Morning Update: What you need to know in Maine today

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We will make it work, because we are committed to farming … but it won’t be pretty.”

— Durham farmer Seren Sinisi, who says President Donald Trump’s funding freezes have turned spring into a reminder of the projects farmers are already committed to.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

What Aroostook would look like if it seceded from Maine. Nearly 30 years after some Aroostook County leaders explored secession, the idea is resurfacing with new support online.

U.S. Department of Agriculture funding uncertainty puts Maine farmers in a bind. Many Maine farmers worry they won’t receive the federal payments they were counting on to help fund the upcoming season.

Polarizing glamping trend continues to grow in Maine. After luxury campgrounds gained a foothold in Maine during the early part of the pandemic, new proposals for “glampgrounds” — where guests can stay for hundreds of dollars a night — have recently run into growing headwinds.

State investigates Maine town’s demolition of historic rec center. Maine environmental officials are investigating the demolition of Patten’s historic recreation center, which contained asbestos.

Cooper Flagg is training for the next level ahead of the NBA draft combine. Everyone else may be acting like Flagg is going to be the top draft pick, but he won’t take that for granted, according to his longtime club basketball coach.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

Clarissa Sabattis, chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseets, foreground, and other leaders of Maine’s tribes are welcomed by lawmakers into the House chamber on March 16, 2023, at the State House in Augusta. Rena Newell, chief of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, Edward Peter Paul, chief of the Aroostook Band of Mi’kmaqs, and Kirk Francis, chief of the Penobscot Nation, follow behind. Credit: Robert F. Bukaty / AP

“For us, sovereignty is about more than politics — it is about survival, dignity and continuity.”

Opinion: DEI should not be confused with sovereignty for tribal nations

LIFE IN MAINE

I found a rare salamander in the middle of the night. “When conditions are just right — rainy, dark and about 40 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer — certain salamanders and frogs cross Maine roadways as they migrate from their wintering grounds to breeding pools.”

Turkey hunting has become too commercialized. “There’s far more emphasis on gear, camo and looking the part than the actual nuts and bolts of it all,” Outdoors Contributor Chris Sargent writes.

Tick expert offers advice for increasingly popular “No Mow May.” You can still participate in the effort to foster an environment for pollinators with a few tweaks to your yard work habits.

Six ways to make your own backyard fire pit. We rounded up six of the best video tutorials to guide you through the steps of making a fire pit for your own backyard.

Avoid the crowds at Acadia by hiking this steep trail with granite steps. The Perpendicular Trail on Mansell Mountain features more than 300 cut granite steps and was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933.

If you like foraging for fiddleheads, try looking for Indian cucumber. Though they are not as culturally ubiquitous as fiddleheads, some Mainers have been foraging for Indian cucumbers their whole lives.

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