MAINE PUBLIC • January 15, 2026
Maine’s Land Use Planning Commission will increase from 9 to 11 commissioners under a new state law. Commissioners will be appointed to represent the Wabanaki Nations as well as the state’s interests within the 10 and a half million acres of the Unorganized Territory. Luke Frankel, Woods, Waters & Wildlife Director with the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said conservationists say the north woods is a globally significant area for migratory birds. "The North Maine Woods is part of the temperate forest ecosystem and is one of the largest unfragmented temperate forest ecosystems on Earth," Frankel said. Frankel said the new law includes term limits and requires commissioners to have qualifications in forestry, land use planning, conservation, fisheries, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and natural resource-based businesses within the Unorganized Territory.