Welcome to the Maine Department of Conservation!
Dear Friends:
Welcome to the Maine Department of Conservation. We are at the heart of Maine’s economic brand, and we focus on areas that will be central to Maine’s future.
We are tasked by the Maine Legislature to conserve and enhance Maine’s natural resources, with a focus on:
- Maine’s geology, mineral and water resources;
- Maine’s 17 million acres of forests that support a prosperous, statewide forest economy;
- an array of parks, historic sites and public lands that provide assured, convenient and affordable public access to Maine’s natural environment;
- land use planning, zoning and development permitting in Maine’s 10 million acres of rural, unorganized towns and offshore island;
- and the identification, planning for and protection of Maine’s most precious natural areas.
We exemplify the belief that Maine is where economic vitality and conservation are wed. We are committed to the belief that these two values can prosper and together create Maine’s extraordinary quality of life.
We stand ready to serve you.
Sincerely,
Bill Beardsley
Commissioner
Maine Department of Conservation
Bill Beardsley is Maine’s Commissioner of Conservation. From childhood 4-H projects in a family woodlot to a doctoral dissertation in multiple-use natural resource management in Maine, Bill has had a career path that includes leadership positions in academic, business and government in Maine, Alaska and Vermont, in such fields as forestry, energy, environmental issues and economic development.
Most recently, Bill served as president of Husson University and served as chair of the Finance Authority of Maine and the Maine Development Foundation. He lives with his wife, Betsy, in Ellsworth, Maine.
