In July 1979, the Maine Office of Energy Resources and the Maine Geological Survey began the Maine Peat Resource Evaluation Program. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, attempted to determine the amount and location of fuel-grade peat in Maine. 233 areas containing peat deposits were evaluated in the state. Investigations were generally limited to deposits at least 80 acres in size containing a minimum thickness of 5 feet of commercial quality peat defined as having an ash content of less that 25%. This dataset is not a comprehensive inventory of the more than 8000 individual peat deposits in Maine.