TROUT UNLIMITED • Nov 10, 2025
A long-time resident of Farmingdale, Maine, Steve Brooke has been a tireless advocate for the state’s coldwater resources, his passion for trout and Atlantic salmon driving his efforts to work — alongside many others — toward their protection. He’s seen some defeats, and many victories. Brooke said, “It doesn’t really matter who gets credit for something as long as the job gets done. Just keep working very hard along the way.” In the 1980s, Brooke became an active member of TU’s Kennebec Valley chapter. He joined the movement calling for the removal of Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River. The dam came down in 1999. Brooke worked for years alongside other river advocates as they turned their attention to the next four dams on the river. In September, the Nature Conservancy announced that it reached an agreement with the dams’ owner, power company Brookfield, to purchase the four dams. They will eventually be decommissioned and removed.