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Bureau Information

• Bureau of Geology and Natural Areas
• Land Use Regulation Commmission
• Maine Forest Service
• Bureau of Parks and Lands

Welcome to the Department of Conservation

Dear Friend and Neighbor,

      Maine is a very special state. Maine’s outdoor legacy is a significant part of its uniqueness. The Maine outdoors has inspired writers, artists, politicians and entrepreneurs. Henry David Thoreau, Andrew Wyeth, Edmund Muskie, and Leon Leonwood Bean discovered beauty, creativity, and commitment as they hiked, paddled and lived among Maine ’s rivers, lakes, mountains and ocean coast line.

     Maine ’s outdoor legacy is also our forest products industry. For generations, Maine has been an international leader in the production of lumber, paper, furniture and specialty wood products. With the hard work and dedication of another of Maine ’s great resources, our citizens, the state is being positioned to be a leader for the 21st century.

    Since I was a young man, I have spent countless hours hiking, canoeing, fishing and flying over the waters and mountains of Maine . I am especially fond of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, having been a thirty year visitor to this natural treasure. My guess is that you too have a favorite place in Maine or are curious about exploring our natural areas for yourself.

     On behalf of Governor Baldacci and the Department of Conservation, I would like to invite you to discover Maine ’s natural areas. If you are a life long Maine outdoors enthusiast or thinking about exploring the Maine woods or coast for the first time, I know there are parks and places in Maine that you would enjoy visiting for the first time or again for the hundredth time.

     From Kittery to Madawaska and from Jackman to Lubec, there are many wonderful state parks and reserve lands ready for you to enjoy. The benefits of the Maine outdoors can be found on the Allagash, Mt. Katahdin or on conservation land in your community. These areas that have been protected are the result of the hard work, dedication, and generosity of individuals of all walks of life. From Governor Percival Baxter’s gift of thousands of acres, to students who spend an afternoon cleaning up their local park, we can all contribute to the protection of our favorite Maine places.

     Please use this website to plan a trip to Maine , find specific information on forestry, land use and geology, or to understand what Maine is doing to be good stewards of our natural resources. If you have any questions, please contact my office.

     I look forward to seeing you out on the river and the trail,

     Patrick K. McGowan
     Commissioner

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