Based on the recommendations of a bi-partisan, independent study committee, the legislation replaces the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) with a new land-use board and refocuses its mission on both conservation and economic development. The new agency, which is a division under the Maine Department of Conservation, also focuses on local input and improved permitting processes.

“We have found common ground,” said Gov. Paul LePage, in signing L.D. 1798 into law. “We have retained planning and permitting in theUnorganizedTerritories, yet we also have replaced reactive rezoning with forward-looking planning.

“Best of all, this is a bi-partisan outcome that should stand the test of time,” the Governor said.

“The signing of L.D. 1798 provides a great opportunity to set aside old battles that often pitted landowners against those who see the Great Maine Woods as a public good,” Conservation Commissioner Bill Beardsley said. “L.D. 1798 is a major step toward a shared vision of ruralMaine.”

“We are ready to implement this important directive from the Maine Legislature,” said Samantha Horn Olsen, LURC acting director. “As we move forward, we will be mindful that success can only happen with the involvement of individuals and organizations in the areas that the Commission serves.”

The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) was created by the Maine Legislature in 1971 to serve as the planning, zoning and permitting authority for areas that do not have the capacity to administer land use controls, known as the Unorganized Territories (UT). The Commission was charged with comprehensive planning, zoning and issuing permits for most development activities, including business and wind-power projects.

Governor LePage, Maine Senate President Kevin Raye, and Maine House Speaker Robert Nutting last year appointed a 13-member commission to study reforms to the agency. The commission last fall presented a unified report with reform recommendations that resulted in legislation.

As a result, L.D. 1798 establishes a new land use board, the Maine Land Use Planning Commission, with nine members, rather than the current seven, nominated by both the Governor and the eight counties with the most unorganized areas. The Commission members serve for four years.

The purpose and scope of the new Commission is expanded to include “the well-planned and well-managed multiple use, including conservation, of land and resources and to encourage and facilitate regional economic vitality.”

Other directives include:

• To hold Commission meetings in a location within the Commission’s jurisdiction, with project-review meetings to be held as close as possible to the project site;
• To move land-use staff out ofAugustainto field offices closer to the Commission’s jurisdiction;
• To reform the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) for the UT. to reflect the new legislation;
• To identify areas of the UT that display significant potential for economic investment and job creation;
• To provide an annual report to the legislative oversight committee.

Grid-scale wind projects in the UT now will be reviewed and permitted by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Regulation of forestry activities in the UT will be handled by the Maine Forest Service.

In addition, one environmental specialist will be transferred from LURC to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Commissioner Beardsley outlined several steps already being taken to initiate reform. Some LURC staff offices have been moved closer to the UT; State Planning Office planners have been moved to offices adjacent to MDOC planners: and the department is in conversation with numerous UT landowners and residents, counties and other organizations.

“Our goal is to engage these individuals and organizations that have their feet on the ground,” the commissioner stressed, “then build a comprehensive land use plan and develop prospective zoning and permitting processes that reflect the aspirations of the UT.”

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WHAT:

WHEN: 1 p.m.  Reception, with performances by Longfellow Elementary School pupils, light refreshments; 1:30 p.m. Ceremony; Tuesday, May 22;

WHERE:  Longfellow Elementary School, Portland.

Project Canopy, which is the Maine Forest Service’s urban forestry program, under the Maine Department of Conservation (MDOC), will hold its annual Arbor Week Celebration and Awards Ceremony next week.

As part of the celebration, MDOC Commissioner Bill Beardsley will present the 2012 Frank Knight Community Forestry Excellence Award to Robert and Beverly Dutton, of Dutton’s Nursery, Morrill, who last year donated more than 1,000 trees toMaineschools, municipalities and non-profit community organizations.

Recognition of the 22Maineschools that have received the Maine Arbor Week School Planting Grants also will be made.

In addition, the 2011 Tree City USA Awards will be presented.

The celebration will include the pupils from theLongfellowElementary SchoolinPortland, which received one of the planting grants.

Directions:

From the north:

• Take I-295 south towardBrunswick;
• Take exit 6B fromU.S.302/Maine 100/Forest Ave.
• Turn right ontoForest Avenue;
• Turn Left ontoWoodford Street;

·Turn right ontoStevens Avenue;

• LongfellowSchoolis on the left.

From the south:

• Take I-295 north and follow the same directions for traveling north.

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Maine Windjammer Association Home Page

2012 Special Events

The Fleet

In this Issue

Boothbay Windjammer Days Kicks Off 50th Anniversary with “Jammers and Joggers” Land and Sea Race

History Spotlight: MWA Vessels That Served in WWII

Maine’s Flora: an Unexpected Delight

Turn Off the Lights, Here Come the Stars!

The Tiny Little Ship That Could: Mistress

Specialty Cruises: Nature Lovers love Maine’s Windjammers!

Fresh From the Galley: National Salad Month

Boothbay Windjammer Days Kicks Off 50th Anniversary with “Jammers and Joggers” Land and Sea Race

For 50 years, the Boothbay Harbor Chamber of Commerce has celebrated Maine’s fleet of windjammers every summer with fun events, a parade of sail and fireworks. This year, they’re kicking off the event with a “Jammers and Joggers” land and sea race featuring the schoonerTimberwind.
[FULL STORY]

History Spotlight: MWA Vessels That Served in WWII
This Memorial Day, the Maine Windjammer Association salutes all veterans. As we pause to remember their service, we also note that several of our member vessels have a special connection with the veterans of WWII.
[FULL STORY]

Maine’s Flora: an Unexpected Delight
Don’t know the difference between a pine, spruce and a balsam fir? Well, the Captains do, and they’re glad to share that information!
[FULL STORY]

Turn Off the Lights, Here Come the Stars!
It may be hard to believe but far away from nightclubs, movie theaters and the perpetual glow of bright city lights, Maine’s windjammer passengers have the best night time activity anywhere, and all they have to do is look up!
[FULL STORY]

The Tiny Little Ship That Could: Mistress
Carrying only six passengers, Mistress is the smallest vessel in the Maine Windjammer Association fleet. Built on Deer Isle, Maine, in 1960, she is the perfect blend of a traditional schooner and private yacht.
[FULL STORY]

Specialty Cruises: Nature Lovers love Maine’s Windjammers!
Life is most abundant where the ocean meets the shore and Maine’s windjammer passengers find that Mother Nature never disappoints. That’s why every coastal cruise aboard a Maine Windjammer Association vessel promises wildlife galore.
[FULL STORY]

Fresh From the Galley: National Salad Month
In honor of National Salad Month and with the crisp salad greens just beginning to sprout, we’re bringing you three salad recipes.
[FULL STORY]

Archives

April 2012
April 26, 2012
Vol. 11 Issue 4

March 2012
March 21, 2012
Vol. 11 Issue 3

February 2012
February 27, 2012
Vol. 11 Issue 2

January 2012
January 26, 2012
Vol. 10 Issue 1

December 2011
December 18, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 11

November 2011
November 19, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 10

October 2011
October 26, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 9

September 2011
September 30, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 8

August 2011
August 23, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 7

July 2011
July 28, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 6

June 2011
June 30, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 5

April 2011
April 30, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 4

March 2011
March 30, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 3

February 2011
February 23, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 2

January 2011
January 23, 2011
Vol. 10 Issue 1

December 2010
December 22, 2010
Vol. 9 Issue 10

November 2010
November 19, 2010
Vol. 9 Issue 9

October 2010
October 6, 2010
Vol. 9 Issue 8

July 2010
July 23, 2010
Vol. 9 Issue 7

June 2010
June 25, 2010
Vol. 9 Issue 6

[MORE]

The Maine Windjammer Association is proud to be
featured on page 640 of this New York Times bestseller.

The Maine Windjammer Association is committed to
preserving our nation’s natural areas through our partnership
with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics,
an organization that promotes responsible
outdoor skills and ethics.

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That’s because the latest publication is the French version of the Maine Forest Service’s notable logging manual, “Best Management Practices for Forestry: Protecting Maine’s Water Quality.”

Responding to requests from loggers, land managers and timber companies around the state, the Maine Forest Service (MFS) published the new version just this month and already is getting a positive response from the forest-products industry, according to MFS officials.

“Over the past year alone, we have had at least three requests from landowners working with French-speaking loggers for a French book,” said Keith Kanoti, MFS water resources forester. “French-speaking loggers were a set of clientele we weren’t able to serve with our BMP manual until we got this done.”

The federal Clean Water Act came about in 1972 to regulate the discharge of pollutants into water bodies in the U.S. Silviculture activities, such as timber harvests, are exempted from getting required permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency if “Best Management Practices (BMPs)” are used, Kanoti explained.

BMPs are voluntary logging techniques designed to protect water quality on timber harvests developed through practical experience and research. Not only does their use protectMaine’s water quality, they are cost effective and inexpensive to use, particularly in comparison to the cost of pollution clean-up, according to the MFS.

“BMPs are a toolbox of practices people can use to protect water quality when harvesting timber and with all related activities, such as road construction, stream-crossing construction, etc.,” Kanoti said.

The state agency first developed a brochure on BMPs in 1992, which was replaced in 2004 with a new, comprehensive manual, Kanoti said. That edition, published in English, had two printings of several thousand each, he said.

“We’ve distributed at least 10,000 copies to loggers, foresters and landowners over the years,” Kanoti said, adding that the publication and the specific information about BMPs also has been picked and used by otherNew Englandstates and Canadian provinces.

The new French version is intended not only for French-speaking Canadian loggers who come intoMaine, but particularly for those woods-industry workers inMainewho have French as their first language, Kanoti said.

The 2010 U.S. Census lists 7.1 percent of the state’s population as speaking a language other than English at home, and 25 percent list their ancestry as French or French-Canadian. The largest number of French-speakers by county is found inAroostookCountyat 22.4 percent andAndroscogginCountyat 14.3 percent.

“There probably are not as many French-speaking loggers as there used to be, but there is enough of a French-speaking workforce that it seemed worthwhile to produce manual,” Kanoti said.

New Brunswickprovince has a bilingual version of a BMP manual, whileQuebecprovince has a completely French version, Kanoti said. “They’re different from ours, and we’ve pointed people to them in the past, but we really wanted our own version in French,” he said.

The new French version took about two months to prepare. Translation was done by a state contract vendor, Kanoti said. “Then we had it reviewed by a French-speaking industry forester to make sure it made sense,” he said.

Some 200 copies have been published, and the manual also can be found on line in a .PDF format. The French manual is being used by the forest-products industry, in logger education, and as a reference tool, Kanoti said. It also has been offered to other states, such asNew Hampshire, which took and republished the English version, the MFS forester said.

“I don’t think it’s on the best-seller list, but people have been requesting it,” Kanoti said.

Individual copies of the manual are free, or can be downloaded from this link: http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/pubs/pdf/bmp_manual/bmp_manual_french_final.pdf

Copies bought in bulk are $5 each. To order, contact: Jen Wright, MaineForestService, at (207) 287-4980.

For more information, contact Keith Kanoti, Maine Forest Service water resources forester, at: 1-800-367-0223 (in-state only) or 207-287-1073 email: keith.kanoti@maine.gov

For more information about the Maine Forest Service, go to: http://www.maineforestservice.org

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Maine State Senator Roger Katz

AUGUSTA –Hunters, fishermen, snowmobilers, sportsmen, conservationists and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle will gather at the State House on Monday to call on the Maine Legislature to replenish the Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) program.  Lawmakers will be asked to support LD 852, a $5 million bond proposal designed to help fund working waterfronts, farmlands, and forests; wildlife habitat; and special recreation lands across the state. If passed, Maine voters will have the opportunity to vote on an LMF bond this November.

Supporters will herald the economic and community benefits of conserving Maine’s natural resources.  They will discuss the LMF program’s long-standing popularity and its importance to Maine’s agriculture, forest products, fishing, and tourism/recreation industries.

Since its inception, the LMF program has conserved land in each of Maine’s 16 counties, including working farms, commercial fishing waterfronts, timberland, and important tourism and recreation sites. Nearly 200 projects have been completed statewide, ensuring more than 500,000 acres of land remains open to the public for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor recreation.

Senator Roger Katz, a Republican from Augusta who is sponsoring the legislation states, “Our natural resources are what set Maine apart – they are our biggest competitive advantage.  Preserving and conserving them has got to be a top priority as we develop and grow.  This is a value shared by families and businesses across the state.”

WHAT: Land for Maine’s Future press conference

WHEN: Monday, May 14th at 12:30 PM

WHERE: Hall of Flags, State House, Augusta

WHO:

• Senator Roger Katz, Augusta
• Representative Jeff McCabe, Skowhegan
• Carole Dyer, hunter from Bowdoinham
• Dave Ramsey, sportsman and President of the Brownville Snowmobile Club
• Melanee Osier-Gilbert, fisherman from Bremen

WHAT ELSE: Graphics from recent economic impact study

The Maine Land Bond Coalition is comprised of more than 350 supporting organizations, including sportsmen, business leaders, citizens, health organizations, conservationists, recreational enthusiasts and environmentalists.

Natural Resources Council of Maine
3 Wade Street
Augusta, ME 04330
(207) 430-0103
fax (207) 622-4343
www.nrcm.org

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Starting this month, a total of 955 distinctive, purple bug traps will be placed high up in the canopy of local ash trees at specified locations to see if the emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive insect that has destroyed millions of acres of ash trees in other parts of the U.S., is present in Maine.

The survey – the 2012 National Cooperative Emerald Ash Borer Survey in Maine– is the collaboration of federal, state and tribal agencies, with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is part of a national survey effort taking place in 46 states. Because of the insect’s potential adverse impact throughout Maine, the survey also is supported by numerous private businesses and landowners.

Agriculture Commissioner Walt Whitcomb emphasized the importance of the survey, commenting that “we’re heading off an invasion.” He stressed the value of ash trees in Maine, describing the species as a “much-desired tree” that he personally has harvested around his farm.

Whitcomb also praised the collaborative survey effort, saying, “It’s an example of how we work in the state.” Preventing  in Maine the kind of devastation that has occurred in other states “is worth the effort of all our agencies and the public,” the commissioner said

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a highly destructive insect not yet found in Maine that has destroyed millions of acres of trees in other Midwest and eastern states and Canadian provinces, including New York and Quebec.

The survey project in Maine is a combined effort of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Maine Department of Agriculture; Maine Forest Service (MFS), under the Maine Department of Conservation; and the Penobscot Nation Department of Natural Resources. The cost of the federally funded survey is about $90,000, with in-kind services provided by the three Maine agencies.

Earlier this year, MFS Forest Rangers found most of the sites, and all cooperating agencies will begin hanging the traps this month. The sites include trees at private businesses and lands, state parks, and campgrounds. A high proportion are being placed in Franklin and Oxford counties, determined by the USDA to be high-risks zones because they are within 100 miles of Quebec and the Catskill Mountains in New York, both infested areas.

The purple traps will be monitored in July and then again in September, when they will be removed. The analysis of the traps’ contents should be completed by December, according to state entomologists.

Introducing Thursday’s event, Colleen Teerling, Maine Forest Service forest entomologist, stressed the need for public awareness. “Having people look for [EAB] is great,” she said. Pointing out that the Maine Forest Service welcomes public support and reports of possible invasive insect infestations, Teerling said that so far those reports have been of a harmless nature and just “look-alike” insects.

Terry Bourgoin, State Plant Health director, with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, also commented on the combined effort and noted the economic and cultural loss to Maine should the EAB become established in this state. In particular, he cited the loss to American Indian culture, as ash is used byMaine tribes to make traditional baskets.

Rick Abare, Maine Campground Owners Association (MECOA) executive director, said his organization, which includes about 200 members, was very supportive of the survey effort.

“Tourists love Maine, love the forests of Maine, and we want to keep them,” Abare said, adding that protecting Maine’s forests “is very important to our industry.”

Some 35 traps will be placed at Maine campgrounds as part of the survey. Campground owners also have actively supported the Maine Legislature’s ban on out-of-state firewood – one of the primary ways EAB is spread — by providing local firewood to campers.

“This is an opportunity for the public-private partnership that is so important today,” Abare noted.

To report suspected findings in Maine, call: (207) 287-2431 or 1-800-367-0223 (in state).

For more information on EAB, go to:

http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/InvasiveThreats.htm
http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/pi/pestsurvey/pestinfo/EAB/EAB.htm
www.purpleEABsurvey.info

National Cooperative EAB Survey in Maine
Fact Sheet

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a small, metallic-green, wood-boring beetle from Asia that has invaded North American forests:

 It is believed that EAB hitchhiked to the U.S. in solid wood packing material used to import goods from Asian countries. EAB also is known to spread through moving firewood.

 EAB was first found in Michigan in 2002.

 There currently are EAB infestations in 15 states and two Canadian provinces. The closest infestations to Maine are in New York and Quebec.

 The emerald ash borer has not been found in Maine.

There are almost 424 million ash (white and black ash species) trees in Maine; ash makes up 4 percent of all Maine hardwood, and 2 percent of all tree species in Maine.

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2012 Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Survey will employ the purple, prism-shaped tree “trap” to monitor known EAB infestations and locate other unknown beetle populations. Using risk-based survey strategies, approximately 50,000 traps will be deployed in 46 states at specified sites.

The Maine agencies involved with this program include: USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; Maine Department of Agriculture; Maine Forest Service, under the Maine Department of Conservation, including about 50 MFS Forest Rangers; and the Penobscot Indian Nation.

The EAB survey is funded by USDA-APHIS at $90 a trap, with in-kind services provided by Maine Forest Service, Maine Department of Agriculture and Penobscot Indian Nation.

A total of 955 EAB traps will be placed around Maine: 115 by USDA-APHIS; 50 by MeAg; 60 by Penobscot Indian Nation; and the remaining, 730, by MFS.

MFS Forest Rangers found most of the sites, and all cooperating agencies will begin hanging the traps this month (May). The sites include trees at private businesses and lands; state parks, and campgrounds.

 A high proportion are in Franklin and Oxford counties, determined to be high-risks zones because they are within 100 miles of Quebec and the Catskill Mountains in New York, all infested areas (see map).

Details about the purple trap:

 The traps are sticky and contain two chemicals that smell like ash trees to EAB;

 The color purple is slightly attractive to EAB;

 EAB is attracted to the silhouette of the trap; the trap shape mimics the trunk of the tree;

 The trap is hung high in the tree because EAB attacks the tree crown and works down.

 The trap attracts only from the site tree and neighboring trees and won’t cause an infestation.

Project Timeline:

May – traps are hung

July – traps are monitored for EAB

September – traps are monitored and removed

November/December – analysis completed

http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/InvasiveThreats.htm

http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/pi/pestsurvey/pestinfo/EAB/EAB.htm

www.purpleEABsurvey.info

Report Suspected Findings in Maine to: (207) 287-2431 or 1-800-367-0223 (in state)

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Piping Plovers are an endangered shorebird species that nest on white sand beaches where nesting success is a constant struggle against weather, beachgoers, pets, and predators. They were listed on the state’s Endangered Species List in 1997, and were federally listed as Threatened Species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1986.

Piping Plovers are small, pale shorebirds whose sandy brown and white colorings act as camouflage to protect it from predators. Unfortunately, because their camouflage works so well, many people and their pets do not see them or their sand-colored eggs. Subsequently, nests and eggs can be easily and inadvertently destroyed.

Piping Plovers are approximately 7.5 inches high and weigh up to 2.5 ounces. They have yellow legs, short necks, and a broken brown or black necklace band on their chest.

In 2011, 33 pairs of Piping Plovers nesting on 16 beaches successfully fledged over 70 young, making the 2011 Piping Plover season the most productive since 1995! Given the early start this year, biologists and plover enthusiasts are hoping 2012 nesting season will be another record setting season. Currently Piping Plovers have been observed on Ogunquit Beach, Wells Beach, Parsons Beach, Goose Rocks Beach, Fortunes Rocks Beach, Goose Fare Brook, Scarborough Beach, Higgins Beach, Seawall Beach, and Popham Beach State Park. Nesting areas are identified with signage and stake and twine fencing.

“From a Piping Plover’s point of view, people and dogs are predators,” according to MDIF&W Wildlife Biologist Lindsay Tudor. “Plovers do not understand leashes and dogs under voice control, and they do not recognize dogs that would never touch a bird. If beachgoers or their dogs are too close to Piping Plovers and their chicks, the adults will attempt to draw away the danger. Unfortunately, chicks left alone are easy prey for crows and gulls lurking nearby.”

To retain this bird in Maine protecting every nest and chick is vital. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Audubon, Bureau of Parks and Lands, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, the Nature Conservancy, Bates College, Towns of Wells, Ogunquit, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough, and many private landowners have a long standing collaboration regarding managing piping plovers. We urge beachgoers and pet owners to give nesting Piping Plovers space!

To protect our last few endangered Piping Plovers, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, along with its partner, Maine Audubon, are urging beachcombers to:

• Avoid taking their dogs to beaches that currently have nesting Piping Plovers.

• Be on the lookout for the tiny Piping Plover chicks. Once they hatch, they leave the nest (designated with signs and stake-and-twine fencing), and are extremely vulnerable to a host of predators. Chicks are flightless for 25-35 days, feeding themselves in the company of their parents.

• Stay away from the stake-and-twine fencing identifying protective nesting areas. If you want to observe the Piping Plovers, do so from a great distance with high-powered binoculars.

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Analysis of data and observations indicate the turkey population in the WMD is healthy and will support a hunting season like neighboring districts 10 and 14.

The season in WMD 9 will open ½ hour before sunrise on May 5th. All the rules and regulations involved in turkey hunting will apply, including having a valid spring Wild Turkey Permit and a valid hunting license.

For more information please check our website at: www.mefishwildlife.com

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The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife reminds everyone that they have until May 14^th to apply for a Moose Permit!

This year’s lottery will take place at the Oquossoc Marina in Rangeley, Maine on June 23^rd. Maine plans to award 3,725 permits this year. The winners will be announced first in Oquossoc, and then the entire list will be published.

To apply for a permit to hunt a moose you must apply on-line – the deadline for paper applications has passed.

www.maine.gov/ifw

If you’ve already applied for a permit, we thank you for your application. If you haven’t you can beat the rush of last minute filers!

Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Go to https://www5.informe.org/online/moose/ for online application and details

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The program will take place in the Reading Room and is free and open to the public.

Maine’s Great North Woods is one of the last unprotected and undeveloped wilderness areas within the United States.  This 3.2 million-acre forest, explored by Henry David Thoreau more than 150 years ago, encompasses an area larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite National parks combined.

For the past 30 years, Tom Szelog has been a professional wildlife photographer.  Lee Ann Szelog is a professional speaker.  The husband and wife team are award-winning authors of By a Maine River: A Year of Looking Closely, and Our Point of View:  Fourteen Years at a Maine Lighthouse.  The couple lives in Whitefield.

Other programs in Lithgow Library’s sustainability series include solar energy contractor Tom Fullam on Thursday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m.  Fullam will talk about building and renovating homes for extreme energy efficiency and low fuel bills.

Chuck and Danny Piper of Sundog Solar Store in Searsport will give a presentation on solar energy on Thursday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m.   Lisa Turner of Laughing Stock Farm, author of the Eat Local Cook book published by Down East Books, will give a program on Thursday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m. Laughing Stock Farm is a four season, certified organic, family owned vegetable farm located in Freeport.

Lithgow Library is located at 45 Winthrop Street in Augusta.  For more information, call the library at 626-2415 or visit www.lithgow.lib.me.us.

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Blackfly Photo credit: Clipartof.com

Thursday, May 3 – Sunday, May 6
Shoreline Camps on Big Lake in Grand Lake Stream, ME

Join the MWPA for an inspiring four-day, three-night weekend of workshops, readings, and writing at the idyllic Shoreline Camps on Big Lake in Grand Lake Stream. Attendees will arrive on the afternoon of Thursday, May 3 and depart on the afteroon of Sunday, May 6.

Attendees will spend three mornings in workshops of no more than twelve participants working on either fiction with Cynthia Underwood Thayer or memoir with Monica Wood. Afternoons will be open for writing and optional thirty-minute individual sessions with the instructors. In addition to the intensive workshops and one-on-one sessions, the weekend will include faculty and participant readings.

Shoreline Camps is a cluster of rustic, lakeside cabins. Each cabin will house a varying number of Black Fly Writing Retreat attendees. Each cabin includes an equipped kitchen, fresh linens, blankets, and bath towels. Each cabin includes a wood stove and outdoor fireplace with complementary firewood.

Pricing for MWPA Members

#1 : $550 As always, we offer this all-inclusive retreat package that includes a participant’s lodging, meal plan, and workshop fees. The meal plan includes dinner on the day of arrival (Thursday), lunch and dinner on both Friday and Saturday, and lunch on the day of departure (Sunday). *Please note that breakfast is not included in the meal plan.
#2 : $400 In the interest of offering the 2012 Black Fly Writing Retreat at various price points, this option includes only lodging and workshop fees. Attendees may prepare their own meals in their cabins.
#3 : $250 If you are lucky enough to live in this beautiful part of Maine and can drive to Shoreline Camps in Grand Lake Stream, you may take advantage of this option and attend the workshops but forgo lodging and meal plan.

Pricing for MWPA Members

#1 : $700
#2 : $550
#3 : $350
Workshop Details

Exploring Fiction
with Cynthia Underwood Thayer

A Novelist’s Guide to Memoir
with Monica Wood
How to Register
Mail, fax, email, or call >> Registration Form
Registration Due: April 30

In the autumn of 2012, we’ll return oceanside to Kennebunkport’s Nonantum Hotel from November 2 to November 4 for our Fall Writing Retreat. BUT if your taste is for events closer to the Canadian border than the New Hampshire border, be sure to call and reserve your slot or send in your registration form!

RESERVE A SLOT director@mainewriters.org / 207-228-8264

NOT A MEMBER? You’re missing our weekly e-newsletter The Peavey, which isloaded with news, stories, new publications, community information, and event listings! Click HERE for this week’s.

Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance
Glickman Family Library
314 Forest Avenue, Room 318
Portland, Maine 04102

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Maine

AUGUSTA,Maine– Spring is here, andMaine’s seasonal avian residents once again are returning. In recognition of this much-anticipated occurrence,Mainestate parks, for the second year, are holding a unique bird-watching event to introduce families and visitors to the outdoor fun of birding inMaine.

“Feathers Over Freeport,” a two-day birding event at Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal, and Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, will provide visitors an easy and enjoyable introduction to the raptors, songbirds and backyard birds who make their home in this state.

This year’s event, under the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, Maine Department of Conservation, will feature a wide variety of activities and demonstrations, including live-bird demonstrations, bird walks for people of all abilities, identification workshops and numerous children’s activities.

Details of the event are:

• Feathers over Freeport: A Birdwatching Weekend for All Ages, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal, Wolfe’s Neck WoodsState Park, Freeport; Park entry fees apply, all programs and activities included with park admission.

“We learned a lot last year, and this year we’re trying to cater to the interests of our visitors, based on what we learned,” said Park Manager Frank Appleby of BradburyMountain, where the annual hawk watch takes place. “We are trying to make the event particularly family friendly, and we have brought in the experts to make it a success.”

Park Manager Andy Hutchinson, a well-known naturalist who manages Wolfe’sNeckWoodsState Park, said he anticipated a good attendance for “Feathers Over Freeport,” given the popularity of a recent osprey watch at the park where two pairs of osprey make their summer home. Last Sunday, more than 20 people came out to see the newly arrived osprey on their nests, he said.

“It’s neat that we’re having different presenters every year,”Hutchinsonadded. “I’m really looking forward to the live birds.” The live-bird demonstrations, which will take place once at each park over the two-day event, will include owls, ravens, hawks and a golden eagle, he said. The demonstrations are presented by Wind Over Wings and sponsored by Royal River Conservation Trust and Friends of Maine State Parks.

“Compared to most birding festivals, we’re focused on all levels of experience, with something of interest for all levels,” said Derek Lovitch, well-known birding expert, event presenter and sponsor. Lovitch’s business, Freeport Wild Bird Supply, sponsors the annualBradburyMountainhawk watch along with Nikon Sport Optics.

“Our goal is not necessarily to help folks see that ‘life bird,’ but to enjoy birding and discover what amazing things we find when we get out in the field,” he said.

Lovitch said he always likes “to introduce more people to the hawk watch” atopBradburyMountain. During the annual event, which lasts from March 15-May 15, seven days a week, an observer monitors the northbound raptor migratory flight over the park. This year, participants can take part in both an introduction to hawk watching program and a hawk identification workshop at the mountain summit.

A free evening program — “Everything about Puffins” – will be held at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, April 28, Freeport Community Library. The event will feature Susan “Seabird Sue” of Project Puffin, speaking on the life history and biology of the Atlantic Puffin, including brand new information with regard to their previously unknown winter travels. The program about this unique ocean bird is sponsored by L.L.Bean.

Other “Feathers Over Freeport” activities include educational displays and give-aways about birds; birding fun and games for children; bird walks for beginners and children; an osprey watch, which is accessible to people who use wheelchairs; a “digiscoping” presentation; bird identification workshop; and introduction to backyard bird feeding.

Other event sponsors include:MaineDepartment of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; Birds and Beans.

Additional information, including a complete program listing, is available at: http://www.maine.gov/feathersoverfreeport

Or by calling the parks: BradburyMountainState Park, (207) 688-4712; or Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, (207) 865-4465.

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Emmie Theberge of Augusta caught this brown trout on Cobbossee Lake in January 2011, NRCM photo.jpg

Augusta, Maine (March 27, 2012) – Near-record warmth in the winter of 2011-2012 left wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts and the businesses in winter-based sectors scrambling to adapt – and it’s just a preview of what’s to come in a warming world, according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation. On Thin Ice: Warming Winters Put America’s Hunting and Fishing Heritage at Risk tells the stories of how 2011-2012’s warm winter impacted hunters and anglers across America.

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release draft rules under the Clean Air Act that would limit climate-changing carbon pollution from power plants. As with other aspects of the Clean Air Act, there will likely be enormous pressure on Congress from the coal industry and their allies to impede real action to address carbon pollution. This past “winter” and today’s report indicate Maine can ill afford to ignore the changing climate until it is too late.

“Climate change is here, it’s hurting our outdoor traditions, and it’s past time for our elected officials to take action to cut climate-changing carbon pollution,” said Lisa Pohlmann, executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “Climate change is a threat to Maine’s economy. Hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching support thousands of jobs and generate $1.3 billion in economic activity every year, and snow-dependent sports contribute too.”

This winter illustrated the problems that mild and low-snow winters can have on Maine people, including:

·Difficult seasons for ski areas and related businesses, especially for cross-country skiing.

·Canceled ice fishing derbies and reduced opportunities for safe ice fishing.

·Reduced production and revenues for smelt operators, maple syrup producers, and others.

·Harmful conditions for game species, including moose and turkey.

·Increased populations of Lyme disease-bearing ticks.

·Lost sales for winter-recreation goods and services, such as coats, outdoor equipment, bait, and food and lodging for snowmobilers—including from out-of-state visitors.

Moose in Sandy River Plantation. NRCM Photo.JPG

Earlier this month, the Bangor Daily News reported that the mild winter weather had eaten into LL Bean’s sales of skis, coats, and other outdoor gear. In the story, LL Bean spokeswoman Carolyn Beem was quoted as saying, “When you have a winter that was as dramatically un-winterlike as this one, then it  does have a definite impact on the business.”  With its 5,000 employees, the company is one of Maine’s largest employers.

Along the Kennebec River, the economic pinch is felt by the smelt camp owners and local businesses. Sonny, owner of Sonny’s Smelt Camps in Richmond, says, “The ice came two weeks late and the first two weeks are generally the best ice fishing for smelt. That really hurt me and I’m just breaking even now. Not only did we have a late start, we had to close three weeks early. We only got about 3.5-4 weeks this winter.”

Roger Knight of Knight’s Bait Shop in Raymond agrees, “We just didn’t have the ice we normally do. It’s really hurting all the businesses up here.”

“Over the last few years, and particularly in the winter, Maine Huts & Trails has seen significant growth in the number of visitors to our system,” said David Herring, Executive Director of Maine Huts & Trails. “That growth was definitely slowed this winter due to the lack of snow. Our winter season never really gained the momentum we needed it to this year and we saw decreases in visitors in January, February, and March compared to the same three months in 2011. We are currently crafting plans to ensure we do everything we can to make up for our budget shortfall in the remainder of the year with a strong emphasis on the summer and fall tourism months.”

“The way I see it, global warming wrecked my duck season,” said Sam Day, a youth hunter from Hallowell.  “This year, the incredibly warm temperatures made Maine’s duck hunting season the worst I’ve experienced. The warmer winters have messed with our waterfowl migration. I wonder what it will be like 30 years from now? I am very concerned about the impacts of global warming on hunting in Maine.”

Well-known Maine Guide and longtime outdoor writer, Stu Bristol, has never seen anything like it. “Many of the better-known winter ice fishing derbies have been canceled,” said Stu. “And take a look at the Maine Pike. There aren’t any snow machines on trailers headed north these Friday afternoons. Our whole economy is being impacted by the mild temperatures this winter.”

Sebago Lake Rotary Club’s annual mid-winter fishing derby brings up to 10,000 fishermen to the lake. Rotarian and derby organizer Tom Noonan said this is the fourth winter since 2002 that the derby had to be canceled due to quickly deteriorating ice conditions.

“I know when my granddad made syrup commercially in the ‘60s and early ‘70s they always planned on making syrup around the 12th or 15th of March,” says Rodney Hall, owner of Hall Farms Maple Products in East Dixfield. “We’re probably two weeks earlier now. And with this mild winter, our season ended three weeks ahead of schedule. Last year we made over 1,000 gallons of syrup, and this year we made about half that. I’m worried about these warming winters not just for my business, but also because they threaten the outdoor tradition of tapping maple trees.”

Hikers at Sugarloaf. Photo by Jeff Aceto.JPG

“This year the ski season is drawing to an unseasonably early end,” said Paul Marshall, a member of the ski patrol at Sunday River. “We’ve had to close some trails almost a month earlier than last year. Just two weeks ago, we had 100% of our trails open. And less than a week later we had to shut down nearly half of them.”

“Warmer winters are a serious problem for those of us in the forest products industry,” said Harry Dwyer, a 30-year veteran logger, licensed forester, and certified master logger. “We need cold weather and snow cover to have a good logging season, but the back and forth freezing and thawing this winter made it made it very difficult to take on work. We only had about four straight weeks of real winter conditions instead of the usual 14. This eats into our income and means there is less work for loggers. In the last eight or so years, the tick population is also so rampant that it has introduced a new hazard to our work.  In addition, mud season can come any time of year now – both at the beginning of the season since fall rains are increasing, and at the end when the frost melts. We can’t get out to work when it is that wet. Landowners won’t tolerate two-foot ruts across their property.”

“We have been seeing the effects of climate change on Maine winters for many years,” said Gordon Hamilton, Associate Professor and glaciologist from the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine.“Unusual weather patterns are likely to become the norm due to changes in climate altering the trajectories of the jet stream and storm tracks.”

According to NOAA’s records for Portland:

·This winter was the 2nd warmest on record—nearly 5 degrees warmer than normal.

·  Snowfall was half the normal amount—8th least snowiest in the past 132 years of snowfall records in Portland. (23.5 inches compared to 44.4 inches)

And nation-wide NOAA says:

·America had its 4th-warmest winter on record.

·27 states across the Northern Plains, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast had winter temperatures among their 10 warmest on record.

· Snow cover during winter ranked as the 3^rd-smallest on record

Natural Resources Council of Maine: Protecting the Nature of Maine

National Wildlife Federation: Celebrating 75 years of inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.

Read the full report at www.nrcm.org/On.Thin.Ice.NWF.asp

Natural Resources Council of Maine
3 Wade Street, Augusta, ME 04330

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Windjammer Passengers: A Profile

What makes some windjammer passengers come back again and again? Is it the fresh salt air, the coziness of being rocked to sleep at night by the gentle lapping waves? Or maybe it’s the scrumptious meals prepared fresh daily? We wondered and here’s what we found.
[FULL STORY]

Meet the Next Generation
The first windjammers were 19th-century coasting and fishing schooners; meet the next generation of vessels to join the windjamming trade: Mary Day, Heritage and Angelique.
[FULL STORY]

Packages: Air & Sea
Air and Sea Package – Now, the adventure can start in Boston!
[FULL STORY]

The Inside Scoop: Mary Day
This month we caught up with windjamming veteran Joanna Knox, a Maine native, to discuss her longtime love of windjamming aboard Mary Day on Maine’s coast.
[FULL STORY]

Specialty Cruises: Lighthouses
Specialty Cruises aboard Maine’s Windjammers: Everyone Loves Lighthouses! And Maine has them aplenty!
[FULL STORY]

Fresh From the Galley: It’s National Noodle Month!
This month, we celebrate the noodle. Thin, fat, curly, long – whatever shape they’re in, we love ‘em. And though noodles may have been invented thousands of years ago in China, we think they find delicious new life in the hands of a windjammer chef.
[FULL STORY]

Captains’ Corner: Angelique
Every month, we ask one of the Maine Windjammer Association captains to let us in on some of their personal favorites and to give us a window onto the world of windjammer captain when he or she’s not behind the wheel. This month, we talk to Captain Mike of the Angelique.
[FULL STORY]

End of the Day
End of a perfect day aboard the schooner Mary Day.
[FULL STORY]

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Maine Windjammer Association Home Page

2012 Special Events

The Fleet

The Maine Windjammer Association is proud to be
featured on page 640 of this New York Times bestseller.

The Maine Windjammer Association is committed to
preserving our nation’s natural areas through our partnership
with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics,
an organization that promotes responsible
outdoor skills and ethics.

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Spring is here and Maine’s Kennebec Valley is kicking off
the change in the seasons with a little change of its own

Come and explore our newly updated website. We’ve been hard at work on it all winter long, mixing in bits of muddy summer fun, some Maple Syrup, crimson leaves of autumn and a snowflake or two and the result is a clean, easier to navigate, chock full of the great information visitors need website, with great search functionality.

We hope you check it out. It will not disappoint.

While you’re there, don’t forget request the Explorer’s Guide to the region and if you’ve been sent this by a friend, take a minute to sign up for emails to keep in touch.
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Greetings from my slice of Maine

I am out exploring all there is to experience, all week, every week, tweeting and posting the region’s best on Facebook and I keep a blog too. I am always looking out for ideas on what’s fun to do in our region–send me your thoughts, make a, suggestion, I rely on your input. Oh and check out just a few of my picks for this month to the right.

So if you’re planning on heading our way, consider me your ear to the ground. To keep up with some great nuggets (and not the chicken ones) of information about visiting the Kennebec and Moose River Valley’s of Maine, check out my blog or you can like us on Facebook or follow us on twitter by clicking the icons below. You can even watch some of the action on YouTube. So until our paths cross.

The Explorer

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Maine Maple Sunday

March 25 is the sweetest day in Maine all year long. And we are proud of the fact that Somerset County produces more maple syrup annually than any other county in the United States.

There are even some events like theSkowhegan Maple Festival that run all week long leading up to the big day. So plan to get out on the 25th and to make a your plans, check out theMaine Maple Producers for a Kennebec or Somerset County producer (there are 13 to pick from) and connect with nature in the sweetest way of all. Look for me behind a large stack of pancakes.
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Fishing

This year I am going to try my hand at fly-fishing in what my friends in the Upper Kennebec have told me are some of the “finest brook trout waters in America.” Now, I am not an expert, yet, but you are sure to find one here.
I am sure you can find a place to stay on your own, but I’m always offering up ideas, so try our website’s great new search tool that connects you with places to stay, eat, drink and even what to do when you are not on the river.
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Plan Ahead for
Whitewater Adventure

I have heard rumblings that the special releases on the Kennebec and Dead Rivers this year will offer up more white-knuckle adventure and fun than ever. So rafting outfitters will be filling up trips quickly, plan now so you don’t miss out.
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Kennebec Valley Tourism Council
PO Box 5242
77 Sewall Street, STE 3000
Augusta, ME 04332

IF&W has issued moose permits since 1980. The number of applicants peaked in 1994 with 94,543 applications for 1200 permits, and odds of 1 in 79 applicants winning a permit. Last year, in 2011, there were 49,889 applicants for 3,862 permits; with the odds of 1 in 13 applicants winning – a substantially better chance!

Changes to the 2012 Moose Permit lottery will further improve the odds of a long time applicant’s winning. Since 1998, a bonus point was earned for each year a person applied, but did not win. Last year, the Legislature changed the bonus points earned to one point for years 1 to 5, two points for years 6 to 10, three points for years 11-15 and 10 points for each year over 15. The maximum number of years anyone has accumulated into 2012 is 14 years – equaling a total of 27 bonus points.

In addition, residents can only buy one chance – increasing the value of the bonus points relative to the number of purchased chances. Last year, the long time applicant with 13 bonus points and 6 purchased chances was three times as likely to win as the person with zero bonus points and who purchased 6 chances. This year the long time applicant with 27 bonus points and one purchased chance are 28 times more likely to win when compared to the person buying their first chance. About 3500 people have applied every year since 1998 and not won. With all of the changes outlined above, and if they continue to apply annually; almost all of them will win a moose hunting permit within the next five years.

Applications for this year’s moose lottery are now available online through the department’s website, www.mefishwildlife.com. Completing the application online is a convenience that thousands of hunters are using, because the forms are easy to fill out and they receive instant confirmation that they’ve been entered into the lottery.

**Please note that the paper application deadline is April 2, 2012.**

**The Online application period will close May 14, 2012.**

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF INLAND FISHERIES & WILDLIFE
**284 State St., SHS 41, Augusta, ME 04333**
*www.mefishwildlife.com Main Number: (207) 287-8000*

AWW Ranger Patrick Emery (left) and AWW Superintendent Matt LaRoche sit on a stack of pre-fabricated wood parts for winter hauling into the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

By Matthew LaRoche, Superintendent
Allagash Wilderness Waterway

Winter in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway affords rangers an opportunity to bring supplies and materials into locations that are very difficult to access in the summer. It is much easier to bring propane and gasoline intoAllagashLakewith a snowmobile in the winter than walking it in on the 1-mile carry trail during the summer.

Each fall, plans are made and lists compiled of materials that need to be hauled by snowmobile and tow sled into remote locations in the waterway. Last winter, waterway staff hauled cement pads and jacks intoAllagashLakefor the camp-jacking project that was accomplished last summer. Six tanks of propane and 100 gallons of gasoline completed the winter delivery intoAllagashLake. Then it was on toEagleLake,CampPleasant, and Round Pond.

Timing is everything when it comes to toting supplies during the winter. As a general rule, March is the best month to haul materials by snowmobile. Usually, by the time March arrives, we have plenty of snow to cover rocks, stumps and other obstructions. The snow has settled, and if everything comes together, some rain has fallen and flattened the snow on the lakes. When the lakes refreeze, they can be as smooth and hard as the Maine Turnpike. This is the time to do your hauling!

Last winter, we needed to bring a new outhouse and picnic table to the campsite atCunliffeIsland. This site is located about half a mile belowLongLakeDam. I had been there during the summer and scoped out a possible route into this old washed-out logging dam. I figured after we got enough snow we could get to the site without much trouble, but conditions would have to be just right to travel down the river.

The outhouses and tables had been prefabricated in the shop atChamberlainBridge. We waited for ideal hauling conditions, but they never really developed, so we decided to get the job done before spring conditions set in.

AWW Ranger Patrick Emery, AWW Chief Ranger Kevin Brown, and I loaded up snowmobiles, tow sleds, and materials the afternoon before the trip, and we stayed overnight at Churchill Dam. We headed out first thing in the morning for the trail into McNally’s Camps onRossStream.RossStreamandLongLakewere as flat as a pancake and frozen hard. We made our way fromLongLakeup to the oldCalifornia Road.

I had the waypoint forLongLakeDamin my GPS unit, and I had been on the trail last summer from the dam towards the road, but everything looked a little different with 4 feet of snow on the ground. As we got closer to our destination, the correct trail became harder to follow.

The snow was getting softer now that the sun was high in the sky, and traveling was getting more difficult by the minute. We decided that I should go scout out the route before we ended up down the wrong trail with the heavily loaded tow sled.

As I got closer to the dam, the trail became more obscure, and I took a wrong turn. I ended up burying my snowmobile when I tried to turn around. I can remember standing up to my crotch in the snow, and I wasn’t even touching the ground! After struggling with the snowmobile for a while, I decided to strap on my snowshoes and try to find the correct route to the dam. After snowshoeing a few hundred feet, I came to the trail I recognized as leading toLongLakeDam, so I went back to my snowmobile.

Kevin had come to my rescue and was busy shoveling my buried snowmobile out of the soft snow.

Now that my sled was out, all we needed to do was pack the trail to our destination. We arrived atLongLakeDamto find that the river was open, and there was no way we were going further downstream.

We unloaded our cargo at the old dam site high enough on the bank so that the spring high-water wouldn’t wash our materials away. Steve Day would have to figure out how to get the materials the rest of the way by canoe in the spring.

We took a break atLongLakeDamand admired the view. This is one of my favorite spots on the waterway. The remnants of the old dam are still visible, but the site has essentially returned to nature. I wonder how many trout are lurking under those old spillways.

The return trip to our vehicles was uneventful despite the fact that the day had warmed and it was sticky going. We stopped at McNally’s Camps on the way back for a visit and cup of tea. When we got back to our vehicles, it was 4 p.m. and I needed to be back inGreenvillefor a meeting the next day. It would be another long day in the Allagash, but I thoroughly enjoyed our hauling adventure.

For information on the AWW, go to: www.maine.gov/doc/parks/ or call 207-941-4014, emailheidi.j.johnson@maine.gov or write to the Bureau of Parks & Lands,106 Hogan Road,Bangor,ME04401

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Invasive bugs, plants and animals continually threatenMaine’s unique natural resources, its tourism, recreation and economy, and the livelihood, traditions and health of thousands ofMainepeople. Because of that fact,Maine’s five state natural-resource agencies are encouraging all Mainers to observe and participate in National Invasive Species Awareness Week from Feb. 26-March 3.

Staff members from the Maine departments of Conservation (MDOC), Agriculture (MeAg), Environmental Protection (DEP), Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIF&W) and Marine Resources (DMR), who work year round to protect Maine from invasive species, are promoting activities throughout the state during the nationwide observation week. They also are telling Mainers where to find important information to help everyone learn about, identify and avoid dangerous invasive species.

“Some diseases are endemic; they are always with us, and we focus on continuous mitigation. The invasive species are another matter. They come from away,” said Conservation Commissioner Bill Beardsley. “We have to monitor their approach routes and severity, build a firewall and prepare with harvesting, quarantine and pesticides, and we turn to the public as needed. We are working on contingencies, cross training and interstate and provincial collaborations to keep invasive species at bay.”

“Invasive species definitely can have an economic impact on agriculture inMaine,” said Agriculture Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. “The department works diligently to minimize diseases of potatoes, insects impacting maple trees, and weeds in the hay fields, as these can affect the quality of our potato crop, limit the amount of maple syrup produced and impact market for our hay crop. As a result of our efforts, we are helping to protect our state’s local food supply and our important agriculture economy.”

“Mainehas been a national leader in the protection of our precious waterways from invasive aquatic plants like milfoil and hydrilla thanks to our proactive prevention protocols,” said DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho. “In honor of National Invasive Species Awareness Week and the lakes we love, we encourage all boaters to join us in these proven prevention efforts by committing in 2012 to inspecting their boat and related equipment before entering and after leaving a water body. A simple but careful inspection lasting just a few minutes has a huge payoff in the preservation of our waters, and the native species, recreational opportunities, property values, businesses and communities that rely on the health of these invaluable natural resources.”

“Our state is fortunate to be blessed with an abundant variety of natural resources,” DIF&W Commissioner Chandler Woodcock said. “The residents of our state, and those who journey to Maine, both benefit from the unique variety of outdoor pursuits which we offer. Unfortunately, Maine’s significant outdoor resources and economy have been negatively impacted by invasive introductions. Our coldwater fishing heritage has been altered by illegal introductions, and invasive plants have affected many lakes and ponds. Maine’s waters represent a critical part of our state and are a vital contributor to our economy. I urge everyone who valuesMaineto focus on the invasive discussion. Together, we will make a difference.”

“Marine invasive species pose significant threats toMaine’s marine and estuarine ecosystems and species of commercial importance such as soft-shell clams,” said DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher. “Maine’s most destructive and costly invader has been the green crab which arrived in the easternU.S.in the mid-1800s via ballast water from vessels fromEuropeand significantly diminished the soft-shell clam resource.  A more recent introduction, MSX (oyster disease) in 2010 in theDamariscottaRiver, threatens the center ofMaine’s oyster aquaculture industry.

“Marine invasives are easily spread by ocean currents as well as by human activities such as shipping (ballast water) and transport by hull fouling on boats moving up and down the coast and across the seas,” the commissioner continued. “Our most effective means of dealing with marine invasive species is through prevention efforts, such as limiting importation and requiring inspections of imported species, fish health regulations, monitoring, and education.”

Invasive Species and Maine’s Prevention Efforts

Invasive species are those plants and animals, including insects and microbes, that do not originate in this country and that are likely to cause economic or environmental harm or danger to human health.Maine, because of its unique natural resources and its status as the most forested state in the nation, is under threat from numerous invasive species.

OfMaine’s nearly 6,000 lakes, only 23 lake systems, consisting of 46 water bodies, are known currently to be infested with invasive aquatic plants. These plants can hijack the habitat of native flora and fauna; degrade water quality; diminish property values; and reduce water recreation opportunities, including fishing, boating and swimming. The aquatic plants now inMaineinclude two types of milfoil, plus hydrilla, curly-leaf pondweed and European naiad.

DEP and DIF&W combined spend more than $1 million annually fighting these invasive plants. Derived from theMaineLakeand River Protection sticker required to be affixed to all inland powered watercraft, these funds in 2011 supported 76,105 Courtesy Boat Inspections, 15 plant control projects and have led to 2,800 citizen scientists trained to identify and respond to invasive plant threats.

Invasive terrestrial plants also threatenMaine’s ecology and can hurt humans. There are currently about 2,100 plant species recorded forMaine, with about 20 plant species known to be invasive and 20 more in theMainelandscape likely to become invasive. These plants can changeMaine’s landscape, such as purple loosestrife which degrades wetlands and destroys habitat, and hurt people, such as giant hogweed, a noxious weed whose sap can cause blisters and burns.

Some plants, such as such as water chestnut or porcelain berry, have not yet reachedMainebut will be costly and difficult to manage when and if they get here.Forestareas also can be affected by invasive plants, inhibiting tree growth. All these plants are monitored by MeAg, Maine Forest Service (MFS) and the Maine Natural Areas program, under MDOC, which also provide technical assistance toMainelandowners.

Maine’s forests are threatened by numerous invasive insects and tree diseases, including hemlock woolly adelgid, an insect that kills hemlocks and is now present in Maine and spreading; browntail moth, which is established in Maine and causes blisters and allergies in humans from their irritating hairs; and Asian longhorned beetle and emerald ash borer, two invasives that will destroy Maine’s forests but are not yet in Maine, rather in neighboring states and provinces.

Mainehas implemented an out-of-state firewood ban, and the Maine Forest Service is taking steps to enforce this ban. MFS and MeAg, collaborating as the Maine Bug Watch, are working to monitor and control these invasive insects.

The spread of invasive fish species withinMainecontinues to be a significant problem. Northern pike, black crappie, and bass are found in new waters each year.  These fish compete with native fish species for food and habitat. The impacts of illegal fish introductions are difficult to assess, and reversing these effects are always costly.

DIF&W continues to be involved in a number of projects that monitor and attempt to reverse illegal introduction of non-native fish species. Each year, the department trap nets Pushaw Pond to remove invasive pike and monitor population growth. In September 2010, a reclamation project began on 90-acre Big Reed Pond to save an existing population of native Arctic char. The reclamation project is almost complete, and 2012 survey data will determine if the reclamation project is a success.

Maine DMR is keeping its eye on a number of marine invasive species that have been identified in recent years, including the Asian shore crab; Didemnum, a tunicate described as looking like pancake batter that spreads over the bottom and structures; and Codium, a spongy green algae that can completely cover and smother shellfish beds. Currently DMR staff participate in the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel, the Maine Marine Invasives Working Group, and theGulf ofMaine Research Institute’s Vital Signs project. The MIT Sea Grant has conducted periodic surveys of invasive species at points along theMaine coast as part of a regional effort in the Northeast to identify and track the spread of marine invasive species.

National Invasive Species Awareness Week Activities

National Invasive Species Awareness Week, now in its third year, is an awareness week that will be marked by national, state and local events, including a major conference inWashingtonD.C., a public meeting by the National Invasive Species Council, Capitol Hill briefings on aquatic invasive species, and updates by federal agencies on important invasive species issues and initiatives.

A number of activities related to invasive species and available to the public are taking place inMaineduring the week. For more information on all the week’s events, go to:

http://umaine.edu/invasivespecies

Three major upcoming events include:

• Allison Kanoti, Maine Forest Service forest entomologist, will discuss hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), newly discovered on Mount Desert Island, at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Jesup Memorial Library, Bar Harbor. The presentation is sponsored by the Bar Harbor Conservation Commission.For more information about HWA, go to: www.maineforestservice.gov/HemlockWoollyAdelgid.htm  For more information about the presentation, contact: Allison Kanoti, 287-3147 orallison.m.kanoti@maine.gov.

• Maine Bug Watch will conduct a survey of trees at the campground at BradburyMountainState Park, Pownal, looking for signs of ALB, EAB, and HWA infestations. The survey will be held 10 a.m.-noon, Tuesday, Feb. 28. MFS District Foresters Mort Moesswilde and Ken Canfield will help with tree identification. To volunteer, contact Karen Coluzzi at MeAg:  email (karen.l.coluzzi@maine.gov) or phone 287-7551. Alternate bad weather date is Thursday, March 1, at the same time.

• The 13th Annual Maine Milfoil Summit, which is free and open to the public, will take place 8:30 a.m.-noon, Friday, March 2, at the Universityof Southern Maine, Lewiston-Auburn campus. The conference will focus on the sustainability of Maine’s invasive-plant removal efforts. DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho will address summit attendees on the goals and direction of the department’s Invasive Aquatic Plant Program, followed by a brief question–and–answer period. For more information, contact Peter Lowell, 207–647–8580 or lakes@leamaine.org

For suggestions on how to observe National Invasive Species Awareness Week, go to:http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/downloads/10_ways_to_observe.pdf

For more information about invasive species, go to the following Mainestate websites:

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/index.shtml

http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/InvasiveThreats.htm

http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/pi/pestsurvey/pestinfo/index.htm

http://www.maine.gov/dep/water/invasives/

http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mnap/features/invasives.htm

http://www.maine.gov/dmr/rm/asian_shore_crab.htm

http://www.maine.gov/dmr/rm/invasives/mitten_crab.htm

With snowshoe hikes, cross-country skiing and interpretive programs, Maine state park visitors will be able to celebrate the beauty of their state public lands, make special memories and enjoy great fun and physical activity, according to Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) officials.

“We have encouraged winter visits to our Maine state parks for a number of years through our very successful ‘Take It Outside-Winter Family Fun Days’ now taking place this season,” said Will Harris, BPL director. “This one special weekend is another opportunity for Maine residents and visitors to have lots of fun and connect with nature during a special time of year. We are very pleased to take part in the ‘Great Maine Outdoor Weekend,’ and our park staff is looking forward to this statewide event.”

“Our mission is to get people outside, and this is a perfect fit with our ‘Take It Outside’ program,” said Gary Best, BPL assistant regional manager. “No matter where you live in Maine, we have a state park in your backyard. Even if there is no organized program available, we encourage people to visit their local state park and create their own special day.”

BPL’s “Take It Outside-Winter Family Fun Days,” a winter event series at Maine state parks, is in its fourth year of encouraging families to get outside and enjoy the season. Several thousand people each year take part in a day of fun at one of five state parks that can include sliding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, skating, hot lunch, dog sled rides and ice fishing.

On Sunday, Jan. 1, BPL took part in the nationwide “First Day Hikes,” joining state parks around the country in offering day hikes in celebration of New Year’s Day. More than 235 people took part in the four “First Day Hikes” and one park manager reported that more than 500 people visited his ocean-front park that day. Admission also was free that day.

So successful was the event that Harris announced that the event would become a regular one for Maine state parks and kick off the “Take It Outside” winter events.

The “Great Maine Outdoor Weekend” has been organized by the new Maine Outdoor Coalition, a group of 26 organizations and companies, including the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, that is working together to connect more Mainers to the outdoors. More than 70 events around the state led by these outdoor-oriented organizations and companies will help Mainers to connect with the natural world and enjoy fun, physical activity, and good health. Many of the activities are free and at the introductory level.

Best pointed out that the Maine state park events are unique, in that they highlight the special features of the parks at which the events occur. Androscoggin Riverlands State Park, for example, is known for its trails and will offer a snowshoe hike and interpretive talk on winter wildlife, while coastal Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park will take advantage of its clam flats to offer a fun steamer dig.

The statewide weekend event also will allow BPL to use its brand-new Maine State Parks Ski & Snowshoe Trailer, a 12-foot-long enclosed trailer that contains cross-country skis and snowshoes to outfit park visitors, at Mt. Blue State Park. The trailer was obtained through collaboration with L.L.Bean, Healthy Hometowns, Wicked Joe Coffee Roasting Co., and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.

“We also excited about being able to include this initiative to encourage people to try out something they’ve never done before,” the assistant regional manager said.

The Maine state park events for the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend include:

Androscoggin Riverlands State Park
Entrance to the park off Center Bridge Road, Turner. FMI: (207) 782-2302 (Androscoggin Land Trust)

Snowshoe Hike & Winter Wildlife – 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, March 3. Hike with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist Joe Wiley and the Androscoggin Land Trust.

Bradbury Mountain State Park
528 Hallowell Road, Pownal, ME 04069. FMI: (207) 688-4712

Hike, Ski, or Ski Bradbury to Pineland – 2-4 p.m., Friday, March 2. Sponsored by the Royal River Conservation Trust (207-632-6112), participants will explore the new trail from the state park to Pineland Farms. Variable trips to match the interests of participants. The group will meet at the Tryon Mountain trailhead in Pownal, on Lawrence Road 1 mile north of the intersection of Elmwood and Lawrence roads.

Winter Hike/Snowshoe with the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club – 10 a.m., Saturday, March 3. Participants should bring their own gear. A limited number of rental snowshoes are available for $5 per half-day.

Bradbury Blizzard Snowshoe Race – 11:00 am, Sunday, March 4. Pre-registration is required; spectators welcome.

Mount Blue State Park
299 Center Hill Road, Weld, ME 04285, FMI: (207) 585-2261

• Cross-Country Ski and Snowshoe – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, March 3-4. Equipment available for free loan. Maine’s most beautiful outdoor ice skating rink at the park.
• Guided Snowshoeing with Rex Turner, BPL outdoor recreation planner and a Registered Maine Guide – 10 a.m., Sunday, March 4. Equipment available for free loan.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, ME 04032, FMI: (207) 865-4465

• Wabanaki Nature Legends – 2 p.m., Saturday, March 3. A short walk on the White Pines Trail with stops for stories based on Wabanaki Legends.
• Winter Steamer Dig – 2 p.m. Sunday, March 4.Try your hand at digging steamer clams!

For more information about Maine state parks, go to: www.parksandlands.com
For more information about the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend, go to: http://greatmaineoutdoorweekend.org/

Wolfe's Neck State Park

FREEPORT,Maine– Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park offers nature programs at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, and Sundays through March 25, weather permitting. Starting at the benches at the end of the second parking lot, one-hour guided programs may include a walk, short talks, and other activities. No reservations are needed except for group use, free with park admission.

Admission is $1 for ages 5-11, $3 for Maine residents ages 12-64; $4.50 for non residents ages 12 – 64; $1.50 for non residents 65 and older; persons under 5 and Maine residents 65 and older are free.  For more information or to arrange for group visits, please call 865-4465.

Calendar Entries for February 12, 2012 through March 25, 2012.

February 2012

2/12     Winter in the Woods – Increase your understanding and appreciation of some of the ways in which plants and animals survive winter.   2:00 p.m. at benches by second parking lot, 1 hour, weather permitting.  Free with park admission.  Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park,Freeport.  865-4465.

March 2012

3/3       Wabanaki Nature Legends – Enjoy this short walk on the White Pines Trail with stops for stories based on Wabanaki legends.   2:00 p.m. at benches by second parking lot, 1 hour, weather permitting.  Free with park admission. Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park,Freeport.  865-4465.

3/25     Early Spring Birds at Wolfe’s Neck – Look for resident, migrating, and newly arrived birds, possibly ospreys.  Bring your binoculars.  2:00 p.m. at benches by second parking lot, 1 hour, weather permitting. Free with park admission. Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park,Freeport.  865-4465.

Maine Department of Conservation/Bureau of Parks and Lands

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

www.parksandlands.com