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Maine Trails Program - Round One Grant Awards Announced
December 11, 2026 - AUGUSTA - The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) recently announced the results of the first round of Maine Trails Program (MTP) grants, marking a significant investment in trail access, connectivity, and outdoor recreation throughout the state. Continue Reading
Start Outside. Breathe Deep. Walk Happy: Maine State Parks Invite Everyone to Hit the Trails on New Year's Day
December 10, 2025 - AUGUSTA - As Maine welcomes 2026, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Bureau of Parks and Lands is inviting everyone to kick off the New Year with First Day Hikes, part of a nationwide movement encouraging people to begin January 1 outdoors, moving, connecting, and soaking in the seasons beauty. Continue Reading
Maine Agricultural Trades Show Announces 2026 Conference Session Lineup
December 8, 2025 - Augusta, Maine - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) has announced the full slate of educational sessions and meetings for the 85th Maine Agricultural Trades Show, taking place January 13-15, 2026, at the Augusta Civic Center. Continue Reading
Governor Mills Declares November 28, 2025, as "Maine Grown Christmas Tree Day"
November 25, 2025 - Augusta - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced today that Governor Janet Mills has proclaimed Friday, November 28, 2025, as Maine Grown Christmas Tree Day to honor the valuable contributions of Maine's Christmas tree and wreath industry. Continue Reading
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Launches New Statewide Food Access Map
November 18, 2025 - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) today announced the launch of the Maine Food Access Map, a statewide interactive resource that helps individuals and families locate nearby food pantries, meal sites, school-based programs, WIC clinics, and other free or donation-based food assistance services. Continue Reading
Maine Geological Survey Releases 2025 Coastal Beach Mapping Data
October 30, 2025 - This week, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Maine Geological Survey (MGS) updated its Maine Beach Mapping (MBMAP) viewer with data collected during the summer of 2025. MBMAP is a program MGS started in 2005 at some Maine beaches (2007 at most beaches in southern Maine) to monitor how Maine's dunes, notably the seaward edge of dominant dune vegetation, change over time. In 2017, MGS began mapping the mean high-water contour (or 1.4-meter or 4.6- foot NAVD88 elevation, the average elevation to where high tide rises), to quantify how the beach changes as well. Tracking the mean high-water contour allows MGS to monitor how the beach is changing and how the dry beach width (the area between the high-water contour and edge of the dune or seawall) is changing. The program collects its shoreline data using a very precise, Real-Time Kinetic (RTK) global positioning system, and calculates annual dune and beach shoreline changes using a computer-based Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). Continue Reading
Three-Year Study Redefines Understanding of Manganese Resources in Northern Maine
October 17, 2025 - AUGUSTA, MAINE - The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Maine Geological Survey is pleased to announce the completion of a three-year project focused on detailed, 1:24,000-scale geologic mapping of manganese-bearing rocks in Aroostook County Continue Reading
Information Session - Maine DACF PFAS Fund Call for Research Proposals
October 15, 2025 - Continue Reading
Maine DACF Opens Applications for $3.5 Million in PFAS Research Grants
October 1, 2025 - AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced today that the Fund to Address PFAS Contamination (PFAS Fund) is accepting research proposals for $3.5 million in Major Grants and Targeted Grants for the study of PFAS in agriculture. Continue Reading
Maine Animal Health Officials Remind Owners to Vaccinate Their Animals
October 1, 2025 - AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is reminding animal owners to talk with their veterinarians about vaccinations for pets and livestock. Vaccination helps protect animals against diseases transmitted by other animals and insects, such as mosquitoes, and plays a crucial role in safeguarding human health. Continue Reading
2025 Project Canopy Assistance and Urban and Community Forestry Restoration Grants
September 25, 2025 - Project Canopy Assistance and Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Restoration Grants are available to state, county, and municipal governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations for developing and implementing community forestry projects and programs. Project Canopy, delivered to you by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Maine Forest Service (MFS), anticipates that $125,000 will be available in Project Canopy Assistance and $700,000 will be available in Urban and Community Forestry Restoration grants to support community forestry projects. Continue Reading
Drought Conditions Trigger Federal Assistance Programs
September 23, 2025 - As of Thursday, September 18, six counties in Maine are now classified as D3 (Extreme Drought): Cumberland, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Franklin, Somerset, and Oxford</strong>. In addition, our coastal counties stretching from Washington to Lincoln have remained in D2 (Severe Drought) for five consecutive weeks. Continue Reading
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Welcomes New Director of the Maine Conservation Corps
September 19, 2025 - AUGUSTA-The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is pleased to announce Christy Owen's appointment as the new Director of the Maine Conservation Corps (MCC). Owen officially assumed her leadership role on September 8, 2025. Owen succeeds Director Sara Knowles, who has transitioned to a Resource Administrator role with the Bureau of Parks and Lands. Continue Reading
NASDA Members Elect Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal as 2025-2026 President
September 17, 2025 - During the 2025 National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Annual Meeting, members elected their 2026 officers. Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Commissioner Amanda Beal will be NASDA's 2025-2026 President. Continue Reading
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Announces Jo D. Saffeir as New Deputy Commissioner
September 11, 2025 - Augusta - Commissioner Amanda Beal today announced the appointment of Jo D. Saffeir as Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF). Saffeir joins Deputy Commissioner Nancy McBrady in leading the department's work alongside Commissioner Beal. Continue Reading