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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
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
Maine Celebrates a Century of Tradition at The Big E
September 10, 2025 - AUGUSTA, Maine -Maine will again be open for business on the Avenue of States at the Eastern States Exposition, home of The Big E, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Since 1925, the Maine Building has welcomed millions of visitors to experience the state's farms, forests, fisheries, artisans, and entrepreneurs, all under one iconic roof. Continue Reading
Free Day at Maine State Parks for Library Card Holders on September 20
September 8, 2025 - Augusta, Maine - September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and thanks to a proclamation by Governor Janet Mills, it is also officially Maine Library Card Sign-Up Month. To mark the occasion, the Maine State Library and Maine State Parks are partnering to offer a special day of free admission to participating state parks. Continue Reading
Urgent Call to Action: Help Stop the Spread of Japanese Stiltgrass in Maine
August 28, 2025 - AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is urging Mainers to act against Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), an invasive plant that poses a serious threat to the state's forests, wetlands, and communities. Continue Reading
Labor Day Weekend Patrols Planned on Tumbledown Mountain
August 27, 2025 - Augusta, Maine - As summer winds down and hikers take to the trails for Labor Day weekend, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's (DACF) Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL) and the Maine Forest Service (MFS) remind visitors to Tumbledown Mountain that Rangers may be on site to promote safe, responsible recreation. Continue Reading
Maine and Massachusetts Agriculture Commissioners Build Cross-Border Ties in Prince Edward Island
August 19, 2025 - AUGUSTA, MAINE - Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Commissioner Amanda Beal, DACF Director of Policy & Community Engagement Emily Horton, and Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle traveled to Prince Edward Island last week to meet with Agriculture Minister Bloyce Thompson and other provincial leaders, reinforcing the strong partnership between New England and Canada's Maritimes. Continue Reading
UMaine Extension Tick Lab researchers confirm presence of invasive Asian longhorned tick in Maine
August 19, 2025 - ORONO, Maine - The University of Maine and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) have confirmed the presence of an invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in the state for the first time. Continue Reading
Maine Forest Service Urges Caution as Wildfire Danger Remains HIGH to VERY HIGH Statewide
August 14, 2025 - Augusta, Maine - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's (DACF) Maine Forest Service (MFS) is urging all residents and visitors to take immediate precautions as wildfire danger remains elevated across the state. Much of central and coastal Maine is at VERY HIGH fire danger. Continue Reading
Registration Opens for Free Pesticide Disposal Events Set for October
August 7, 2025 - Augusta, Maine - Do you have unwanted pesticides? Maine's Obsolete Pesticide Collection Program offers a safe, free way for homeowners and family-owned farms to dispose of outdated or unused pesticides. One-day collection events will be held in Presque Isle, Bangor, Augusta, and Portland this October. Continue Reading
This weekend: Experience Maine's Agricultural Heritage at 2025 Open Farm Day, July 26 & 27
July 22, 2025 - Augusta, Maine - Real Maine and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry invite the public to experience the diversity of Maine agriculture during the annual Open Farm Day, taking place Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27, 2025. Continue Reading