By Dec. 1, the Maine Climate Council must provide the state Legislature with an updated version of “Maine Won’t Wait,” Maine’s four-year climate action plan. As a recreational Nordic skier born and raised in Gray, I have witnessed climate change wreak havoc on our winters. Indeed, Maine can’t wait. Our climate is changing rapidly.
Fortunate to grow up with a 04039 ZIP code, I always had two trail systems at my fingertips: Libby Hill Trails and Pineland Farms. Each year, as winter brought its annual pillowy blanket of snow, I would watch with pure childhood wonder as my favorite outdoor oases transformed into favored destinations for New England’s Nordic skiers.
These athletes of all ages would glide across the frozen landscape, smiling and sharing appreciation for the beauty of our state. As I grew older, I witnessed my own brother fall in love with the sport. Eventually, I just had to try it out for myself, so I joined the Gray-New Gloucester High School Nordic ski team.
But in the short four years of high school, winters grew warmer, slushier and muddier than ever before. As a result, the period of skiable conditions grew shorter each season and more and more local Nordic races were either relocated or flat out canceled due to lack of snowpack. My brother, a Division I skier for Bowdoin College, had to start chasing snow, regularly traveling at least an hour north just to ski on man-made snow. Otherwise, the Bowdoin Nordic team would ski on grass. Four years ago, the natural snowpack at Pineland Farms was all they needed.
The evidence is not only anecdotal. Maine’s winters have reportedly warmed 5 degrees Fahrenheit and shortened by three weeks in the past century. These numbers are to continue rising exponentially if we do not reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Yes, it is true that Maine has yet to observe a significant decrease in the total annual snowfall. However, the higher temperatures, increase in rain and earlier lake ice-out all diminish the amount of time that snow is actually on the ground. And without a snowpack, regardless of how much snow falls out of the sky, people cannot ski.
Apart from being a beloved recreational activity, Nordic skiing is an industry. Winter recreation, which includes Nordic skiing, contributed $68 million to the state economy in 2022. Tourists come from all over New England to ski in Maine, bringing money with them. As our ski season decreases, so will our winter tourism. Consequently, our ski resorts will face a dilemma: go out of business due to reduced profits, or invest in man-made snow, which is economically and environmentally costly. Climate change is not just a moral issue; it is a danger to our economy.
It’s time for us Mainers to step in and stop watching our home get assaulted by climate change. Tending to individual carbon footprints simply won’t cut it anymore; we need large-scale action. But that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. Start by reading the updated “Maine W
