Environment and Outdoors

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) has announced that it will close nearly a dozen coastal state parks and beaches on Friday to protect the health and safety of visitors from the threat of COVID-19. The parks will be closed until April 8, but that could be extended.

A spring snow storm that hit Maine overnight has knocked out power to thousands, mostly in southern Maine.

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine forestry officials are broadening restrictions about the movement of some wood and forest products to try to stop the spread of a pair of invasive pests.

BOSTON - The federal government is extending three protective zones designed to help endangered whales until late March. The protective areas are intended to protect North Atlantic right whales from ship strikes, which can be fatal.

Gov. Janet Mills is launching an effort to test whether the midcoast town of Searsport has potential as a hub for the development of wind energy off Maine's coast.

BELFAST, Maine — A New Hampshire-based development company hopes to turn 20 acres of hayfield here into a solar array that could generate enough electricity to power roughly 1,400 households.

Dozens of Bath residents questioned state wildlife officials Thursday about a proposal to trap and euthanize animals in the city to deal with an outbreak of rabies.

Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a Topsham-based conservation organization, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the completion of a six-year campaign to raise $125-million.

A messy storm lashed Maine Thursday with heavy rain, snow and gusty winds, knocking out power to homes and businesses, and prompting flood advisories and local school closings. Heavy rain fell along the coast, while up to a foot of snow is expected in the north and mountains.

As Maine’s state horticulturist, Gary Fish is no stranger to calls from people reporting observations and asking questions about pests they have found on their property. But a call from a Patten resident last week about Asian crazy worms (Amynthas agrestis) really got his attention.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission is creating a half-million dollar pilot program to encourage the buildout of electric vehicle charging stations in Maine. Roughly half the funds will allow the Efficiency Maine Trust to provide rebates of $4,000 for the purchase and installation of 60 publicly accessible charging stations.