ELLSWORTH—This summer, Healthy Acadia has been fundraising to purchase a Harvest Truck that will help them bring more local produce to food pantries across the Downeast region and to feed more families in need. They have just announced that, thanks to community, business and foundation contributions, they have exceeded their campaign goal, and have just purchased a …
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is administering $5 million dollars in a single round of grant funding to assist municipalities with stream crossing upgrades and replacements. These monies fund competitive grants that match local funding for the upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings. The projects awarded will provide public infrastructure benefits …
SOUTHWEST HARBOR— A recent notice that went out to residents via mail regarding trihalomethanes is not highlighting a new problem with the town’s water supply; it is just a new way of delivering the news. According to Water and Sewer District Manager Steve Kenney, the state now requires notices to go out in the mail versus …
MACHIAS — Healthy Acadia and Maine Outdoor School announce two new exploratory summer programs. “Nature-Based Restorative Practices,” a three-day program scheduled for Aug. 18–20, will introduce youthentering grades 7–12 this fall to restorative practices and how they tie into our natural world. Restorative practices are rooted in First Nation and Indigenous community traditions and philosophies and designed to build healthy relationships …
BAR HARBOR—Creating a renewable energy future for Maine may help schools throughout the state ease their fiscal crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, A Climate To Thrive (ACTT), a nonprofit organization committed to making Mount Desert Island energy independent by 2030, helped the Mount Desert Island High School (MDIHS) install a solar array that is estimated to save nearly $1.5 million over the next 25 years. Having …
AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Marine Resources has been monitoring several red and brown phytoplankton blooms over the past week ranging from Wells to Penobscot Bay. These blooms can be extensive, sometimes spanning several miles. The brown blooms have been a combination of common phytoplankton while the red blooms have been composed primarily of …
BAR HARBOR — Sirohi Kumar and Ania Wright of Bar Harbor are among the six winners of the 2020 Brookie Awards, presented by NRCM Rising, a program of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, to honor “young changemakers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and made a significant impact in Maine’s environmental movement.” The Brookies are named for brook trout, which the NRCM describes as “strong, mighty and captivating to …
MOUNT DESERT — Voters at this year’s Town Meeting – whenever it is held – will be asked if they want to direct the Board of Selectmen to develop a plan for bringing the activities of town government to zero–carbon emissions by Dec. 31, 2030. Achieving that would require a reduction or modification of energy consumption by the Town Hall offices, …
BAR HARBOR — Mount Desert Island High School is among 55 schools nationwide and one of only two in Maine to be named a 2020 Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The designation recognizes schools for “reducing environmental impact and costs, improving health and wellness and offering effective sustainability education.” The DOE said …
ELLSWORTH — In March, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection denied a request by Black Bear Hydro Partners for a water quality certification (WQC) under the Clean Waters Act. The certification is critical to the company’s pending application for new licenses to maintain and operate the two Union River dams — one at the lower end of Graham Lake and the other forming Leonard Lake — known as …
