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Greetings from Downeast, where the alewives are running — right around the corner from our house! Gardner Lake is one several locations where you can see this amazing, once a year marvel of nature. The important anadromous fish, also known as river herring, fight their way upstream each spring to spawn in fresh water before returning to the ocean for another year.

Dams can pose obstacles to this migration, historically reducing their populations, as well as those of salmon and other species. Conservation groups and the state are working to replenish those numbers by removing dams or installing fish ladders, like the one soon being constructed at Whiting Mill Pond. You can take a look at some alewife action and learn more at the annual Alewife Celebration in Penobscot next Saturday.

You may know from reading The Monitor's coverage of dams that their removal can be politically complicated and impactful on the humans that rely on the water bodies they create as well. 

Speaking of a tough uphill climb, high school and college graduates are celebrating years of hard work over the next few weeks. The University of Maine at Machias held its graduation last Saturday, where Passamaquoddy cultural ambassador Dwayne Tomah was awarded an honorary degree for his tireless work preserving Wabanaki heritage and educating others about honoring the land and indigenous traditions.

Maine resilience projects face yet another funding setback

The Trump administration is scaling back a multi-billion dollar hazard mitigation grant program that states have long used to protect homes and businesses from floods and other disasters.

Read this story by Emmett Gartner of The Maine Monitor

While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. 

The CAT roars back to life this week as the ferry service plans to resume its round-trip rides from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. | Mount Desert Islander

The issue of cruise ship disembarkation will once again come before the Bar Harbor Board of Appeals, as resident Charles Sidman has filed a challenge to the town’s ability to tender passengers at Ells Pier. | Mount Desert Islander

The sudden termination of a $9 million federal grant has paused efforts to rebuild a flood ravaged road Downeast and improve water flow to a nearby salt marsh. | Maine Public

Tremont science students are working to restore salt marshes on Mount Desert Island and have planted 800 salt marsh plants, also called “plugs,” in degraded areas of Babson Marsh. | Mount Desert Islander

ICYMI: As Maine diversifies, so does its health care workforce. The number of workers in health care in Maine identifying as non-White is up 143 percent in the past decade. | The Maine Monitor

The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians has returned a representative to the Maine House for the first time since 2018, a sign of a improved relations between the state and the Wabanaki tribes. | Portland Press Herald

A new Portland Press Herald analysis of the state’s yellow flag data reveals significant geographic disparities in how often police have removed weapons from dangerous individuals. | Portland Press Herald

Maine Border Patrol arrests hit 24-year high in April, ICE flies some of those detained out of state. | Maine Public

Crossing the U.S.-Canadian border is getting harder for Canadian students at Maine colleges, prompting some Canadian students to attend classes online rather than in person at Aroostook County universities. | Bangor Daily News

After a five-year hiatus, a general store on Columbia Falls is back in business under new ownership. Columbia Falls General, which operated from 2018 through 2020 under previous owners, re-opened last week. | Bangor Daily News

ICYMI: Lawmakers are considering a bill that would prevent private equity companies or real estate investment trusts from acquiring or increasing ownership of Maine hospitals until June 2029. | The Maine Monitor

Progress is being made in the restoration of the Glen Mary pool, although locals will have to wait until at least 2026 to take advantage of this iconic summer spot. | Mount Desert islander

The Harbor Committee voted 5-0 to explore a wooden decking solution for Manset Dock during its meeting last week in order to address urgent repairs needed to make the dock usable before the start of the season. | Mount Desert Islander

Recent proposed revisions to Gouldsboro’s Harbor Management Ordinance elicited strong input from fishermen and other locals during the town’s Select Board meeting May 8. | The Ellsworth American

Age-Friendly Sullivan was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation to help with plans to construct a new skatepark. | The Ellsworth American

Hancock voters approved a $6,292,011 municipal budget and 85 articles of the town warrant during their annual Town Meeting this week. | The Ellsworth American  

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. If you have feedback or a tip that you want to send to Joyce Kryszak directly, email her at: joyce@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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