By Annie
By Annie
In October nearly 100 foresters and forestry students from around the state met at the Maine chapter of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) fall meeting to learn about and discuss topics related to forestry, interact with fellow foresters, and take part in tours and workshops.
The forest industry continues to play a big part in Maine’s economy, contributing $9.8 billion in 2014 and supporting nearly 39,000 jobs directly and through related employment. This year forest products are expected to contribute $8.5 billion to the state’s economy and more than 33,000 jobs, which is no small feat.
One update that was given at the meeting is that the Economic Development Assessment Team (EDAT) is looking at industry and community needs throughout the state to see what assistance will provide the most benefit. Earlier this year an EDAT team from the Department of Commerce came to “evaluate new and existing economic strategies to address the state’s forest-based economic challenges.” They have since announced that they “will invest more than $4 million to help diversify and grow the Maine economy, which includes new funds designed to aid the forest sector” according to their press release in July.
As we look to the future there are exciting new technologies being used to create new products from wood right here in Maine. One of the tours SAF offered at this meeting was a look inside the Advanced Structures and Composites Center and the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) at the University of Maine. Some of the new products on display were nanocellulose and cross-laminated timber (CLT). Nanocellulose has many practical applications and can be used in a variety of items like recyclable foam insulation board, artificial organs, and other high-performance products. CLT is strong and sturdy and according to UMaine’s Dr. Stephen Shaler, “CLT is sometimes called plywood on steroids.”
One of the foresters who toured the Advanced Structures and Composites Center and the FBRI said that it was interesting to see the new developments in nanomaterials, and the processes being developed to convert wood to oil. He also enjoyed seeing the potential for cross-laminated timber (CLT) and learning about its structural properties.
As societal needs, the forest products industry, and the environment continue to change, the Forest Society of Maine believes Maine’s millions of acres of forests will only become more valuable for many different reasons. That’s why we’re working to conserve forestland so that it will be available to support jobs, recreation, and wildlife habitat. We’re glad to have so many foresters in this state who spend their livelihoods caring for and promoting this wonderful resource.
By Annie
On November 14 Apple and The Conservation Fund announced the donation of a 32,400-acre conservation easement at Reed Forest to Forest Society of Maine. With support from Apple, the Fund also donated an endowment to Forest Society of Maine to ensure the easement will be monitored and enforced forever. These are important steps in our collective effort to ensure the long-term protection of working forests.
Located along the Mattawamkeag River in Aroostook County, Reed Forest adds to more than a million acres of nearby conserved lands and interconnected forest habit that extend beyond the U.S. border into Canada. Maine’s forests provide important habitat for species such as Atlantic salmon, bald eagle, northern goshawk, and Canada lynx.
This conservation easement ensures that the forest will become a healthy, sustainable working forest. Keeping these forests intact provides connectivity to other conserved and managed lands within the region. The easement protects the forests’ bogs, wetlands, rivers, streams, and other aquatic habitat as well as its wildlife and plant communities. It also allows for low-intensity outdoor recreation.
The Conservation Fund worked closely with its local conservation partners to identify the most qualified and experienced easement holder for Reed Forest. Forest Society of Maine was selected because it manages conservation easements across more than one million acres of sustainable working forests in Maine, and maintains an important focus on the conservation of Maine’s North Woods.
Forest Society of Maine is honored to receive and hold the conservation easement at Reed Forest to help ensure its permanent protection. Apple and The Conservation Fund are demonstrating genuine leadership that will help working forests remain intact for Maine’s communities and environment.
Read more about the project from:
Bangor Daily News
Apple Newsroom
The Conservation Fund
By Annie
As temperatures dip and the nights grow longer, trees aren’t the only ones preparing for colder months. Forest dwelling animals throughout Maine are storing food, eating extra calories, or flying south before snow arrives.
Loons fly to the coast for the winter to find open water, particularly the ocean, and juvenile loons may travel along the coast as far as Florida or the Gulf of Mexico. Did you know that loons have different plumage during the winter? In the summer they sport their iconic black-and-white patterns, but in the winter they molt and regrow feathers in less eye-catching shades of gray. Many neotropical migrants, birds that nest in North America but spend the colder months in South America, have left their summer breeding grounds in Maine’s forest for their winter habitat, making the woods a quieter place.
Others woodland creatures hibernate, and not just the mammals that readily come to mind like bears or skunks. Many amphibians hibernate or become dormant too. Some hibernate underwater or find protected nooks and crannies, while others like wood frogs actually produce antifreeze to protect their vital organs.
The frosty mornings also mean that some of Maine’s residents, fondly known as snow birds, are preparing to return to warmer climates. For people who enjoy fishing, this time of year means that open water fishing season is coming to an end, but many fishermen and women look forward to ice fishing once lakes and ponds freeze over. Hunting season has now begun and even dogs who spend time in the woods are sporting their blaze orange. Safety first of course!
By Annie
Adapted from FSM’s Spring 2016 Newsletter
Over the broken back of Saddleback Mountain lies Silver Lake, far from city habitation, hemmed in by mountains and thick, black woods that crowd close to the water’s edge. Here one may sojourn on its bank for long, contented days and quiet restful nights without number and forget the noisy, work-a-day world beyond the blue rim of the mountains.” From Vacation Days by Pauline Green, 1926 Brownville H. S. Reflector
Silver Lake and its surroundings have remained largely unchanged since Pauline wrote these words close to 100 years ago. The Forest Society of Maine (FSM) is working with two landowners to keep it unchanged by conserving 18,000 acres around Silver Lake, the West Branch of the Pleasant River, and the high elevation streams that feed them. When completed, the Gulf Hagas – Pleasant River Initiative will conserve productive forestland, four mountain peaks, a free-flowing river, wetlands, and important wildlife habitat. These lands also tie together key amenities of importance to regional recreation and tourism, including the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and a popular access point for the A.T., Katahdin Iron Works (KIW) State Historic Site, Gulf Hagas (a National Natural Landmark), and numerous campsites and other hiking trails.
The Gulf Hagas – Pleasant River region has a long history of forestry and recreation going hand-in-hand. When driving along the Katahdin Iron Works Road you can see remnants of the historic Iron Works, which at one point employed 400 people. Opened in 1843, KIW was supplied with ore from nearby Ore Mountain. The ore was transported by horses and other draft animals roughly one mile to the furnace, where it was melted into large blocks. It was then transported by wagons to Bangor to be shipped.
Katahdin Iron Works was an extensive operation that included a blast furnace and at least 16 charcoal kilns. These were fed each year with thousands of cords of wood cut from the surrounding forest by hundreds of men and their teams of horses and oxen. Many KIW employees and their families lived near the current historic site. During its heyday the village held upwards of 100 homes, a small school, a blacksmith shop, a store, and two nearby boarding houses. Katahdin Iron Works saw several owners during the short time it operated before closing in 1890.
In the 1880s a rail line was established to Silver Lake, and with it came a new wave of visitors. The landscape had many natural features which made it a popular destination. The three-story Silver Lake Hotel could accommodate between 75 and 100 people. The hotel drew guests from across the country and was marketed for its natural surroundings and the restorative effects of its fresh air. Boasting a “grand combination of lake, valley, mountain and forest scenery” the area became renowned for fishing, hunting, boating, and reliable guides. The hotel operated until 1913 when it burned to the ground and was never rebuilt.
Today more than 10,000 people pass through this area each year. They pursue many of the same activities in the same surroundings as have generations before them. FSM, through the Gulf Hagas-Pleasant River Initiative, is working to ensure these forests stay as forests – undeveloped and productive – and that access remains available for future generations. For more information or a copy of FSM’s spring newsletter contact Karin Tilberg, FSM Deputy Director at Karin@fsmaine.org.
Sources:
Sawtelle, William. Katahdin Iron Works and Gulf Hagas: Before and Beyond. 1993.
Maine Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands. Katahdin Iron Works brochure.
209 State St, 2nd Floor
Bangor, Maine 04401
(207) 945-9200
info@fsmaine.org
