NRCM news release On Tuesday, Governor LePage’s top energy staffer, Patrick Woodcock, led an effort to cut $7.5 million for home weatherization and heating efficiency from the Efficiency Maine’s proposed three-year budget at the same time the governor is refusing to release voter-approved Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) funds because he claims to be concerned Read More
Maine Public Lands
Maine has approximately 600,000 acres of Public Reserved Lands in 37 separate parcels located across the state. These lands are enjoyed for their outstanding hiking, camping, birding, fishing, and hunting opportunities. They include the Bigelow Preserve, Kennebec Highlands, Tumbledown, Cutler’s Bold Coast, Donnell Pond, Debouillie, Mount Abraham, and other Maine gems.
Maine’s Public Reserved Lands are a unique state resource. Their origin dates back to the separation of Maine from Massachusetts in 1820. In 1820, the state set aside lots in each unincorporated township from private sale in order for this land to provide various public benefits. In the 1970s, these dispersed public lots were consolidated into the spectacular Public Reserved Land System that we have today. These consolidated lots provide timber, protect wildlife habitat, and offer a wide variety of public recreational opportunities. These lands are held in public trust and managed for public use and enjoyment.
Maine also has 48 State Parks and Historic Sites, protecting more than 100,000 acres of land and offering diverse recreational opportunities throughout the state.
A Summer Adventure on Maine’s Public Reserved Lands
You could spend both ends of your vacation driving or flying to beautiful spots all over the country or the world. Or you could use those travel days to fit in yet more adventures on Maine’s Public Reserved Lands. These lands belong to us. They are must-see destinations for adventurers from Maine and travelers from all over the Read More
My Walkabout at Dodge Point
Dodge Point Public Reserved Land is a 520-acre property located on the Damariscotta River in Newcastle, just a few miles south on the River Road from downtown Damariscotta. Previously an award-winning tree farm, the property was purchased by the State in 1989, with funds from Land for Maine’s Future bonds, and the Damariscotta River Association Read More
Public Lands About Much More Than Cutting Trees
By Jenn Burns Gray, Special to the BDN Bangor Daily News op-ed Over the past few months, the revenue generated from the timber harvest on Maine’s public lands has been in the spotlight. The Bangor Daily News published an editorial Sept. 25 that highlights the numerous problems with Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to increase timber Read More
Reason, Science and the Law: Where LePage’s Public Forest Plans Fall Short
By The BDN Editorial Board Bangor Daily News editorial Gov. Paul LePage says he’s giving up on the Legislature, but there’s no indication he’s backing down from his effort to cut more wood from the state’s public lands and set aside the revenue so rural, low-income households can afford to upgrade to lower cost heating Read More
Photo Contest Puts Focus on “Our Maine Lands”
“I Love Our Maine Lands” contest seeks photos of Tumbledown, Kennebec Highlands, Bold Coast, and other beloved Public Reserved Lands NRCM News Release Augusta, ME—Now through Monday, October 26, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) is inviting everyone to participate in the “I Love Our Maine Lands” photo contest. “Participation is fun and simple,” Read More
“I Love Our Maine Lands” Photo Contest
Now through Monday, October 26, we invite you to explore and photograph your favorite Public Reserved Lands—and to enter your photos in our “I Love Our Maine Lands” photo contest.
Exploring the Mahoosuc Public Reserved Lands: Grafton Notch, Baldpate, and More
The Appalachian Trail (AT) in Maine passes through four Public Reserved Land units as it winds its way from the New Hampshire border to Katahdin, but very few hikers know this, even though the first step into the state by a thru-hiker is in the Mahoosuc Public Reserved Land Unit. The land around Grafton Notch Read More
Increased Logging and Oversight on Maine Public Lands Passed into Law
by Christine Parrish Free Press news story In spite of increasing questions about whether Maine’s Public Lands are being treated more like commercial forests than the multiple-use forests they were established by law to be, logging targets increased from 141,000 to 160,000 cords per year when the new biennial budget was signed into law in Read More
