NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL OF MAINE • September 22, 2023
Maine’s Ecological Reserves, as their name implies, were created to protect a representative sample of Maine’s natural habitats with minimal interference from human activity, particularly timber harvesting. Some, like Nahmakanta, protect swathes of northern forest and wilderness ponds, while others, like Great Heath and Number Five Bog preserve pristine wetland and bog habitats. Still others, like the Bigelow Preserve and Big Spencer Mountain, encompass mountain ranges with a wide range of elevation-based plant communities, including gnarled and twisted subalpine fir and birch. Many of the Reserves don’t have rare plants or animals, but instead are meant to be refuges for species that require vulnerable habitats like old forests or alpine meadows. As of 2018, the Ecological Reserve System is made up of 50 locations with a total area of approximately 175,000 acres. The State of Maine owns 27 of these, and the other 23 are owned by The Nature Conservancy.