Maine Environmental News

News Items

Summers makes fourth try for Congress
Kennebec Journal - Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Charlie Summers has made three bids for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1st Congressional District. Now, Summers is back on the campaign trail, this time to replace Senator Olympia Snowe, his former boss who he once credited with showing him the political ropes. Summers received 10 percent lifetime score by the Maine Conservation Voters.

Maine activists rally for tougher chemical standards
Portland Press Herald - Tuesday, May 29, 2012
A group of Maine mothers and activists took a bus to Washington, D.C., last week to join demonstrations urging tougher federal standards on commercial chemicals. Maine had the largest delegation there out of 31 delegations from states. The Maine mothers traveled all day last Monday and had meetings with members of Maine's congressional delegation last Tuesday, in person with Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and with staffers from the offices of Reps. Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud.

Officials say tourism season off to promising start
Bangor Daily News - Monday, May 28, 2012
Business and traffic in downtown Bar Harbor was brisk while roads, parking lots and campgrounds in adjacent Acadia National Park were packed for most of the weekend. “The visitation was very high Saturday and Sunday. A lot of people were in the park and all of the parking lots were full,” Richard Rechholtz, supervisory park ranger at Acadia, said late Monday afternoon. “A lot of bikers, a lot of hikers, the trails were full and everything went well.” With a direct and indirect economic impact estimated at $7.7 billion, tourism is Maine’s largest industry.

DEP: 4,000 to 6,000 gallons of paper chemical spilled in Bucksport derailment
Bangor Daily News - Monday, May 28, 2012
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is estimating that 4,000 to 6,000 gallons of a chemical used to make coated paper spilled into the Penobscot River when several train tanker cars derailed in Bucksport on Friday. And while the chemical is not believed to be hazardous, DEP officials said department staff will monitor the site to determine if any harm to wildlife or aquatic life results from the spill.

How much water is there on, in, and above the Earth?
Maine Environmental News - Monday, May 28, 2012
This illustration on the US Geological Survey website shows various blue spheres representing relative amounts of Earth's water in comparison to the size of the Earth. One of the bubbles represents Earth's total liquid fresh water in groundwater and surface water. The volume of this bubble would form a sphere about 169.5 miles in diameter. All of this is fresh water, which we all need every day, but much of it is deep in the ground, unavailable to humans. For comparison, Maine is 320 miles long by 190 miles wide.

Long waits prompt Maine lobster licensing review
Associated Press - Monday, May 28, 2012
Scott Beede is one of 302 people on the waiting list for a Maine lobster license. By his calculations he'll be nearly 80 years old -- or dead -- by the time his wait is over. Beede, 50, says the state's 15-year-old licensing system needs an overhaul to give newcomers like him a fair shot at getting a license to fish their own traps in Maine's lobster-rich waters. In time, he may get his wish. The Department of Marine Resources expects to award a contract next month for the first top-to-bottom analysis of Maine's lobster licensing system. A final report with recommendations will be presented to the Legislature's Marine Resources Committee next January.

Column: Invasion of the giant hogweed
Forecaster - Monday, May 28, 2012
Remember the good old days when we only had to worry about gypsy moths deforesting millions of acres? Now we’ve got to be on the alert for European fire ants, green crabs, common periwinkles, Rapa whelks, northern pike, giant hogweed, and giant African land snails. Believe it or not, the Maine Department of Agriculture lists the giant African land snail as a pest. I guess a snail the size of a football would be, wouldn’t it? Which reminds me, you should see the size of some of the slugs in our backyard. ~ Edgar Allen Beem

Tourism: Bargains, exchange rates drive Canadians to Maine to shop and stay
Mainebiz - Monday, May 28, 2012
According to the Maine Office of Tourism, more than 3 million tourists from eastern Canada came to Maine in 2010 for overnight stays; another 2 million came for day trips. New Brunswick residents, who typically enter Maine at the Calais-St. Stephen border crossing, make up two-thirds of the overnight guests to Bangor. The No. 1 reason Canadians come here is to shop at malls, outlet stores and downtowns. Kerrie Tripp, executive director of the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau, says, "A lot of the younger generation like experiential tourism. When I was younger, those were the fun things (hiking and white-water rafting) we were looking to do when we went to an area. And that's what I think we're finding with the younger generation." Until that happens, older Canadians likely will continue to flock to areas like the Bangor Mall.

Tourism: Maine should rectify its dearth of roadside markers and spotlight its unique natives
Mainebiz - Monday, May 28, 2012
We here in Maine don't have enough historic markers and precious time wasters cluttering up our roadsides and should do a lot more to mark the memorable places throughout our state where something actually happened. Where are the historic markers in Brunswick telling visitors President Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of these United States (1853-57), lived there while a student at Bowdoin College and probably frequented many of the same crazy college-kid haunts that crazy college kids hang around today? "But, John," you say, "Franklin Pierce is considered one of our worst presidents and on the rare occasions when he is talked about by scholars the words 'weak' and 'vacillating' are mentioned often in the discussions. Why would we want to tell tourists about him and his association with our state?"

Tourism: An open attitude between developers and municipal officials generally leads to satisfactory results
Mainebiz - Monday, May 28, 2012
"They are impossible to deal with." It has been said about every town and city hall in Maine. Yet, commercial real estate projects and economic development continues to advance throughout our great state. So what gives? Are all state and municipal officials the "bad guys" and simply in the business of layering on red-tape? Or are property owners and developers overly sensitive and impatient? Surely neither is universally true. But one thing is certain: Understanding how to work with government officials and within regulatory policy is paramount to any successful real estate transaction or transition.

Tourism: A new insurance law could help a growing number of tourism-based farms
Mainebiz - Monday, May 28, 2012
Avalon is one of a growing number of small farms in Maine that are diversifying traditional farm activities with public events. Called agritourism, it includes everything from u-pick strawberries to fall corn mazes and even farm vacations, when guests spend a weekend or longer getting hands-on knowledge of farm activities. For small farms, agritourism's benefits are twofold: teaching an increasingly curious public how their food is made, and providing much-needed supplemental income. For some, agritourism is the only way they can stay afloat.

Tourism: Training for the hospitality industry gets a boost from three institutions
Mainebiz - Monday, May 28, 2012
Consistently rated as the largest service sector industry worldwide, tourism is an especially important economic driver in Maine where miles of coastline and natural wonders draw those "from away" to the state. Eager to sustain the state's Vacationland reputation, Maine universities and economic development groups have identified tourism and hospitality training and education as an important asset in growing and sustaining the industry. Greg Dugal, executive director of the Maine Innkeepers Association, says, "We need a constant flow of workers so that we don't 'age out,' we need new ideas and we need to keep some of our people home in Maine." Three new programs across the state aim to do just that, preparing students to enter Maine's robust tourism industry though the kitchen, hotel front desk or casino floor.

Column: What's a Mainer?
Forecaster - Monday, May 28, 2012
Mainers made no secret of their “us against them” mentality 30 years ago. We heard many variations of the old saying: real Mainers had to be born here, and maybe their parents and grandparents before them. Most people said it with a smile, but they were, as my grandfather might have said, “kidding on the square.” Here’s my crackpot theory: the “us versus them” mentality is diminishing in part because more people from away have had their versions of my lobster museum moment. They’ve seen past the lighthouses and boutiques of postcard Maine, and Mainers have responded by becoming more inclusive. I say good for both sides. Unless the natives are still running rings around me without me even knowing it, in which case I say curse their Downeast inscrutability, and curse me and my Midwestern thickheadedness. ~ Mike Langworthy

Council, planners to review Riverfront plan Tuesday
Sun Journal - Monday, May 28, 2012
Lewiston city officials will begin their work reviewing the Riverfront Island master plan Tuesday. A plan by consulting firm Goody Clancy shows how the city can use and re-energize Lewiston's Riverfront Island, the area between the river and Lewiston's canals, from Island Point to Cedar Street. It calls for a Lewiston Riverwalk mirroring the path in Auburn, from Cedar Street and the Lown Peace Bridge to Island Point, crossing under Main Street and the Veterans Bridge at one point. The plan also calls for a tree-lined walking path all along the Lewiston's Canal system.

Letter: Maine: A corporate state?
Bangor Daily News - Monday, May 28, 2012
The divide in America is not between political parties and their ideologies, between religious beliefs, between rich and poor, or between value systems. It is between the corporate state and the citizen. Gov. Paul LePage and his supporters clearly march to the following orders: establish optimal conditions for private firms to enter Maine so that they may profit without interference. The attempt to repeal the Maine ban of BPA, the harmful chemical found in plastic bottles, was another symbolic message to corporate entities that “Maine is open for business, so put what you want into your products.” What LePage cares about is being CEO of a corporate state, and he is well on his way. ~ Thomas Czyz, Falmouth

EXCLUSIVE: Penobscot East Branch lands to be rezoned
Maine Environmental News - Monday, May 28, 2012
In 1981, Great Northern Nekoosa Corp. proposed and the Land Use Regulation Commission approved an historic 20-year resource protection plan for Great Northern’s lands along the East and West Branches of the Penobscot River. Great Northern agreed to the resource plan to avoid alternative zoning that would have precluded their proposed Big A Dam. At the same time, Great Northern granted a conservation easement in perpetuity to the State of Maine covering those lands within 500 feet of the river. When the resource plan came up for renewal in 2001, Irving Corp., which then owned the lands on the East Branch, renewed the plan for an additional 10 years. Now, three owners on the East Branch in T5 R8 WELS -- Bowlin Camps, Elliottsville Plantation, Inc. and Gardner Land Company -- have decided not to renew the resource protection plan. So LURC is proposing to return the area to the standard zoning. The conservation easement will remain in effect.

2012 Legislative Recap
Other - Sunday, May 27, 2012
Maine Conservation Alliance - Maine’s Environmental Priorities Coalition (EPC) identified eight priorities for the 2012 legislative session. Unfortunately, almost all involved defending against proposals to weaken existing environmental protections. The end result included some important victories, some serious losses, and a handful of outcomes that were improved but not ideal.

LePage’s critical wind-power stance creating uncertainty
Bangor Daily News - Sunday, May 27, 2012
Since his election in 2010, Gov. Paul LePage has questioned the economics behind wind power as part of his administration’s focus on lowering energy costs for Maine ratepayers. But the Republican governor’s rhetoric has intensified in recent months, suggesting that the technology is increasing energy costs and padding the pockets of “special interests.” While LePage’s statements have been welcomed by wind power critics in Maine, they’ve caused discomfort in an industry that supporters point out has invested more than $1 billion in Maine — and much of that during a recession. They also suggest the comments stand in stark contrast to LePage’s mantra of being a pro-jobs and pro-business governor.

Bald eagles thriving in Maine, but health still studied
Bangor Daily News - Sunday, May 27, 2012
Nearly three years after being removed from the state’s list of threatened species, Maine’s bald eagle population appears to be doing well as nests continue to appear in new and sometimes populated areas. But how, exactly, eagles have fared since their change in status won’t be known until next year when the first detailed aerial surveys since the de-listing are completed. In 2009, Maine was on track to exceed 500 mating pairs of eagles — more than the combined eagle population in all other states north of the Chesapeake Bay. By comparison, Maine’s eagle population numbered just 20 nesting pairs in 1978.

Maine 2nd among New England states for bike friendliness
Associated Press - Sunday, May 27, 2012
A new set of national rankings finds New England to be a relatively bike-friendly region, with five of the region’s six states scoring in the top half among states nationwide. Maine ranked ninth nationally.

Maine installing turtle crossing road signs; goal is to protect endangered species
Associated Press - Sunday, May 27, 2012
In a few southern Maine towns, the state will be installing turtle crossing signs. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy say the road signs aim to warn motorists of endangered turtle road crossing locations in Wells, South Berwick and York with the hope of reducing road deaths of two of the state's rarest species. Spotted and Blanding's turtles are both protected under Maine's Endangered Species Act, and late May to early July is the time when females undertake risky overland forays to reach nesting areas. Motorists encountering roadside turtle signs are asked to reduce their speed and increase their vigilance for potential road-crossing turtles.

Column: A failed ski area becomes a winner of a hike
Maine Sunday Telegram - Sunday, May 27, 2012
Bald Mountain in Oquossoc should be at the very top of every hiker's summer must-do list. That's the Bald Mountain that sits on a relatively narrow piece of land in a prime location, with Rangeley Lake to the east and Moose-lookmeguntic to the west. Lost to history is a short-lived ski area that was built on its north side before the halcyon days of winter recreation development in the 1960s in Maine and beyond. ~ John Christie

Column: If you match the caddis, you'll catch the fish
Maine Sunday Telegram - Sunday, May 27, 2012
Fly rodders can catch salmonids galore during fast emerging caddis hatches once they master the presentation technique for dealing with them. With tips and experience folks can enjoy consistent success, but first they must determine the colors and size of the hatching caddis. ~ Ken Allen

Column: Black Scoters stand out by staying in formation
Maine Sunday Telegram - Sunday, May 27, 2012
Black Scoters outside of the breeding season are often gregarious, sticking close together on the water either in a snake-like conga line or in a tight circle. I don't know of any other ducks that engage in this behavior. ~ Herb Wilson

Water is the lifeblood of the Rangeley area
Maine Sunday Telegram - Sunday, May 27, 2012
Five big, interconnected lakes; at least four historic trout rivers; and a boat launch at every turn. Rangeley waterways are more than famous. Go to the top of Bald Mountain in Oquossoc with that far-reaching, easy-to-get-to view and look out on the rivers and lakes in every direction, and it becomes clear: This land is a pristine water world.

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