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Endangered Whales Still Get Tangled In Fishing Gear: Let’S Change The Way We Approach The Problem, Tora Johnson Dec 2023

Endangered Whales Still Get Tangled In Fishing Gear: Let’S Change The Way We Approach The Problem, Tora Johnson

Maine Policy Review

The Gulf of Maine lobster industry has been roiled by conflict over whale entanglement for decades. With fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales remaining, federal regulators are again seeking to implement new measures to protect them from tangling in fishing gear, while the lobster industry faces myriad challenges. My 2005 book Entanglements examined the complex and fraught debate between whale advocates and fishermen. Each side believed the other was inherently evil, greedy, and unduly powerful. Of course, the truth lay somewhere between. Between them were the brave souls who went to sea to wrestle fishing gear off of entangled …


Understanding Occupational Injury And Substance Use Issues Among Workers In The Shellfish And Lobster Industries, Tora Johnson, Katherine Weatherford Darling, Debra Kantor, Joseph Spiller, Oliver G. Jones, Lois-Ann Kuntz, Tara Casimir, Amy Dowley, Greyson Kurtz, Lauren Sachs, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy Dec 2023

Understanding Occupational Injury And Substance Use Issues Among Workers In The Shellfish And Lobster Industries, Tora Johnson, Katherine Weatherford Darling, Debra Kantor, Joseph Spiller, Oliver G. Jones, Lois-Ann Kuntz, Tara Casimir, Amy Dowley, Greyson Kurtz, Lauren Sachs, Linda Silka, Bridie Mcgreavy

Maine Policy Review

In 2022, American lobster (Homarus americanus) and softshell clam (Mya arenaria) harvests contributed $283 million to Downeast Maine’s economy, employing thousands of harvesters. Harvesting is grueling work. Pain from work-related injuries precedes most opioid deaths, and workers in fisheries are disproportionately at risk. Harvesters are typically self-employed and often uninsured or underinsured, complicating access to care. Prior studies have focused on injury risk or drug use among harvesters without revealing how injury, pain and substance use intertwine with cultural, social and regulatory factors. This study examined the socio-ecologically embedded injury/ pain/ substance use process with surveys of harvesters (n=106) and …


Harnessing The Power Of Storytelling And Storylistening: Fostering Challenging Conversations In Coastal Communities, Holly E. Parker Phd Dec 2023

Harnessing The Power Of Storytelling And Storylistening: Fostering Challenging Conversations In Coastal Communities, Holly E. Parker Phd

Maine Policy Review

As sustainability practitioners we often spend our time in vibrant echo chambers. We’re invigorated by debates about how to support just and sustainable communities and environments. But what happens outside that echo chamber? What happens when we meet a neighbor, a colleague or a decisionmaker who doesn’t share our urgency for action? Do we go it alone as we seek to make change? Or do we need to build new, unexpected partnerships? In a time when technology and political and social divisiveness make it easy to dismiss the other, it is vital that we build pathways to understanding opposing points …


The Disposal Mode Of Maine’S Waste Governance, Travis Blackmer, Brieanne Berry, Michael Haedicke, Cindy Isenhour, Susanne Lee, Jean Macrae, Deborah Saber, Erin Victor Jul 2023

The Disposal Mode Of Maine’S Waste Governance, Travis Blackmer, Brieanne Berry, Michael Haedicke, Cindy Isenhour, Susanne Lee, Jean Macrae, Deborah Saber, Erin Victor

Maine Policy Review

Maine’s materials management system is stuck in a disposal mode of waste governance. Despite significant investments in programs and policies designed to reduce the amount of waste the state buries each year, recent shocks and uncertainties have resulted in increased waste generation and disposal. This paper analyzes specific ways through which materials management in Maine has become locked in to a disposal mode of waste governance. We build a framework to help understand various forms of lock-in and how they might be unlocked. This framework is applied to the extended producer responsibility packaging law that is presently under the rule-making …


Community Science In Support Of Ecosystem-Based Management: A Case Study From The Damariscotta River Estuary, Maine, Usa, Sarah C. Risley, Kara E. Pellowe, Melissa L. Britsch, Meredith M. White, Heather M. Leslie Jan 2023

Community Science In Support Of Ecosystem-Based Management: A Case Study From The Damariscotta River Estuary, Maine, Usa, Sarah C. Risley, Kara E. Pellowe, Melissa L. Britsch, Meredith M. White, Heather M. Leslie

Maine Policy Review

Coastal marine ecosystems are dynamic social-ecological systems (SESs) that support diverse ecosystem services and human activities. The complexity of SESs means that ecosystem-based approaches are increasingly used to support coastal marine ecosystem stewardship. We report how a community science program in Maine, USA offers a model of organizational innovation to expand capacities for shellfish research and management. Since 2019, we have collaborated with local students, shellfish harvesters, and others in data collection, interpretation, and application, contributing to local shellfish management and ecosystem sustainability. We demonstrate how community-based social and ecological research can build adaptive capacities by centering local knowledge; generating …


Race And Public Policy In Maine: Past, Present, And Future, James Myall Jan 2020

Race And Public Policy In Maine: Past, Present, And Future, James Myall

Maine Policy Review

Maine’s bicentennial year is an appropriate moment to reflect on the historical legacy of public policy in Maine. In particular, the impact of historic policy decisions on people of color in the state is widely overlooked, perhaps because of Maine’s historical whiteness. This piece will show that, like the rest of the United States, Maine has a history of state-sanctioned discrimination, the consequences of which resonate today. Policymakers need to understand the harmful legacy of racist public policy in Maine if they are to avoid perpetuating those inequalities. Further, this piece will argue that it is not enough for lawmakers …


Reflecting On Maine’S Changing Productive Coastal Region, Teresa R. Johnson Jan 2020

Reflecting On Maine’S Changing Productive Coastal Region, Teresa R. Johnson

Maine Policy Review

This article reflects on Maine’s changing coastal region and blue economy. Much of Maine’s coastal economy is now considered to be overly dependent on a single commercial fishery, the iconic Maine lobster fishery. Marine aquaculture has grown in the last 10 years, with expansion expected both on land and sea. Marine renewable energy is also an emerging use but remains a frontier. These changes have been exacerbated by demographic changes characterized by youth out- and amenity migration. As community demographics and coastal uses continue to change following the region’s postproductive transition, policymakers must be proactive in considering potential conflicts emerging …


The Political Geography Of Maine’S Economic Future: Cities And Their Metro Regions, Joseph W. Mcdonnell Jan 2020

The Political Geography Of Maine’S Economic Future: Cities And Their Metro Regions, Joseph W. Mcdonnell

Maine Policy Review

Following a global trend that now has more than 55 percent of the world population living in cities and their metro regions, Maine’s economic and population growth are driven by our cities and the surrounding metro areas. The trend, however, will not meet Maine’s goal to attract a future workforce and reduce greenhouse gas emissions without regional solutions to housing, education, homelessness, climate adaptation, and public transportation. Meeting these challenges will require a loosening of attitudes about local control and an embracing of regional solutions to the critical issues inhibiting Maine’s economic growth. The political leadership of the state, cities, …


Indigenous Voices Charting A Course Beyond The Bicentennial: Eba Gwedji Jik-Sow-Dul-Din-E Wedji Gizi Nan-Ul-Dool-Tehigw (Let’S Try To Listen To Each Other So That We Can Get To Know Each Other), Gail Dana-Sacco Jan 2020

Indigenous Voices Charting A Course Beyond The Bicentennial: Eba Gwedji Jik-Sow-Dul-Din-E Wedji Gizi Nan-Ul-Dool-Tehigw (Let’S Try To Listen To Each Other So That We Can Get To Know Each Other), Gail Dana-Sacco

Maine Policy Review

The Indigenous peoples of this area, now known as the state of Maine, hold a cultural framework embedded in our languages that reflects a sophisticated understanding of our intimate and complex connections with all people and with the environment in which we live. Our collective identity as Indigenous people resides here and provides a firm foundation for strong healthy communities. Author Gail Dana-Sacco explores the history of Maine’s Indigenous peoples and their interactions with the state of Maine over its 200-year history.


A Call For Repairing The Harms Of Colonization: Maine’S Bicentennial As An Opportunity For Truth, Acknowledgment, Resistance, And Healing, Erika Arthur, Penthea Burns Jan 2020

A Call For Repairing The Harms Of Colonization: Maine’S Bicentennial As An Opportunity For Truth, Acknowledgment, Resistance, And Healing, Erika Arthur, Penthea Burns

Maine Policy Review

The authors examine the colonized history and present of Maine to recognize that the state’s bicentennial may not mean the same thing to all who live here. They explore the impact of settler colonialism on Wabanaki people and settler descendants and recognize the ways colonization lives in our laws, structures, policies, and worldview. And yet, in Maine today, there are already examples of the holistic, indigenous-led engagement, healing, and advocacy that this history and present call for, such as the work of Maine-Wabanaki REACH. However, this moment asks for many more of us who trace our lineages to settlers to …


Maine’S Changing Demographics: Implications For Workforce, Economy, And Policy, Amanda K. Rector Jan 2020

Maine’S Changing Demographics: Implications For Workforce, Economy, And Policy, Amanda K. Rector

Maine Policy Review

The fundamental purpose of any policy is to safeguard and improve the well-being of people. The understanding of any policy decision, therefore, must start with an understanding of demographics. This article reviews Maine’s demographics using data from the 1820 and 1920 censuses and comparing them to recent population estimates. The author finds trends that persist over time as well as ways in which Maine’s demographics have changed over the past 200 years. As 2019 ended and 2020 began, Maine saw its largest challenges as being related to the current demographic situation: slow population growth, limited available workforce, and increased demand …


Finding Inspiration (And Profit) In Maine’S Living Heritage: New Entrepreneurs Drawing Upon The Past, Kreg Ettenger 9290424 Jan 2020

Finding Inspiration (And Profit) In Maine’S Living Heritage: New Entrepreneurs Drawing Upon The Past, Kreg Ettenger 9290424

Maine Policy Review

Maine has a rich heritage of traditional arts and industries that derive from its Indigenous and settler populations and the ways its people have used its natural resources and adapted to its diverse environments. This heritage continues today in a variety of forms, from economic activities like resource harvesting to artistic expressions such as music, dance, storytelling, and the visual arts. This essay looks at how traditional or folk activities, including foods, beverages, and other artisanal industries, continue to play an important role in Maine’s economic, social, and cultural landscape. Far from being quaint traditions maintained for cultural reasons, they …


Progress For Young Mainers Paved By Education, Michael P. Delorge Jan 2020

Progress For Young Mainers Paved By Education, Michael P. Delorge

Maine Policy Review

Each year the Margaret Chase Smith Library sponsors an essay contest for high school seniors. The essay prompt for 2020 asked students to propose how they would make Maine “the way life should be” for young people so that more of them will choose to live in a state with one of the oldest populations in the nation. Essays have been edited for length. This is the second-place essay.


Institutional Challenges To Workforce Development In Maine, Thomas Remington Jan 2020

Institutional Challenges To Workforce Development In Maine, Thomas Remington

Maine Policy Review

The problem of workforce development in Maine has become acute. An important factor for understanding the issue of workforce development, in Maine and nationally, is rising economic inequality. High inequality impedes the working of labor markets, and over time, reduces opportunity and mobility. In Maine, as elsewhere, income gaps have widened between rich and poor while the middle class has been shrinking. Moreover, the gap between high-income and low-income counties has been growing. Meantime, many good-paying jobs are going unfilled. Comprehensive institutional solutions can help overcome these problems by matching supply and demand in the labor market, but they are …


The Hobby Lobby Case And Arguments Around An Equal Rights Amendment, Madeleine Archer Jan 2019

The Hobby Lobby Case And Arguments Around An Equal Rights Amendment, Madeleine Archer

Maine Policy Review

Each year the Margaret Chase Smith Library sponsors an essay contest for high school seniors. The essay prompt for 2019 asked students to assess the arguments for and against an Equal Rights Amendment.


Key To The Past: Community Perceptions Of Yup’Ik Youth Interaction With Culturally Relevant Education Inspired By The Nunalleq Archaeology Project, Sean R. O'Rourke, Justin J. Turner, Krista Ritchie Nov 2018

Key To The Past: Community Perceptions Of Yup’Ik Youth Interaction With Culturally Relevant Education Inspired By The Nunalleq Archaeology Project, Sean R. O'Rourke, Justin J. Turner, Krista Ritchie

Journal of Archaeology and Education

This study qualitatively describes a) the implementation of culturally relevant education (CRE) programs for Yup’ik youth in Quinhagak, Alaska that developed from the Nunalleq Project—a nearby archaeological excavation—and b) community members’ and program facilitators’ perceptions of associated youth social and psychological outcomes. Ten semi-structured interviews (seven community members, three program facilitators) were undertaken and analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Community members and program facilitators attributed numerous outcomes to the Nunalleq-related CRE, such as imparting practical skills (e.g., wilderness survival, artistic and technological skills), teaching young people to value their heritage (e.g., educating them about the struggles their ancestors overcame), and …


The Role Of Immigrants, Asylum Seekers, And Refugees In Confronting Maine’S Demographic Challenges, Robert W. Glover Jan 2016

The Role Of Immigrants, Asylum Seekers, And Refugees In Confronting Maine’S Demographic Challenges, Robert W. Glover

Maine Policy Review

The state of Maine currently faces a looming “demographic winter.” The state and its communities will struggle to maintain viable and vibrant communities in the decades to come due the current demographic situation, and will encounter a host of economic and political challenges as a result. Working to make Maine an attractive destination for immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees must be at the forefront of efforts to address this challenge. This article lays out the difficult demographic situation that Maine currently faces and will face in the years to come and articulates why, more than ever, fostering greater diversity in …


A Smiling Face Is Half The Meal: The Role Of Cooperation In Sustaining Maine’S Local Food Industry, Ethan Tremblay, Timothy Waring Jan 2015

A Smiling Face Is Half The Meal: The Role Of Cooperation In Sustaining Maine’S Local Food Industry, Ethan Tremblay, Timothy Waring

Maine Policy Review

The U.S. is experiencing a renaissance in local food production, and Maine is among the states leading that resurgence. This renaissance is influenced by many factors, and has both economic and social dimensions. This article examines the role of cooperation in the local food industry across a range of local food organizations. The authors conclude that cooperation plays different yet crucial roles in all local food organizations, and is an important part of the success of the local food industry as whole. The article considers the policy implications of these findings, and suggests that while the prevalence of cooperation is …


The Demographic Transformation In Maine (And Beyond) Is In Full Swing, Lenard W. Kaye Jan 2015

The Demographic Transformation In Maine (And Beyond) Is In Full Swing, Lenard W. Kaye

Maine Policy Review

The article discusses the demographics of longevity and what it means for Maine. Lenard Kaye, guest editor, introduces the topic and describes the reasons for this special aging-focused issue of the Maine Policy Review.


Never Too Old To Lead: Activating Leadership Among Maine's Older Adults, Jennifer A. Crittenden, Lelia Deandrade Jan 2015

Never Too Old To Lead: Activating Leadership Among Maine's Older Adults, Jennifer A. Crittenden, Lelia Deandrade

Maine Policy Review

As Maine’s population ages, there will be a growing need to mobilize older Mainers to effect change in their local communities. There are few models available nationally that illustrate how to effectively train and engage baby boomers and older adults as leaders within community contexts. This article examines what is known about leadership development generally and highlights how one program in Maine is training and supporting older leaders who are using volunteer work to improve the health and well-being of their local communities.


"What Kind Of Place Do We Want To Live In?" Place, The Humanities, And Public Policy In Maine, Carol Norstrom Toner Jan 2015

"What Kind Of Place Do We Want To Live In?" Place, The Humanities, And Public Policy In Maine, Carol Norstrom Toner

Maine Policy Review

Carol Toner explores the intersection of the humanities, public policy making, and quality of place. In 2014, a local protest against the site of a potential new landfill in rural Maine demonstrates how citizens can draw from their history and culture when considering public policy and quality of place. In this case, the humanities informed the making of public policy to benefit the greater good. Maine enjoys a participatory public policy process that depends on informed public input. The humanities, especially history, literature, and philosophy, help prepare citizens for this important role by teaching critical thinking, imagination, and compassion. Maine …


The Power Of Language In Changing A Community's Story, Linda Cross Godfrey Jan 2015

The Power Of Language In Changing A Community's Story, Linda Cross Godfrey

Maine Policy Review

To revive the community and reverse negative images of the town, community leaders in Eastport, Maine relied on the power of language. This article illustrates their efforts to inspire change by using words from well known leaders and replacing DE-words such as depressed and decline with RE-words such as rebound and renew.


The Economic Implications Of Maine’S Changing Age Structure, James Breece, Glenn Mills, Todd Gabe Jan 2015

The Economic Implications Of Maine’S Changing Age Structure, James Breece, Glenn Mills, Todd Gabe

Maine Policy Review

The authors analyze the major implications of Maine’s aging population on the state’s workforce and economy. They note that there are steps that can be taken to partially mitigate the negative impacts and capitalize on the opportuni­ties associated with an aging population.


Immigrant Elders: What Can Maine Learn From Other States?, Linda Silka Jan 2015

Immigrant Elders: What Can Maine Learn From Other States?, Linda Silka

Maine Policy Review

Maine is not yet home to large numbers of immigrants, but that may soon change. Linda Silka presents lessons from elsewhere about elder immigrants and considers their implications for Maine. She suggests that attention to the topic of immigrant elders will help Maine to create policy and opportunity for all elders.


Aging, Diversity, And Difference In Rural Perspective, Douglas Kimmel Jan 2015

Aging, Diversity, And Difference In Rural Perspective, Douglas Kimmel

Maine Policy Review

Recently, gender identity and sexual orientation have begun to be acknowledged as a dimension of diversity among older Mainers. Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) Maine conducted a needs assessment and determined four key goals that are important for its work: provide support for GLBT elders, create networks of providers who are knowledgeable and affirmative about GLBT aging, increase opportunities for intergenerational GLBT social activities, and develop a referral networks of GLBT-affirmative long-term care facilities and resources.


Organizing Voices In Maine To Support Successful Aging, David C. Wihry Jan 2015

Organizing Voices In Maine To Support Successful Aging, David C. Wihry

Maine Policy Review

David Wihry discusses the efforts of four associations in Maine that are supporting successful aging by organizing the voluntary, private, and public sectors; embracing a multidisciplinary perspective; and bringing together partners from across the state to make a larger impact on policy, attitudes about aging, and the well-being of older adults.


The Fabulous Promise And Practical Need For The Humanities In The Twenty-First Century, Liam Riordan Jan 2015

The Fabulous Promise And Practical Need For The Humanities In The Twenty-First Century, Liam Riordan

Maine Policy Review

Guest editor Liam Riordan in this overview article explores the relationship between the humanities and policy in general terms, identifying the recurring themes in the other articles in this special issue of Maine Policy Review. He contends that the humanities offer fabulous promise to enrich the quality of civic life in Maine and that this promise is firmly rooted in how the humanities address our practical need for meaningful human experiences.


Libraries + Irw = Big Read Success!, Jan Coates Jan 2013

Libraries + Irw = Big Read Success!, Jan Coates

Maine Policy Review

Jan Coates presents a case study of how Island Readers and Writers collaborated with local libraries in the Mt. Desert Island (Maine) area to encourage reading and community engagement through two "Big Read” events.


Libraries In The Community: Changing Opportunities, Stephanie Zurinski, Valerie Osborne, Mamie Anthoine-Ney, Janet Mckenney Jan 2013

Libraries In The Community: Changing Opportunities, Stephanie Zurinski, Valerie Osborne, Mamie Anthoine-Ney, Janet Mckenney

Maine Policy Review

When libraries first began, books were scarce and expensive. We live now in the Information Age. Public expectations about information are rapidly evolving. To remain relevant, libraries are expanding on sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s “Third Place” concept – public spaces which are “anchors of community life and important places for civic engagement”. Libraries have always offered a place for the community to come together. Now, libraries are becoming destinations by offering experiences ranging from the traditional story-telling to creation spaces and business incubators. Even with all the changes occurring in the world, libraries will remain the glue that holds the community …


Ripples From The East Coast Stream: Contributions From Migrant Hispanic Workers To Maine’S Wild Blueberry Industry, Vaishali Mamgain Jan 2013

Ripples From The East Coast Stream: Contributions From Migrant Hispanic Workers To Maine’S Wild Blueberry Industry, Vaishali Mamgain

Maine Policy Review

Interviews with 46 Hispanic migrant workers in the wild blueberry industry in Maine revealed they harvest different crops in several states and come to Maine at the end of the “East Coast Stream.” Although workers varied in productivity (and hence income), overall the group earned good income and contributed significantly to the Maine economy as workers and consumers. Based on these findings, governmental laws and policies are discussed in terms of their potential impact. A consideration of Maine’s aging population and interviews with employers demonstrate these workers’ importance: without them employers say, the wild blueberry industry would not be competitive.