glenn and Rachel Powers have taken that kind of community support to a whole new level. They're giving away the farm. | | 10/30/2011 12:00:00 AM |
New England shrimp target cut in half | | AP – Portland: Fisheries regulators have set the start date for the shrimp season and halved the target for the amount of shrimp to be caught by New England fishermen. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on Friday set a target of 2,000 metric tons, compared with 4,000 metric tons the year before. | | 10/29/2011 12:00:00 AM |
The life of a seaweed gatherer |  By Daniel Klein – Most of the seaweed we get these days is farmed. But way up in northern Maine, Larch Hanson is still harvesting it wild in its many varieties on the rugged coast. This video isn't about the details of that process, however. It's about the essence of life for Larch, who rises at dawn to cut seaweed and then writes Zen poems about it. | | 10/28/2011 12:00:00 AM |
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