Foliage Report for October 9, 2019

The colors of fall are appearing throughout Maine for the long holiday weekend

This week's fall foliage report from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry reports peak and near peak conditions throughout most of Maine, with coastal regions (zones 1 and 2) reporting high color (less than 70 percent color change).

Typically, northern Maine (zones 6 and 7) reaches peak conditions the last week of September into the first week of October.  The rest of the State’s progression of color will start occurring from north to south in mid-October.  Coastal Maine typically reaches peak conditions mid-to-late October.

Enjoy one of many fall-themed events taking place over the course of the long holiday weekend.  Starting today, Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta kicks off with a weekend-long lineup of family-friendly, pumpkin-related activities, including pumpkin-boat building, a scavenger hunt, pumpkin pie eating contests, a giant pumpkin catapult, a pumpkin slingshot, and more.  On Friday and Saturday, Acadia’s Oktoberfest will offer a variety of local foods, beer, wine, and crafts.  In the mountains, Sunday River’s Fall Festival is also taking place this Saturday and Sunday, featuring the North American Wife Carrying Championship, New England Corn Hole Championship, music, a wine tent, and more.

For foodies, next week is the much anticipated Harvest on the Harbor event, featuring unique culinary experiences and highlighting Portland’s incredible food scene.

If you plan to explore Downeast this weekend, take a road trip to Acadia National Park to see the foliage surrounded by mountains, lakes, and the Atlantic.  Drive up Cadillac Mountain for the ultimate foliage views at the summit and see up to 100 miles.  For outdoor adventurers, hike the mountain or rent a bike on the island and pedal along the carriage roads to enjoy the foliage from a different perspective.

Autumn enthusiasts can visit the State's official foliage Web site at www.mainefoliage.com to sign up to receive weekly reports by e-mail.  The Department’s Facebook page will include statewide events taking place throughout the foliage season, and its Instagram account (@mainefoliage) will also feature colorful fall shots.

For more information about fall activities and events in Maine, go to www.visitmaine.com.

2019 Any-Deer Permit Lottery Results

Maine's any-deer permits are issued through a special lottery drawing.  For more information, click here.   To find out if you were selected to receive a permit (any-deer, landowner, any-deer or superpack antlerless deer, or bonus), select the first letter of your last name.

A    B   C   D    E   F   G    H   I   J    K   L   M    N   O   P    Q   R   S    T   U   V    W   X   Y    Z      

Results are shown in the following format:  Name/Year of Birth, Legal Residence (Town, State), WMD-Permit Type, Permit Number.

Permit Type 

• J = Junior Any-Deer Permit
• L = Landowner Any-Deer Permit
• R = Regular Any-Deer Permit for Residents and Non-Residents
• S = Superpack Antlerless Deer Permit

Please note, the first two digits of your any-deer permit number/superpack permit number is the wildlife management district (WMD) you were selected for.  For example 23R000000 is for WMD 23.  For bonus permits in the two subunits 25a and 26a, the permit numbers will start with the first three characters of 25a or 26a.  For example, 25aRB000000 would be for subunit 25a.  For more information on subunits 25a and 26a, please click here.

If you were selected to receive a bonus permit, please see bonus permit information for more information.

The Department will no longer be mailing the permits or transportation tags.  Instead, permit winners will need to record their permit number and report the permit number to the registration station when tagging their deer.  The Department suggests that permit winners write down their permit number and keep the number with their hunting license so it is readily available when needed at the registration station.

Maine Celebrates Maine Forest Products Week

The Maine Forest Products Council, through the State of Maine, has issued a proclamation celebrating Maine Forest Products Week, October 20-26 (in conjunction with National Forest Products Week).

Schools and educators are encouraged to consider teaching a lesson or creating a display, event, or other activities to highlight one of Maine’s oldest industries.  Perhaps you might partner with local forest-related businesses or organizations, such as your historical society.

The goals of this celebration are to showcase Maine’s rebounding forest products industry — with about $700 million in investments over the past few years — and to showcase forest-related businesses and jobs (more than 30,000) in every county in the State.

Helpful Reports

• Maine’s Forest Economy 2016
• Secondary Wood Manufacturing in Maine 2017
• Understanding public access to private working forests in Maine 2018
• Maine Forest Gamechangers

Governor’s Task Force on All-Terrain Vehicle Trail Initiatives

ATV use is rapidly increasing in Maine, and with registrations now totaling over 70,000 annually, the Governor has created an ATV task force to look at a variety of issues associated with the growth in ATV use in the State, including a focus on ATV use on private land.  The Task Force is comprised of 15 members that represent landowners, farmers, government agencies, ATV owners and retailers, and snowmobile organizations.

Maine has over 6,000 miles of trails, yet with the increasing interest in ATV riding, there are concerns regarding ATV size, riding on private land without permission, and environmental damage.

The Task Force will also be looking at expanding the existing trail system with consideration to private landowners, the growing size of ATVs and their impact; discuss maintenance and trail standards for the trail system; developing a communications and outreach plan with a focus on landowner relations; discussing registration requirements based on size and value; and discussing funding for the oversight, construction, and maintenance of the trail system.

The Task Force has been charged by the Legislature to submit its recommendations to the Governor on or before January 1, 2020.

Public Comment

The ATV Task Force was formed to address the growing number of ATV riders in Maine and to support the private landowners that provide the trail system many riders use.  The Task Force has a number of objectives to discuss and would like the public’s input.  Click here to share your thoughts.

For more details about the Task Force and future meetings, please click here.

Maine State Legislature

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

Maine Unclaimed Property

Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection

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