Preserve Rural Maine was founded in the summer of 2023 in response to a proposed transmission line through 40+ towns in rural Maine. We are a membership based tax-exempt non-profit.
Membership is free! Please join: it will help us communicate with you and keep you up to date on projects that might impact your community.
Support us by making a donation! We are a tiny organization and all board members are volunteers.
Board of Directors
President – Tanya Blanchard
Tanya Blanchard is a researcher, analyst, and advocate for rural Maine communities. She is the president of Preserve Rural Maine and the founder of Landowners’ Voice, where she examines energy, infrastructure, land use, and other decisions affecting rural Maine. With a background in data analysis, database and project management, and a lifelong interest in understanding how things work, she brings a careful, questioning approach to her research and writing. She is also a homeschooling mother of seven, a seamstress, an amateur oil painter, and a lifelong gardener who is still working on keeping the weeds within their boundaries.
Vice President – Joshua Kercsmar
Josh Kercsmar is a historian, educator, and lifelong learner with a particular interest in the ways people understand, use, and care for the places they call home. His background in history and environmental ethics informs his interest in the decisions shaping rural Maine, and he brings a thoughtful, questioning approach to the work of understanding those decisions.
Josh believes that rural communities deserve to be heard, that important decisions should be made with care, and that protecting Maine’s rural character requires both a clear understanding of the issues and a willingness to ask difficult questions.
Treasurer – Eric Rolfson
Eric François Rolfson is a traditional musician and Maple Farmer living in Albion, Maine. He is a retired teacher, administrator, fundraiser, and entrepreneur whose fifty-year career included working for three Maine educational institutions, his alma mater in France, and two start-ups in Maine and Massachusetts.
Secretary – Steve Ingalls
Brook DeLorme
Brook is a lifelong Mainer who loves
rural places, fields, and forests. An artist, writer,
and designer, she has spent most of her working life
involved with Maine-based small businesses. She is
fascinated by language and all the possibilities it
offers.
Who We Are
We started as a group of Maine residents concerned about the far-reaching impacts of industrial redevelopment projects in our state. As we studied the proposed transmission line, we uncovered more legislation and projects on the horizon that would dramatically reshape Maine’s forests, agricultural lands, and waterways. Our mission is to ensure that socioeconomically disadvantaged rural communities, which often bear the brunt of these developments, have a seat at the table. We aim to empower them to voice their concerns and play an active role in shaping decisions that will influence their future.
Why We Care
Maine’s rural landscapes—from its forests to its farmlands—are critical not only to the state’s economy but to the nation’s, as well. These areas provide timber, seafood, clean water, and agricultural products that contribute to national food security and economic vitality. But beyond resources, rural Maine holds a rich cultural heritage, one built on strong community ties and a deep relationship with the natural environment. As industrial projects and urbanization increasingly encroach on these spaces, we risk losing not just the land, but also the values and traditions that define rural life.
Preserving rural Maine means preserving a place where people live in connection with nature. It offers an essential refuge in an era of rapid urbanization and environmental degradation. By standing up for these communities, we affirm the importance of a lifestyle grounded in sustainability, respect for nature, and the well-being of future generations.