Strategic Planning

The Maine DEP strives to maintain the highest appropriate standard of quality in all of its operations. The documents below communicate our goals and objectives in achieving our mission of preventing and controlling the pollution of Maine's natural environment.

Performance Partnership Agreement [PDF format]: This agreement is the detailed three-year plan that the Department and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) negotiate to accomplish mutual long term goals for environmental protection. Annual progress reports are submitted by the Department to EPA, and when necessary the work plan is adjusted to address emerging issues. This document includes information on work accomplished during the first year of the agreement.

For each year of the PPA, Maine DEP and EPA-New England negotiate specific Priorities and Commitments that govern the use of Federal funds in a variety program areas, such as the one for the current year.

DEP's Quality Management System assures that the environmental data used to make decisions (license conditions, for example) are accurate and reliable, and that the Department is continuously improving the quality of all its programs and operations. The standard against which quality is compared is DEP's Quality Management Plan, which is approved by the EPA.