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Good morning,
Last year, The Monitor published a series on Maine’s salt marshes that Annie Ropeik and I had been working on for months. It outlined the threats to these ecosystems from both development and rising seas, and detailed some of the ways the state has worked to preserve wetlands from development over the past few decades.
One of the ways the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has mitigated the impact of development on wetlands (salt marshes and others) over the years has been to require developers to preserve one wetland in exchange for filling in another. In such cases, an easement or some kind of restriction is attached to the property’s deed, typically stipulating that it cannot be developed, even if it is later sold.
Except in the case we’re bringing you this week, that final step — the filing of the legal document that was supposed to protect the wetland “in perpetuity” — appears never to have happened.
The property, a 24-acre lot in Belfast, is now for sale by We Buy and Resell Homes LLC as a commercial property, with no mention that it was ever supposed to be protected from development.
We’ve also got a great piece by our Ida B. Wells intern Stacey Zhang on the drop in immigrant arrivals in Maine and the ending of a transitional housing program, an update on electric vehicles and some exciting news on Monitor awards.
Thank you for reading, as always
— Kate |
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A shady land deal in Belfast as a conservation easement goes missing
A wetland in Belfast was supposed to be conserved “in perpetuity.” Instead it’s being sold as commercial property.
Read this story by Murray Carpenter |
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Maine winds down housing programs for asylum seekers: A transitional housing program and a shelter are expected to close as the number of new arrivals dwindles and state funds dry up. Read this story by Stacey Zhang |
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Buying an EV? You might want to do it soon: A $7,500 rebate for new vehicles and 30% or $4,000 credit on used vehicles will expire at the end of September. Read this story by Julia Tilton |
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A 13-year-old immigrant was arrested in Maine. It took 2 weeks to get her home.
The girl, who was in a vehicle stopped near Farmington before Memorial Day and was released after intervention from politicians, is an example of how children have become ensnared in President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda.
Read this story by Callie Ferguson of the Bangor Daily News
Note: this story appears on The Maine Monitor's website as part of our collaboration with Maine Focus, the investigative team of the Bangor Daily News. Read more about the partnership
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The Maine Monitor wins 10 awards from the National Newspaper Association Foundation
“Stories like this remind readers why newspapers continue to play an important role in their daily lives,” a contest judge wrote of one Monitor story.
Read this story |
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Have feedback or a correction to send to Kate Cough? Send it to her directly via email: kate@themainemonitor.org.
The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support. |
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