PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 2, 2025
New proposed rules expanding protections for vernal pools and other at-risk wildlife habitat will move on to public hearings following a Thursday morning review by the Board of Environmental Protection. The proposals from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection update the Natural Resources Protection Act and related permitting standards to reflect recently passed laws requiring DEP to strengthen safeguards for vernal pools and protecting habitats of endangered and threatened species, such as peregrine falcons and spotted turtles.