STAFF REPORT

AUGUSTA -- There's lots of peak color on the Maine Department of Conservation's fourth fall foliage report of the season.

Forest rangers are now observing early peak conditions -- at least 75 percent color change -- in all of northern Maine, from Fort Kent to Jackman, Greenville and Millinocket.

Peak color also is being reported in the western lakes and mountains region between Bethel and Eustis.

Leaf drop is low, or less than 30 percent, in each of these areas and vibrant color is expected to remain through next week.

"Rangers in the northern tracking zones have told me that the color is beautiful and will continue to change over the next several days before reaching 100 percent peak," said Gale Ross, who gathers observation reports from rangers.

Hurricane Kyle had no negative effect on the turning foliage along Maine's Downeast coast between Belfast and Calais.

Leaf drop in the region is still low, and leaf color is now moderate, or 30 to 50 percent toward peak.

Foliage color has reached high, between 50 and 70 percent toward peak, around Dover-Foxcroft in central Maine, and the Bangor region, while conditions are now moderate from the Augusta region south to Sebago Lake and Fryeburg.

The southern coast now has high color overall with low leaf drop. The dramatic one week change from low to high color in this region is due to healthy trees that extended their normal growing season.

"Good moisture conditions allowed trees to be photosynthetically efficient and active a little later into the fall," said Bill Ostrofsky, a forest pathologist with the Maine Forest Service. "A few cold nights and the change in day length made the colors develop more rapidly than usual."

Department of Conservation rangers will report conditions every week through Oct. 15 at http://www.mainefoliage.com.