Latest news with #ConservationandForestry
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Camden lawmaker proposes increase in state fines for improper pesticide use
Apr. 29—AUGUSTA — A Camden lawmaker is proposing an increase in state fines for improper pesticide use in response to a high-profile case in which a wealthy landowner's pesticide use damaged a neighbor's trees and caused chemicals to migrate to a nearby town park. The proposal from Rep. Vicki Doudera, a Democrat, comes in response to a 2022 case in Camden in which Amelia and Arthur Bond were cited for improperly using the herbicide Tebuthiuron, despite it being labeled "not for residential use," and for violating town ordinances by clearing too much vegetation and topping trees too close to the shoreline. The Bonds paid over $1.7 million in penalties, which included a $1.5 million settlement paid to the neighbor, Lisa Gorman, the widow of former chairman Leon Gorman; around $210,000 for violating the town's zoning ordinance and to cover the cost of soil testing in a nearby park; and $4,500 in fines to the state. "As soon as this happened, I had two thoughts," Doudera said during a legislative hearing Tuesday. "First, that the perpetrators would pay state fines that would be minuscule, not only in comparison to the damage done, but also to the monetary value of their now-expanded harbor view. Second, that I would be putting in legislation to increase the fines." Doudera's bill, LD 1697, would raise civil fines for pesticide violations from a maximum of $1,500 per violation to a maximum of $25,000. In cases where the violator is found to have "benefitted substantially," such as by increased property values, from the violation, the maximum penalty would increase from $4,000 to $50,000. Subsequent violations within the same four-year time period would be subject to maximum fines of $75,000 and $150,000, respectively. The bill would also direct the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to adopt rules allowing civil lawsuits to be brought against violators if pesticide application affects more than one property, providing for the restoration of property and vegetation in addition to the monetary penalties, and specifically designating pesticides with the active ingredient Tebuthiuron as state restricted use pesticides. Alex Peacock, director of the Bureau of Pesticides Control in the department, testified in support of the bill, saying the current penalties have been unchanged for over 20 years and have "lost their potency as deterrents." "Indeed, some applicators have come to view the current penalty structure as the cost of doing business," Peacock said. Some of the rulemaking proposals of the bill are redundant or unnecessary, Peacock said, noting for example that the bureau is already working on classifying Tebuthiuron as a restricted use pesticide, meaning that its use would be limited to certified applicators only. "But we strongly agree that ... the updates to existing penalties are needed," he said. In addition to the case in Camden, there have also been other instances of pesticide violations around the state, Doudera said. "I wish this was an isolated case, but it's not," she said. A list of violations on the Bureau of Pesticides Control website includes eight cases from 2024 and 11 from 2023, including the Bonds case. Heather Spalding, deputy director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, said the association has been advocating for years for stronger regulations of pesticides sales and use. "We really are grateful for Rep. Doudera for her leadership in bringing forward this important legislation and we also want to thank the Board of Pesticides Control for their encouragement to get this much-needed increase in fines," Spalding said. No one testified against the bill Tuesday, though the executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine testified neither for nor against and said changes should be approached with caution. Eric Venturini said the increased penalties could be devastating for farmers. "Maybe there's a place to increase penalties, but not quite to the level that has been proposed," he said. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal cuts leave Maine food pantries with empty shelves and more need than ever
Apr. 6—Sandy Swett is used to driving hundreds of miles each week to pick up food donations to stock the Harrison Food Bank. With 1,000 people coming in every week for groceries, she also depends on the half-million pounds of healthy food the organization receives from a federal program each month. Starting this week, though, that amount has been cut in half — creating a crisis that food pantry directors say will make it harder to feed the thousands of Mainers who rely on the emergency food system. "I don't know what we're going to do," said Swett, the food pantry's executive director. "Our shelves are bare. Our meat cooler is bare. It's made a huge impact and the need is worse than ever." The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last month that it is cutting the amount of food distributed through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides U.S.-grown food to participating states. The agency also terminated its Local Food Purchase Assistance program, which gives states money to buy local food for meal programs, food banks and other organizations that aid underserved populations. That program helped improve food security in Maine while creating opportunities for local farmers, according to the state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. All of these cuts come as the number of Mainers experiencing food insecurity is increasing, putting more pressure on the network of hundreds of food pantries and meal programs across the state that rely on TEFAP and other federal programs. Many of the programs are run by volunteers, operate on small budgets funded primarily by donations and serve rural communities with high numbers of people living near or below the poverty line. One in eight Mainers, or about 180,000 people, faces hunger — the highest food insecurity rate in New England, according to data collected by the national nonprofit Feeding America. That includes roughly 45,000 children. "It's going to be really devastating," said Hannah Chatalbash, executive director of the Brunswick-based Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. "We've never been in a position where the need was so high and the federal government was restricting access to critical food at the same time." NO SAFETY NET Good Shepherd Food Bank, which distributes food to a network of more than 600 partners across the state, typically relies on TEFAP for about 20% of what it sends out. But last week, the organization received only 250,000 pounds, half of what it normally gets. TEFAP was created to help supplement the diets of lower-income Americans through emergency food assistance. In fiscal year 2024, the program received $461.5 million to buy food nationwide and $80 million for administrative costs. The cancellation "takes food away from hungry Maine people already facing high grocery prices and hurts Maine farmers who are already squeezed by tariffs and other cuts to domestic markets," Sen. Angus King said in a recent statement, announcing that he had joined 25 other senators in pushing the USDA to reinstate food shipments. Heather Paquette, president of Auburn-based Good Shepherd, said cutting the amount of food will force food programs to try to find other ways to buy food, a potentially insurmountable challenge for smaller pantries that serve especially vulnerable populations. Staff at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention are still trying to figure out how to adjust its programs, which include its main pantry in Brunswick and smaller locations at schools, town halls and low-income senior housing complexes. The organization had more than 16,000 food pantry visits last year, an increase of 143% since 2019. Mid Coast Hunger Prevention had been receiving 11,000 to 14,000 pounds of food each month through TEFAP, but the April distribution was only 8,000 pounds and Chatalbash expects that amount to drop over the next couple of months. She said the organization will have to do additional fundraising to try to buy more food and may have to cut back on how much it redistributes to smaller pantries. She has already heard about a food pantry in Aroostook County that may have to close entirely. "For most pantries, what this means is they either have to decide they're simply going to distribute less food, which is not a choice we ever want to make, or they have to find the money to buy it," Chatalbash said. "There is no safety net here." In Harrison, the food bank has already cut back how much food people can receive. Recently, Swett put notes in boxes delivered to more than 350 people who can't get to the pantry — they're among the most vulnerable people served by the program — to explain why they were getting less food. "I got five old ladies calling saying, 'If someone else needs my food, let them have it,'" she said. "I think food is a basic human right. I can understand a lot of the government cuts, but food is not something you can take away from people." 'IT WILL GET WORSE' Rena Kearney is anticipating at least 20% less food will be delivered to Mars Hill Community Cupboard, a small pantry in Aroostook County. She's already thinking about which organizations and churches she can reach out to for donations. "We'll be hurting," she said. Though small, the pantry, open twice a month to about 30 people from five communities, is a critical resource. Many of the clients are older and on fixed incomes. If the pantry closes or doesn't have enough food to go around, some of its clients simply can't travel 15 miles or more to another food pantry, Kearney said. At the other end of the state, Footprints, in Kittery, has seen a dramatic rise in people coming in to pick up food in the market-style pantry. In the past year, it has recorded 28,000 shopping visits from 651 households. Executive Director Megan Shapiro-Ross is projecting a 97% increase in households seeking food assistance this year as people also face rising housing and utility costs. "Recent funding cuts have the potential to drive these numbers even higher, increasing the strain on our resources," she said. Shapiro-Ross said Footprints has already been seeing more people come in seeking meat, dairy or eggs that they can't find at other food pantries. So far the organization has kept up with the demand, but she worries about the impact on the community. "I'm going to try to stay rooted in optimism and think we're going to get through this," Shapiro-Ross said. "But it will get worse before it gets better." The timing of TEFAP reductions is a challenge at the Waterville Food Bank, where the number of people served has jumped by at least 25% in the past six months. At least 300 families come in each month, said Sandra Hammond, president of the food pantry board. With a 50% reduction in its TEFAP food, Hammond said, the food bank is now having to buy more food at a time when grocery prices continue to tick up. They're trying to figure out how to make a new push for donations and may need to do food drives to keep the pantry going, she said. "There's no reason for anyone in this country to be hungry." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
20 geese found on Ogunquit Beach likely died of bird flu, town officials say
Feb. 27—Twenty geese found on Ogunquit Beach may have died of avian flu, according to town officials. Preliminary assessments suggest that the death may be attributed to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly known as avian or bird flu, town officials said in a notice to residents Wednesday. The dead geese were removed and disposed of following proper health and safety protocols, according to the town. The notice did not say when the birds were found. Twenty-four birds have tested positive for avian influenza in the state. All of those cases were in York and Cumberland counties and mainly along the coast from Falmouth to Kittery, said Mark Latti, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Ogunquit reported the 20 dead geese to the state before they were collected and disposed of by the town of Wells, Latti said. "The cause of death for these geese were consistent with avian influenza. As avian influenza has already been documented in the town and area, there was no need to test these birds," Latti said. "We are concentrating testing in areas where the disease has yet to be documented this year." Three ducks and two seagulls were found dead this week on Short Sands beach in York. Latti said their deaths were also consistent with bird flu. Earlier this month, Maine moved its risk factor for animals from "moderate" to "high" as a result of positive tests. State officials said at the time that avian influenza had been detected in four Canada geese, two red-tailed hawks and a great horned owl in recent weeks. Those cases were in Kennebunk, Kittery, Ogunquit, South Portland and York. Latti said songbirds are less susceptible to avian influenza. There have been no human cases of bird flu reported in Maine, and state health officials consider the current risk to human health as low. Not all dead wild birds are likely to have avian flu, but reporting sick, injured or dead birds helps with statewide surveillance efforts. Wildlife officials are particularly interested in reports of three or more dead birds in a localized area. People can report a sick or dead wild bird by calling 207-287-8000 or 800-452-4664, or reporting it online with MDIFW. Reports of dead domestic poultry should be made to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry using its online form. State officials are urging residents to take precautions to limit the spread of bird flu, such as reducing contact between domestic and wild birds, washing hands before and after handling birds, wearing clean clothing and sanitizing boots and equipment before and after entering coops, providing clean drinking water to domesticated animals, securing food to prevent rodents and monitoring flocks for illness. The bird flu epidemic is ravaging millions of domesticated animals in other parts of the country and is the primary reason for a shortage of eggs and a recent spike in egg prices. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More avian flu found in wild birds in Maine as state urges precautions
Feb. 11—Maine state officials reported new cases of bird flu in wild birds Tuesday and urged precautions to protect chickens and other domesticated birds. Avian influenza has been detected in "four Canada geese, two red-tailed hawks, and a great horned owl in recent weeks." The cases were in Kennebunk, Kittery, Ogunquit, South Portland and York. Wild birds can pass the disease to domesticated chickens or ducks, although there have not been any confirmed cases in domesticated animals in Maine since March 2024. More than 90 wild birds in Maine have tested positive for bird flu since 2024, according to federal statistics. Maine has moved its risk factor for animals from "moderate" to "high" this week as a result of positive tests. The bird flu epidemic is ravaging millions of domesticated animals in other parts of the country — especially poultry and cows — and is the primary reason for a shortage of eggs and a recent spike in egg prices. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting a total of 68 human cases nationwide, with one recently confirmed in a Nevada dairy worker. Maine has not yet reported a human case of the bird flu, and the Maine CDC considers the current risk to human health from bird flu as "low." Symptoms of bird flu in humans include headache, fever and chills, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The Maine CDC, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are urging residents to take precautions to limit the spread of bird flu. To help limit the spread of disease, reduce contact between domestic and wild birds; wash hands before and after handling birds; wear clean clothing and sanitize boots and equipment before and after entering coops, provide clean drinking water to domesticated animals, secure food to prevent rodents, and monitor flocks for illness. To report a sick or dead wild bird, call 207-287-8000 or 800-452-4664, or report it online with MDIFW. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Farmers and lawmakers hope to secure future of Maine's PFAS support program
Maine has been a leader in regulating perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — including being the first state to pass a rule requiring manufacturers to report intentionally added PFAS in products. (Photo by Getty Images) Adrienne Lee and her husband have been farming on their 94 acres of field and forest in the town of Knox for more than a decade. Three years ago, they found high levels of so-called forever chemicals in their land and water sources, as well as in their bodies. 'This discovery put us in a tailspin of trying to figure out if we could have a viable path forward in farming,' Lee told the Maine Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee Thursday morning. While her family's farm is still on 'shaky ground,' Lee said they can see a path forward thanks to support they have received from the state's efforts to address contaminated agricultural land. Lee shared her family's story during a public hearing for LD 130, a bill sponsored by Sen. Henry Ingwersen (D-York) on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. While the state already has a robust program to support farms with high levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, the proposal would codify those programs into state law with a few modifications to ensure the support for farmers and remediation can continue. The department was slated to provide a more detailed PFAS update to the agriculture committee Thursday, but it was postponed due to inclement weather closing state facilities early. Thanks to a $60 million allocation in the 2021 state budget, the department has developed a program to assist farmers and respond to high levels of PFAS in agricultural land. In the years since, the department has made significant progress on those efforts and learned that most contaminated farms can remain viable with the proper support, said Beth Valentine, director of the department's PFAS Fund. As Ingwersen told the committee, LD 130 would enshrine in statute Maine's existing response program for PFAS contamination on farmland, which has been touted as a national leader. The PFAS Response program currently has seven full-time staff members who provide technical and financial assistance to more than 80 farms with varying levels of contamination. There is also a three-person PFAS Fund team that provides direct financial support and access to health services, as well as further research to better inform farmers. The bill includes modest revisions to the fund to make it more efficient and effective, Valentine explained. 'The only reason that I can speak to you today and talk about our farm in the present tense is in large part due to the state's creation of the PFAS Fund and the work that DACF has done to support Maine farmers who are dealing with PFAS,' Lee said. The bill also includes new restrictions on PFAS — which have been linked to serious long-term health problems including cancer, weakened immune systems, developmental issues, and more — that advocates and members of the agricultural community praised during the public hearing. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), Maine Farmland Trust and the University of Maine System, including the Cooperative Extension were among those who testified in support of the bill. The proposed legislation would allow the department, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, to set maximum PFAS limits in farm products. Establishing these limits would provide relief to farmers who are unsure if their products are safe to sell, said Sarah Woodbury, vice president of policy and advocacy for the Portland-based public health nonprofit Defend Our Health. Heather Spalding, executive director of MOFGA, echoed the support, saying that farmers haven't received guidance on whether they should pull their products from the marketplace, so these limits would offer protections and a more level playing field. There was also support for other components of the bill that could be described as housekeeping measures, such as changing the required number of meetings each year for the fund's advisory committee and ensuring that health information handled by the response program is treated as confidential. Valentine clarified that the bill does not include a fiscal note because the original funding that established the program is sufficient to keep it running. No one testified in opposition to the bill during the hearing Thursday. While Maine has been a leader in establishing PFAS protections — including being the first state to pass a rule requiring manufacturers to report intentionally added PFAS in products — lawmakers have multiple proposals this session to continue addressing the prevalence of PFAS in the state. For example, Rep. Dan Ankeles (D-Brunswick) put forth a package of legislation seeking to remove and regulate PFAS-laden firefighting foam after 1,600 gallons of it spilled at the Brunswick Executive Airport last summer. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
