What are the primary products of Maines mines and quarries?
The principal resources being extracted from the ground in Maine today are sand, gravel, and crushed stone, referred to collectively as “aggregate.” Granite and slate production continues at a steady rate, now used more for specialty products than for building construction. Irregular, rough fieldstone or “flat rock” that is used for landscaping projects, may be extracted from glacial deposits or, increasingly, from shallow quarries. The long-stable lime industry continues to be an important part of the Thomaston-Rockland area economy, with large reserves remaining. Gemstones, both for supplying the jewelry industry and for private collectors, are still being produced by several small operators in southwestern Maine.
