Latest news with #East-to-West
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What the public lands fight means for Maine
Maine is about as far away as you can get from the bulk of America's federal public lands, the vast majority of which are concentrated in a dozen states west of the Mississippi River — a result of the nation's history of westward expansion. Whereas states like Utah, Nevada and Alaska are each between 60 and 80 percent federal land, just 1.5 percent of Maine is federally managed. But Mainers have as much of a stake in the current political fight over the future of federal resources as anyone else. Public lands, waters and wildlife are part of our birthright as American citizens, a public domain that we all collectively own, regardless of our proximity. Over the last five months, the Trump administration has worked to slash funding for federal land management agencies and conservation programs; open up more public lands to fossil fuel drilling, mining and other extractive development; and lay off or force out thousands of park rangers and other civil servants. The words 'protect' and 'conserve' have been largely absent from the administration's vocabulary, as it prioritizes dismantling environmental safeguards in its quest for so-called 'energy dominance.' Meanwhile, Congress is considering federal land sales to help offset Trump's tax and spending cuts — a contentious proposal that House lawmakers ultimately yanked from that chamber's version of Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful' budget package, but that Senate Republicans resurrected this week. During a recent congressional hearing to outline the Trump administration's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum invoked Maine and other East Coast states to argue that Western states with large amounts of federal land are at an economic disadvantage. 'We've got states in the East, including the 13 states that were part of the original colonies, none of them have more than 2 percent of federal land,' he said. 'I don't think any of them would stand up and say, 'We need more federal ownership in our states.'' Burgum's statement is both inaccurate — nine of the original 13 states have more than 2 percent federal land, with New Hampshire on top at 14 percent — and casts aside the history of the nation's East-to-West settlement. David Feinman, vice president of government affairs at the Conservation Lands Foundation, said it also seemed designed to pit regions of the country against each other. 'Americans across the political spectrum in every state support public land protections, whether it's Maine or Utah or anywhere else,' Feinman said. 'Regardless of the secretary's narratives, these lands do belong to everybody.' Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Feinman and others The Maine Monitor spoke to encouraged Mainers to pay close attention to the battle taking place in Washington, as it will likely impact everything from visits to national parks to our ability to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. 'It does impact all of us,' Pingree said. 'If there's one thing that the changing climate has taught us it's that we're all in this together, that overheating in one part of the country impacts another part of the country, that our weather is all impacted, that we need land to sequester carbon. There's just a whole variety of reasons that we need undeveloped lands in this country wherever it may be.' Pingree worries what the current turmoil inside the National Park Service and other federal agencies will mean not only for federally managed sites in Maine, including Acadia National Park and Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, but parks, monuments and wildlife refuges around the country. Since Trump took office, NPS has lost 13 percent of its workforce, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, and the administration's budget proposal calls for slashing more than $1 billion from NPS next year, approximately one-third of its entire operating budget. Current staffing shortages have already created numerous operational issues and public safety concerns at America's national parks. 'It's a real crime what they've done to these precious jewels,' Pingree said. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) echoed that sentiment during a budget hearing on Tuesday, telling Burgum 'it's hard for me to understand how gutting 'America's best idea' isn't America's worst idea.' Trump's agenda also threatens to stymie future conservation, outdoor recreation and forest protection efforts here at home. Among other things, Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, froze $68 million in funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Legacy Program, which focuses on protecting private forest lands through conservation easements and land acquisitions. The program is one of several funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF, which uses offshore oil and gas drilling royalties to buy land and establish and protect parks, trails, wildlife refuges, forests and important wildlife habitat. In Maine, the FLP has been key to safeguarding more than 700,000 acres of forested land, according to the LWCF Coalition. As for LWCF as a whole, Trump's 2026 budget request proposes diverting $387 million from the fund to pay for deferred maintenance at the National Park Service and other federal land management agencies — a move that Amy Lindholm, director of federal affairs at the Appalachian Mountain Club and a national coordinator at the LWCF Coalition, said would 'rob Peter to pay Paul.' Over the last five decades, Maine has received more than $220 million in LWCF funding, which has helped boost protection for places like Acadia and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail as well as supported hundreds of conservation projects via state grants. 'It's really important that we have these tools fully funded, because there's always going to be developers with deep pockets who want to acquire pieces of land,' Lindholm said. 'We just have to balance that out a little bit with access for the local community and for growing and diversifying rural economies.' Andy Cutko, director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, said cuts to federal conservation funding could impede progress toward Maine's goal of conserving 30 percent of its land by 2030, part of Maine's four-year climate plan. 'Programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Forest Legacy protect forests, strengthen the forest products sector, support rural communities, and expand outdoor recreation,' Cutko said in an email. 'They are vital tools for protecting the natural resources that are the essence of Maine.' In the absence of more public land — just 7 percent of Maine is owned by federal, state and local governments — a network of land trusts has become a model for conservation and for meeting the growing demand for outdoor access in the Pine Tree State. More than 80 land trusts have collectively safeguarded nearly three million acres, almost 15 percent of all land in the state, primarily through conservation easements on private land, according to a recent report from the Maine Land Trust Network. 'Apart from what's happening out West, the Maine model works,' said Jeff Romano, public policy director at Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which runs the Maine Land Trust Network. 'Hopefully we can push back some of these cuts to agencies and conservation programs because we do rely on that collaboration with those entities to do some good work here.' At the end of the day, public demand for open space and protecting nature isn't going anywhere, Lindholm said. 'Everybody loves the outdoors,' she said. 'It's the thing that brings people together across the political spectrum.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
ITS Logistics June Port Rail Ramp Index: Trans-Shipment Delays in Asia Signal Impending US Import Surge, Spurring Early Retail Peak
-- Backlogged empty containers and surging inbound freight are set to converge, stressing inland supply chain operations. -- ITS Logistics June Port Rail Ramp Index RENO, Nev., June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ITS Logistics today released the June forecast for the ITS Logistics US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index. This month, the index reveals increased volumes making their way to North America with reports of trans-shipment delays in Asia, most notably in Singapore. The change signals rising East-to-West freight volumes, while outside of the terminals, empty termination problems persist, especially in Los Angeles/Long Beach. Furthermore, rail gateways for inland point intermodal (IPI) legs of ocean freight will become more congested rapidly as import surges make their way inland. 'Most ports are running at 60 to 75% capacity, suggesting port operations and vessel congestion should operate efficiently,' said Paul Brashier, Vice President of Global Supply Chain for ITS Logistics. 'However, with temporary tariff relief boosting Chinese import volumes in the second half of the retail season, there are growing concerns about whether receiving capacity can effectively absorb these volumes.' Mid-summer typically marks the onset of back-to-school shipping activity, with fall and winter holiday merchandise still in production or on water. However, the April suspension of the Trump administration's tariffs on Chinese imports prompted many retailers to accelerate orders on inventory for the second half of the year—prompting another frontloading episode that has sent container rates surging even into early June. Last Friday, the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) reported a week-over-week increase of nearly 31% across all documented markets. West Coast-bound spot rates rose 58% to $6,243 per 40-foot equivalent unit (FEU), while East Coast rates increased 46% to $5,172 per container. While the rebound in activity is a welcome relief after a 13.4% drop in import volume between April and May, the Global Port Tracker's June forecast of 2.01 million TEUs still represents a 6.2% year-over-year drop in volume—signaling shippers' ongoing hesitancy in the face of shifting global politics and economic uncertainty. On June 11 President Trump announced a forthcoming trade agreement with China, referencing updated tariff rates of 55% on Chinese imports and 10% on United States exports. Until a final agreement is announced, there is still uncertainty in how this will affect the global supply chain for the remainder of 2025. Outside of the terminal gates, ongoing challenges with empty container termination are placing pressure on domestic supply chain operations—particularly in Southern California. Dwell times remain elevated due to restricted return windows, limited depot availability, and more stringent return policies from ocean carriers. Many carriers have reinstated labor-intensive termination procedures not seen since the post-COVID era, while simultaneously increasing the threshold for detention-free time exemptions. These changes introduce greater administrative complexity for drayage providers and expose shippers to additional per diem or detention charges if they do not carefully review ocean contracts. The surplus of empty containers—already straining depot space and chassis capacity—is now set to converge with a surge of frontloaded import volume from China, significantly amplifying congestion risks at ports and rail ramps. As grounded empties linger and imports move inland, shippers are likely to encounter reduced equipment availability, increased dwell times, and slower turnarounds. IPI-connected gateways should be of particular note to shippers, as summer holidays like the Fourth of July are marked by increased levels of cargo theft. Altogether, these conditions create a volatile inland environment for this unconventional peak season. 'With container termination challenges compounding port and depot congestion—and a wave of frontloaded imports moving rapidly inland—any inefficiencies could drive significant cost increases through detention costs, delays, and fraud,' Brashier advised. 'To maintain control over delivery timelines and minimize risk, shippers should consider leveraging transload, cross-dock, and one-way trucking options that offer more flexibility and security for their freight as we navigate the next few weeks.' ITS Logistics offers a full suite of network transportation solutions across North America and distribution and fulfillment services to 95% of the U.S. population within two days. These services include drayage and intermodal in 22 coastal ports and 30 rail ramps, a full suite of asset and asset-lite transportation solutions, omnichannel distribution and fulfillment, LTL, and outbound small parcel. The ITS Logistics US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index forecasts port container and dray operations for the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf regions. Ocean and domestic container rail ramp operations are also highlighted in the index for both the West Inland and East Inland regions. Visit here for a full comprehensive copy of the index with expected forecasts for the US port and rail ramps. About ITS LogisticsITS Logistics is one of North America's fastest-growing, asset-based modern 3PLs, providing solutions for the industry's most complicated supply chain challenges. With a people-first culture committed to excellence, the company relentlessly strives to deliver unmatched value through best-in-class service, expertise, and innovation. The ITS Logistics portfolio features North America's #18 asset-lite freight brokerage, the #12 drayage and intermodal solution, an asset-based dedicated fleet, an innovative cloud-based technology ecosystem, and a nationwide distribution and fulfillment network. Media ContactAmber GoodLeadCoverageamber@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
