Maine

Maine’s environment contains a shifting mosaic of forests, rivers, and rocky coastline. When seventeenth-century European settlers arrived, they marveled at the abundance of birds, fish, timber, and game. The exploitation of these seemingly infinite resources led to mass deforestation, the damming of rivers, and industrial contamination of air and water, which destroyed habitats and drove some species toward extinction. Beginning in the 1960s, however, Mainers championed environmental legislation and unprecedented dam removals. Today, river restoration projects bring hope to the survival of waterways, while climate change and invasive species continue to threaten both natural and cultural environments.