Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Katahdin and Lake in Maine

Conservation in Maine

Find out how NRCS works with landowners in Maine to conserve natural resources, protect local farmland, and increase farm viability in Northern New England.

Welcome to Maine!

As the northeasternmost U.S. state, Maine has a unique landscape and agricultural footprint, and is home to more than 1.3 million people. 

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides leadership and technical assistance to address natural resource conservation issues on private land. NRCS employees work to improve and protect natural resources in partnership with Maine's 16 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, federal, state and local agencies, farmers, landowners and communities.  The partnership's commitment to conservation provides a solid foundation to a locally-led program delivery system.  The partnership is also committed to a voluntary, incentive-based approach to private land stewardship and conservation treatment.

Maine woods

What is most striking in the Maine wilderness is the continuousness of the forest, with fewer open intervals or glades than you had imagined.

Henry David Thoreau, The Maine Woods