Maine
Maine mill accepts N.B. wood again, but producers still struggle to stay afloat | CBC News
Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Equipment at Woodland Pulp in Maine roared back to life in mid-December after a 60 day pause in operations, and now one of the state’s largest mills is again accepting wood from New Brunswick producers.
“On Monday, we restarted purchasing fibre for the mill,” company spokesperson Scott Beal said.
“We’re back in the market. We are bringing in some fibre from suppliers in Canada, hardwood and chips.”
The general manager of the Carleton Victoria Forest Products Marketing Board says the news is welcome but not nearly enough to help embattled private woodlot owners in the province.
“Everything is good news at this point, but it is not as good as it could be,” Kim Jensen said. “We’re not back where we were.”
With sales down by about two-thirds from last year, Jensen said some woodlot owners are deciding to pack it up, while others struggle on.
“We have had some older ones who’ve left, they’ve just, they’ve had enough and they’ve left,” she said.
“The people who have invested in the business, have bought processors and forwarders, they have to stay in business. And if you have $1,000,000 worth of equipment there, your payments are $40,000 to $60,000 a month and you have to work. You can’t just go somewhere else and get a job.”
Duty rates on New Brunswick wood were set at 35 per cent in September, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced an additional 10 per cent tariff on lumber imports.
The sudden increase was too much for Woodland Pulp to bear. The mill relied on New Brunswick wood for about a third of its supply prior to October.
“It certainly adds cost to the business and, you know, like other wood users, I mean we’re always looking and hoping and trying to source fibre at the least cost,” Beal told CBC News in October.
The Baileyville-based mill has rehired all of the 144 people laid off during its two month shut-down, and Beal said it will likely take some time to ramp up to accept the amount of wood it previously did.
And with the difficult and uncertain tariff environment, Beal said, it’s hard to say how long the mill would be able to continue purchasing Canadian wood.
“It’s a very challenging pulp market,” he said.
“The tariffs remain in place. That hasn’t changed. So it’s not reasonable to think that that won’t be a headwind for the business.”
The federal government did create a $1.25 billion fund to help the industry survive, but Jensen says that hasn’t meant support for individual private woodlot owners.
In October, Jensen told CBC News that sales of timber by the marketing board’s members totalled about $1 million for all of 2024. They have fallen to about $200,000 over the past 12 months.
And the cost of cross-border business has continued to rise.
Before Woodland Pulp stopped taking Canadian timber, the company had a lumberyard in Florenceville ,where producers could drop off wood. Woodland would then take responsibility for shipping it the rest of the way to the mill.
Now it’s up to individual producers to source transportation and to arrange a broker to help meet cross-border requirements. That’s adding between $60 and $100 per load of timber heading to the U.S.
“The markets are tightening up, and the prices are going down, and you can only go down so far before it’s just done,” Jensen said.
“A mill can stop and start up, maybe. But a private guy who loses his equipment, he’s lost everything. He’s not coming back.”
This iconic spot is a “road-trip-worthy” Maine destination, but can you handle their newest addition?
Spring has sprung, which means plenty of people will take a well-deserved break from the daily grind and hit the open road. If you’re heading out to explore some cool Maine traditions—and you love lobster rolls—we’ve found the perfect stop.
The Taste of Maine restaurant has been serving up delicious seafood since 1978. They’re famous for a few things: a giant inflatable lobster that covers about 75% of the roof, and their claim to fame—the “World’s Largest Lobster Roll.”
These legendary lobster rolls are 22 inches long, and over the years, many customers have taken on the dare of finishing one. If you succeed, you earn membership in the “Clean Plate Club”—no easy feat given the size of this lobster roll.
But this year, Taste of Maine has gone even bigger. Introducing the “Monster” Lobster Roll: 3 feet long, packed with 2½ pounds of fresh Maine lobster meat—tail, claw, and knuckle—all on a 6-inch roll. This colossal creation carries a price tag of $259.99.
Read More: Maine Amusement Park Reveals New Family Attraction For 2026
Located at 161 Main Street in Woolwich, Maine, Taste of Maine is now open for its 48th season.
One of the best things about Taste of Maine is watching people take on these enormous lobster rolls. Guests love filming themselves attempting to finish them, including a Guinness World Records titleholder for “World’s Largest Mouth Gape.”
Spring Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 11:30 AM – 8:00 PM
To see just how long Taste of Maine has been a local favorite, check out this classic TV commercial from the 1980s!
New Arcade in Brewer, Maine Opens This Month
Game on, Brewer! The arcade of your dreams is almost here. Get ready to press start!
Gallery Credit: Arlen Jameson
12 New Restaurants That Opened in Maine in February 2026
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
LettersToTheEditor-640×400
To the Editor;
Access to affordable child care plays a direct role in whether Maine families can work, pursue education, and maintain stability. The Child Care Affordability Program helps keep child care costs within reach for working families.
To the Editor;
Access to affordable child care plays a direct role in whether Maine families can work, pursue education, and maintain stability. The Child Care Affordability Program helps keep child care costs within reach for working families. At Penquis, we serve 270 children from 266 families across dozens of communities through our child development programs, including Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care. We see firsthand how access to child care determines whether parents can work, pursue education and build long-term stability for their families, particularly in communities facing workforce shortages and rising cost of living.
Child care availability alone is not enough. We can have programs and facilities in place, but if care is not affordable, it remains out of reach for families who are already struggling.
Without it, the cost of child care places an unsustainable burden on Maine families, consuming as much as 29% to 39% of income for single-parent households and 10% to 13% for two-parent families. CCAP is one of the few tools that effectively addresses this challenge by ensuring child care costs are affordable, capping costs at 7% of income for those with the lowest incomes, and expanding access for many more families.
Investing in CCAP supports children’s healthy development, enables parents to participate in the workforce, and strengthens Maine’s economy. We urge state leaders to prioritize this $15 million investment in the supplemental budget and ensure that affordable child care is accessible to the families who need it most.
Kara Hay Penquis
Bangor
president and chief executive officer
Thank you for reading your4 free articles this month. To continue
reading, and support local, rural journalism, please subscribe.
A woman is dead, and her husband is in serious condition after a fire broke out at their home in Readfield, Maine, Friday night.
The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office tells NBC10 Boston affiliate News Center Maine that the Readfield Fire Department responded to the house on Plains Road around 9:51 p.m. and found a large fire.
Jerrold Wentworth, 74, had escaped from a second-floor window and told crews that his wife was still on the second floor of the home, officials said, but firefighters were unable to go inside to rescue 75-year-old Carolyn Wentworth due to the fiery conditions.
A photo shared by the fire marshal’s office shows the fire destroyed the home.
Carolyn Wentworth’s body was found in the debris around 1:45 a.m. Saturday, near where she had been sleeping, fire officials tell News Center Maine. An autopsy will be conducted to determine her cause of death.
Jerrold Wentworth was taken to Maine General Medical Center where he’s in serious condition, officials added.
Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office responded to the scene and are working to determine the cause of the deadly fire.
An investigation remains ongoing.
How a Family of 3 Lives on $25,000 in Corona, Queens
Trick Trick joined Waka Flocka onstage at ‘The Boys 4 Life Tour’ stop in Detroit – Detroit Metro Times
NFL Experts Continue to Link Former 49ers WR Back to San Francisco
What we learned in FC Dallas’ win vs DC United
Dolphins 7-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Miami could catch the wave just right and get a monster draw in the top-50 picks
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Trump threatens Iranian infrastructure over Strait of Hormuz | BBC News
GOP races to pass ICE, Border Patrol funding bill as priorities pile up, divisions emerge
Jet fuel crisis: Rationing triggered at four airports in Italy
NASA’s Artemis II crew readies for Monday’s lunar flyby. Here’s what you need to know
Tax day is next week: Avoid these 5 common mistakes that can cost you money
-
South-Carolina1 week agoSouth Carolina vs TCU predictions for Elite Eight game in March Madness
-
Atlanta, GA2 days ago1 teenage girl killed, another injured in shooting at Piedmont Park, police say
-
Vermont1 week agoSkier dies after fall at Sugarbush Resort
-
Movie Reviews4 days agoVaazha 2 first half review: Hashir anchors a lively, chaos-filled teen tale
-
Politics1 week agoTrump’s Ballroom Design Has Barely Been Scrutinized
-
Atlanta, GA1 week agoFetishist ‘No Kings’ protester in mask drags ‘Trump’ and ‘JD Vance’ behind her wheelchair
-
Entertainment4 days agoInside Ye’s first comeback show at SoFi Stadium
-
Politics1 week agoJD Vance says he was ‘obsessed’ with UFOs, believes aliens are actually ‘demons’