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Patty Cormier is the Maine state forester. Robby Gross is Maine’s chief forest ranger. Both work for the Maine Forest Service, which is part of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Wildfires are devastating, significantly impacting economies, communities, and property. Extreme weather events and intensifying weather patterns have made wildfires more unpredictable, sometimes overwhelming first responders. While Maine’s forests and cooler climate may seem to offer protection, the risk remains real. In 1947, wildfires burned over 220,000 acres and destroyed 1,000 homes. In 2024 alone, Maine saw 652 wildfires, burning 296 acres.
The Maine Forest Service (MFS) protects Maine’s 17.5 million acres of forestland, covering 89 percent of the state, including the vast Unorganized Territory — one of the largest undeveloped areas east of the Mississippi River. These forests, critical to Maine’s economy and outdoor heritage, face growing threats from wildfires and pests.
As stewards of the nation’s most heavily forested state, we prioritize wildfire preparedness and risk reduction. We work closely with Maine’s fire service, FEMA, the Maine Emergency Management Agency, landowners, community leaders, and regional and national partners to ensure a coordinated wildfire response.
A key tool in our efforts is the Open Burn Permit System, which incorporates the daily wildfire danger rating to help communities make informed decisions about when to issue burn permits. These daily wildfire danger ratings, issued during wildfire season (March through November) also keep the public informed of the current risk. During wildfire season (March to November), our daily wildfire danger broadcasts keep the public informed of fire risk.
Training is another cornerstone of our mission. Maine Forest Rangers and local fire departments receive specialized instruction in wildfire response and incident management. Through mutual aid agreements, Maine Forest Rangers gain experience in out-of-state wildfire mobilizations, enhancing local response strategies.
Maine’s commitment to wildfire preparation extends beyond state borders. As a founding member of the Northeast Forest Fire Protection Compact, we share resources and expertise with New England and Eastern Canada. Locally, we lead Community Wildfire Protection Plans, working with high-risk communities to implement fuel reduction programs and defensible space principles. We also lead the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, supporting strategies to mitigate wildfire risks. Additionally, the Maine Prescribed Burn Council promotes controlled burns to enhance fire resiliency.
Modern technology and equipment are critical to our success. National lightning detection and heat signature systems provide rapid alerts for wildfires in remote areas. The Maine Forest Service aviation program — the only one of its kind in New England — supports ground crews with water bucket drops and aerial reconnaissance, ensuring most wildfire incidents receive a response within an hour.
Despite these efforts, severe conditions can still lead to uncontrollable wildfires. Preparedness is a shared responsibility, and we encourage all Maine residents to take proactive steps to safeguard their properties and communities.
Maine’s northern forests, particularly in the Unorganized Territory, face another major challenge: the return of the spruce budworm. This native pest experiences periodic population surges, causing widespread defoliation and tree mortality.
The last major outbreak in the 1970s and 1980s destroyed over 7 million acres of spruce and fir, severely impacting Maine’s timber industry and wildlife habitats. The economic toll was in the hundreds of millions, and extensive salvage logging reshaped Maine’s forest landscape.
For decades, Maine has had a reprieve, but spruce budworm populations are now at a tipping point in northern Maine. A regional outbreak has been building since the early 2000s, beginning in Quebec and slowly spreading toward the U.S. border.
Since 2013, the Maine Forest Service, in partnership with the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, has intensified monitoring efforts. The Spruce Budworm Lab at the University of Maine tracks overwintering budworm populations.
Unfortunately, recent data is concerning. Last summer, defoliation was observed in northern Maine, and population models confirmed a significant moth migration from Quebec. L2 monitoring identified approximately 250,000 acres nearing or exceeding the intervention threshold for the early intervention strategy.
In response, Maine’s forest landowners and the Maine Forest Service have adopted a coordinated strategy modeled after New Brunswick’s Early Intervention Strategy, which successfully slowed the outbreak’s spread. This year is critical in Maine’s response. Continued collaboration is essential to minimize tree mortality, protect wildlife and aquatic habitats, and reduce the risk of wildfires fueled by dead, dry trees.
Maine has faced these challenges before. By learning from history, taking decisive action, and staying informed, we can protect our forests for future generations. We encourage you to visit www.sprucebudwormmaine.org to learn more and sign up for updates at www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/index.html#emails.
Contact your local forest ranger and district forester for guidance. We’re here to help.
