Working Waterfront

How to become an educated Midcoast seashore explorer

When I was in my 20s and 30s, free time was a rare commodity. When it was available and the weather cooperated, my wife and I loaded the kids in the van and explored the Maine coast. It never seemed to be a question that needed discussion; we just hit… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Program gives islanders a leg up on lobstering

FRENCHBORO—Residents hoping to sustain a viable lobster fishing community are celebrating the implementation of a program that allows island fishermen to get fishing licenses more quickly than their mainland counterparts. "It’s a wonderful program to sustain the island for generations to come, not just for us, but for others," said… SEE MORE

A lobster boat surrounded by ice in Lincolnville Beach.

Working Waterfront

The winter that was, from Kittery to Belfast

As the days get warmer and the sun angle increases, causing the snow to melt and flow back into the ground, rivers and ocean, many of us think of flowers blooming, vibrant green leaves on the trees, and planting for the summer garden. Let's take a few minutes to remember… SEE MORE

Environment

Working Waterfront

Don’t fear the spotted produce… or slimy pork chops

Apparently Seattle is fining people who toss food waste instead of composting it. And in big cities like New York, some chefs are making a point of using up every last bit of broccoli stalk and cucumber butt in order to cut closer to the economic bones of their businesses.… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Swan’s Island man loses fishing licenses

Lucas Lemoine, the 33-year-old scallop fisherman from Swan's Island charged earlier this year with multiple violations of marine resources laws, has had all of his commercial fishing licenses permanently revoked as a result of a history of violations that goes back almost two decades. This is the first time a… SEE MORE

A seawall is built at Popham Beach in Phippsburg in March 2013 to protect homes from the sea.

Working Waterfront

Offshore sand and gravel extraction boon, threat

When Superstorm Sandy rolled over the Jersey shore, it washed away some 20 million cubic yards of beach sand. Replacing that resource is not optional, many believe, because decimated beaches kill tourism economies and leave coastal areas more vulnerable to damage from the next storm. So where does the sand… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Lessons learned on offshore wind

Block Island, 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, has a year-round population of about 950. Residents pay up to 60 cents per kilowatt hour for their electricity, which is generated on the island with diesel generators. Summer brings an influx of visitors and vacationers—and their money— with as… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Offshore aquaculture offers promise, may avoid conflict

Aquaculture, once seen as a viable alternative to chasing declining wild fish stocks, is rebounding. But fish farming is taking shape in locations and using technology far different from the floating pens seen just off the coast back in the early 1990s. One new area entrepreneurs are exploring is… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

L.L. Bean gives Maine Island Trail $100,000

FREEPORT — In 1987, long before “public/private ventures” became fashionable, L.L.Bean issued a small grant to create a Maine Island Trail Association, in partnership with the Maine Department of Conservation and the Island Institute. With this, the grassroots Maine Island Trail Association (often known as “MITA”) and the Maine Island… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Ogunquit lawns go organic

It will be a spring like no other in the small oceanside community of Ogunquit, after voters passed an ordinance in November banning the use of non-organic pesticides and herbicides on private lands. Voters passed a similar ban on synthetic pesticide and herbicide use on public lands in 2009. The… SEE MORE