PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 28, 2026
Walter Anderson set down his rock hammer on Feb. 15, 2026. Walter and his family returned to New England in 1968 where he accepted a position at the Maine Geological Survey (MGS). As Assistant State Geologist, Walter oversaw natural resource investigations of all kinds. He served as State Geologist from 1978 to 1995. During his tenure, he built a modern geological survey, adding programs in hydrogeology and coastal geology with the intent of identifying areas most susceptible to coastal erosion, to better guide development. He initiated Geographic Information System applications to geology, heralding the modernization of data collection at MGS. When the federal government identified two candidate sites in Maine for the long-term storage of high-level nuclear waste in the mid-1980s, Walter led the scientific effort to oppose this poorly conceived effort. He also served as Chief Geologist for the International Appalachian Trail.