Mushrooms of the Blue Hill Peninsula‏

Blue Hill, Maine - Mycologist and Blue Hill Heritage Trust (BHHT) volunteer David Porter will offer two programs about mushrooms as part of this fall’s Great Maine Outdoor Weekend events.

A Mushroom Identification Workshop will be held Saturday, September 27 from 1-4 pm at BHHT’s Carleton House in Blue Hill. Using freshly collected specimens, you will learn the secrets of successful mushroom identification. This includes basic mushroom vocabulary, what features to look for, how to use an identification key, and which field guides and internet sites are best for this area. Participants may bring their own collections for identification. This BHHT members-only workshop is limited to 14 participants. Pre-registration is required. To become a member or to register, contact Eileen Mielenhausen at 374-5118 or eileen@bluehillheritagetrust.org.

Porter will also lead a Fall Mushrooms Walk & Talk on Sunday, September 28 from 1-3 pm at Greenbie Natural Area in Castine. On the walk along the Greenbie trail, participants will observe numerous fall mushrooms, cover the basics of mushroom identification, and become aware of the underground activities of mushrooms and other fungi and how they contribute to the ecology of the Maine forest. Call 374-5118 to pre-register and for directions.  Space is limited, and pre-registration is required.

These community programs are brought to you by the members and volunteers of Blue Hill Heritage Trust as part of their “Exploring the Peninsula” walk & talk series in each of the seven towns on the Peninsula.

More info about the Trust and its programs is online at bluehillheritagetrust.org.  Other Great Maine Outdoor Weekend events are posted at greatmaineoutdoorweekend.org.

Governor Congratulates ReEnergy on Restart of Biomass Plant in Ashland

Augusta, Maine - As a result of ReEnergy's decision to restart its biomass-to-electricity plant in Ashland twenty-five new jobs are coming to Aroostook County. Governor Paul R. LePage today offered his congratulations to the company.

"This is terrific news for Aroostook County," said Governor Paul R. LePage. "I thank ReEnergy for their investment and congratulate them on the decision to restart operations. My team has worked proactively with ReEnergy over the last few years in an effort to get where we are today. This is what happens when government partners with the private sector in efforts to improve our economy for the benefit of all Mainers. ReEnergy's decision is further proof Maine's economy is headed in the right direction."

ReEnergy ceased operations in 2011 due to market conditions, but is planning to restart the plant as early as this December. According to the company, the restart is expected to create 25 new direct jobs and an estimated 150 new indirect jobs.

Several members of the LePage Administration including Energy Director Patrick Woodcock and forest products advisor Rosaire Pelletier played a significant role in helping ReEnergy identify and gain access to the resources needed to help get this plant back up and running. Specifically, the Administration initiated a discussion with Emera Maine to determine whether the facility could be a part of an effort to bolster reliability in the region in the medium term, while a plan for long term reliability is considered by the MPUC.

The 39-megawatt ReEnergy Ashland facility generates renewable energy from responsibly harvested green forest residue biomass and unadulterated wood. It is capable of producing approximately 284,000 MWh of electricity each year - enough to supply nearly 37,000 homes. Maine is one of the largest biomass electricity producers in the country with over 20 percent of the State's electricity generation coming from biomass power plants.