MAINE PUBLIC • October 17, 2025
The Maine Geological Survey says a recently-completed mineral mapping project in Aroostook County will help guide local land use decisions. In a three-year, federally-funded study, state geologists teamed up with researchers and students and the University of Maine at Presque Isle to map deposits of manganese, a critical mineral essential for the production of steel and batteries that is currently entirely imported. Maine Geological Survey senior geologist Amber Whittaker said it's now up to policymakers, municipalities, and landowners to decide what to do with the data.