Woods Wise Wire
Maine
Forest Service survey reveals that nearly 90 percent of Maine’s family woodland
owners are happy with the harvesting activity results
AUGUSTA
– Nearly 90 percent of Maine’s family woodland owners are happy with the
results of recent timber harvesting on their land. That’s the key finding of a
survey conducted by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and
Forestry’s Forest Service. The survey was drawn from a random sample of family
woodland owners who own less than 1,000-acre ownerships statewide and who had
recently completed a harvest on at least a portion of their woods.
“Healthy
forests are vital to our economy and way of life,” said Governor Paul R.
LePage. “Effective strategies for active forest management improve forest
health, wood availability, wildlife habitat, water quality, recreational
opportunities and our overall quality of life.”
“Farmers
and other small woodlot owners, particularly in southern Maine, can enhance
their surroundings by selectively harvesting trees,” said DACF Commissioner
Walt Whitcomb.
“We’re
very pleased with the results of this survey,” said Maine Forest Service
Director Doug Denico. “We found that Maine’s family woodland owners are quite
satisfied with the outcomes of timber harvesting on their land – including
aesthetics, wildlife habitat, recreation and income.”
“Timber
harvests in Maine are being conducted by a highly professional logging work
force, often in consultation with licensed foresters, and the outcomes are
largely positive for the customer, the landowner,” said Pat Sirois, Director of
the Maine Sustainable Forestry Initiative. “The good news for landowners is
that this survey indicates a good job occurs on nine out of every ten
harvests.”
Survey
Results:
- Over 63% of woodland owners were “very satisfied” and
over 27% were “somewhat satisfied” with the overall outcome of their
harvest.
- Nearly 59% were “very satisfied” and over 29% were
“somewhat satisfied” with the overall condition of their woods after the
harvest.
- 56% were “very satisfied” and nearly 30% were “somewhat
satisfied” with the financial outcomes of their harvests.
- 78% felt the logger understood their objectives and
respected the owner’s vision for their woodlands “very well,” and 84% said
they would work with the same logger again.
- 77% of woodland owners said they would harvest again,
when conditions were right.
Maine’s
Healthy Forests Program:
The
survey was conducted in support of Maine’s Healthy Forests Program. The Healthy
Forests Program’s goals are to: (1) identify strategies that lead to active
forest management on Maine family woodlands, particularly in the southern part
of the state; (2) improve wood availability, wildlife habitat, forest health,
recreational opportunities, water quality, aesthetics, etc.; and (3) increase
landowner enjoyment and support jobs and the state's economy. The program is a
partnership that includes the Maine Forest Service, Maine’s Sustainable
Forestry Initiative, the Certified Logging Professional Program, and others
with an interest in a healthy forest.
For
more about Maine’s Healthy Forest Program go to http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/projects/healthy_forests/index.html
If
you own a woodlot and are interested in learning about opportunities to
actively manage your property, this is a course you should attend. Steve
MacDonald and John McGeechan, foresters with Prentiss & Carlisle will
facilitate the course and organize presentations from a number of experienced
foresters with different backgrounds. The information and contacts you gain
from this course will help you make decisions regarding how to sustainably
manage your woodlot for years to come. The class will meet on the following
Wednesday evenings listed below from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Belfast Area High
School. This is a free course sponsored by Prentiss & Carlisle. The course
is free but registration is required. Please register for the course by calling
Belfast Adult Education at (207)338-3197, or on their website http://belfast.maineadulted.org/.
If you have questions about the content of this course please contact Steve
MacDonald by calling 207-949-8294 or emailing him at sdmacdonald@prentissandcarlisle.com.
Week
1 –February 24th
Woodland
Stewardship Stories (Real Examples of Woodlot Management) – Steve MacDonald,
Prentiss & Carlisle
Week
2 – March 2nd
Silviculture
–SWOAM
Working
with Professional Foresters – Paul Miller, Forestry For You
Week
3 – March 9th
Best
Management Practices – Maine Forest Service
Tree
Identification – Maine Forest Service
Week
4 – March 16th
Biodiversity/Wildlife
Management – Sandy Walczyk, Maine Forest Service
Week
5 – March 23rd
Forestry
Rules & Regulations – Maine Forest Service
Tree
Growth Tax Law – Maine Forest Service
Week
6 – March 30th
Non
Timber Forest Products – David Fuller, UMaine Cooperative Extension
Week
7 – April 6th
Working
with a Logging Contractor – Steve MacDonald, Prentiss & Carlisle
Week
8 – April 13th
Common
Tree Pests and Diseases – Allison Kanoti, MFS Insect & Disease Lab
We
wish to encourage farmers, woodland owners, resource professionals, and members
of the general public to take advantage of this opportunity to make your voice
heard by completing the survey we have posted online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JQ5GPL5
Or you may stop by the Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District’s
Office at 107 Park St in Farmington to pick up a printed copy of the survey.
The
Maine Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), in cooperation with
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is conducting a Natural
Resources Assessment (NRA) across the state and needs the help of Maine’s
citizens! The goal is to determine natural resource priorities so that
Districts and NRCS can assist landowners, professionals, and municipalities
with best management practices that protect and improve land and water
resources. To gather this information, Districts are distributing a statewide
survey and holding local meetings to document natural resource conservation
concerns and to build on the data collected in the first assessment, completed
in 2011. The priorities articulated in the survey and meetings will inform
state and local natural resource programs and funding opportunities in the
coming five year cycle.
According
to Rosetta White, Executive Director of Franklin County SWCD and Amanda Burton,
NRCS District Conservationist, “The Natural Resources Assessment process is a
great opportunity for people who may or may not own land, and may or may not be
associated with a conservation organization to express their conservation
priorities by completing a survey or participating in a free-wheeling
discussion at a locally held meeting. The results of this process stand to have
a broad reach. The Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, DEP, and
state legislators are already anxious to see the survey results.”
This
year’s survey will be distributed by all 16 conservation districts and will
address statewide conservation concerns as well as give us the chance to drill
down to local issues and priorities. We are asking that all citizens make their
voices heard by participating in the assessment, whether by completing a survey
or attending a local meeting on Tues., March 22nd, 6-8 p.m. at UMF’s
North Dining Hall B. Preliminary survey results will be available at this time.
To
encourage participation, everyone who completes a survey or attends the meeting
on March 22nd will go into a drawing for a prize. If you have
questions e mail info@franklincswcd.org
or call 778-4279.
For
more information about the Natural Resources Assessment or to access the online
survey please visit the Maine Association of Conservation Districts website at maineconservationdistricts.com.
USDA-NRCS and Maine Association of Conservation
Districts are equal opportunity providers and employers
Invasive Forest Pest Workshops are
being offered by Maine Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) through a
grant from Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Workshops will be offered in spring and summer 2016 in York, Cumberland,
Oxford, Somerset, Franklin, Androscoggin-Sagadahoc, Kennebec, Knox-Lincoln,
Waldo and Hancock counties. Workshops will be posted on the MACD website as
they are scheduled: maineconservationdistricts.com/forest-pest-outreach.
These workshops will help landowners and
users, landscape and forest professionals, and all residents of the state to
-
identify current and potential
invasive forest pests and their host species,
- understand
the threats to our forests and woodlands posed by these pests, and
- learn
how to report suspected pest sightings or damage to trees that may be a
result of pest infestations.
All participants will
receive an information packet with fact sheets about the major pest
species, a list of host trees that the species may be found on, and other
relevant information. When possible, workshops will also include an optional
outdoor visit to a site where invasive pests or host trees may be found.
All workshops are
free
(except those that may be part of a larger event that has an admission fee).
March 4, 2016 (Fri) from
1:30-3:30pm at Ellsworth City Hall, 1 City Hall Plaza.
Presenter: Mary Thompson, Knox-Lincoln SWCD
FMI and to register: Hancock
SWCD, 667-8663 or hancockswcd@live.com
March 17, 2016 (Thu) at 7pm at
Oxford Comprehensive School on Main St, South Paris.
Presenter: Jean
Federico, Oxford SWCD
FMI and to register: Oxford
SWCD, 743-5789 or oxfordcountyswcd@gmail.com
March
23, 2016
(Wed) from 9-11am at Wilton Town Office, 158 Weld Rd.
Presenter: Joe Dembeck, Somerset SWCD
FMI and to register: 772-4279
or rosetta.thompson@franklinswcd.org
April
2, 2016
(Sat) at Rural Living Day in Thorndike.
Presenter: Mary Thompson, Knox-Lincoln SWCD
FMI and to register:
This workshop is part of Rural Living Day, a day-long event sponsored by Waldo
County Extension. Ticket information and the schedule of events and programs
will be posted at maineconservationdistricts.com/forest-pest-outreach/
as it is available. For general info about forest pest presentations in Waldo
County: 338-1964 x4 or kym.sanderson@me.nacdnet.net.
April
6, 2016
(Wed) from 10am-noon at Midcoast Conservancy, 36 Water St, Wiscasset. Optional
site visit to Cushman Mountain from 12:30-1:30pm.
Presenter: Mary Thompson, Knox-Lincoln SWCD
FMI and to register:
Knox-Lincoln SWCD, 596-2040 or info@knox-lincoln.org.
April
19, 2016
(Tue) from 9-11am at Searsmont Town Office, 37 Main St. South
Presenter: Mary Thompson, Knox-Lincoln SWCD
FMI and to register:
Waldo SWCD, 338-1964 x4 or kym.sanderson@me.nacdnet.net.
Recertification credits
These
programs have been reviewed and are approved for the following recertification
credits:
- Professional CFE credits by the
Society of American Foresters. Category 1-CF: 2.0; (April 6 only: Category
1-CF: 3.0 if participating in optional 1 hour field session)
- Pesticide Applicator credits by
the Board of Pesticides Control: 2.0
Credits pending:
State of Maine Board of Licensure of Foresters
Maine Certified Logging Professionals Program
Northeast Master Logger Certification Program (Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands)
This material is made
possible through a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation
and Forestry (DACF) and is funded in part by a Cooperative Agreement
from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service. The USDA, DACF, and MACD are equal opportunity
providers and employers.
Have you taken a moment to think about the future of your land?
Perhaps, you already have a detailed plan in place; or perhaps, you haven’t
given it any thought at all. Do you know the value of your woodlands? Is it
important for you to know what your woods will look like in 10 years, or even
50 years? Do you know your options for conserving or selling your land? These
questions are essential ones to consider for any land owner. Luckily, the
Piscataquis and Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation Districts are
teaming up to present a program aimed to answer all of these questions and
more.
On Saturday, March 5th, the Districts will present an
engaging workshop titled Trees in Transition: Succession Planning for your
Woodlands in Parkman, Maine. Presenters for this event will include Jessica
Leahy of the University of Maine and 1st Vice President of the Small
Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM), Erica Kaufmann of the Forest
Society of Maine, and Gordon Moore and Patty Cormier, District Foresters for
the Maine Forest Service. Workshop participants will learn about succession
planning (start to finish), conservation easements for succession planning,
state resources available to landowners, assessing timber value, land transfer
options and much more from this fantastic lineup of expert presenters. All
participants will also receive SWOAM’s succession planning handbook Creating
a Legacy and hands-on, step-by-step instructions on how to use the handbook
to create a succession plan for their land.
The Trees in Transition workshop will provide detailed,
useful information for landowners who have started a plan, finished a plan, or
haven’t started a plan; for folks with a few acres to several hundred acres;
and for folks who have detailed land management plans to those who are working
with raw, over-grown or poorly managed land. No matter what stage you are at
with a succession plan, there will be something valuable for you offered at
this workshop.
In addition to hearing presentations from all the knowledgeable
presenters and receiving the Creating a Legacy handbook, workshop
participants will also enjoy a delicious, hearty lunch provided by Billi Barker
of the Enchanted Kitchen out of Saint Albans.
Pre-registration
for this workshop is required. For more information or to register, please
contact the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District at
207-564-2321 ext. 3, info@piscataquisswcd.org, 42 Engdahl Drive, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426. Early
registration is encouraged, as we suspect this workshop will fill quickly.
Saturday, April 9th, 9 a.m. to
noon, 391 Varnum Pond Road, Temple
The April Upper Kennebec Valley Chapter of
SWOAM meeting will be held at the woodlot of Chuck Hulsey in Temple.
Chuck is a regional wildlife biologist with the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries
and Wildlife (and a forester) and has been managing this wooded nine-acre home
site very intensively for the past 17 years. His focus has been wildlife,
aesthetics, and timber. The property was part of a much larger parcel which was
once a field but planted to red pine in 1962. The previous owner conducted
a light thinning in 1982. For those of you who know Walter Gooley, he was the
state forester involved with the planting in 1962. It is our hope that Walter
can be there to share that experience.
Part of the property had a significant amount
of hardwood volunteer into the area planted to red pine. Most is firewood
quality, though some is of high quality. Chuck will cover what to cut for
the woodstove, and what should be retained for high quality saw timber in both
the near and long term. You’ll learn the difference between a weeding, a
thinning, and a regeneration cut.
We will also see and discuss cavity and snag
tree management for wildlife, plus the management for future hard mast trees.
There will be examples of techniques for propagation of natural cavities and
snags, as well as the use of nest boxes. Nearly 60 species of wildlife in Maine
need snags or cavity trees.
BONUS!!! There will be
questions to test your basic knowledge of trees and wildlife. Up to 10 of
the smarter folks will be rewarded with a bluebird/chickadee nest box to take
home. Others can take home any leftover or partially eaten doughnuts.
Directions:
From Farmington---Take Rt. 43 to
Temple. Go just past the Temple Town Office (brown shingles) located on
the right, then turn left on the Varnum Pond Road. The home and property
is on the right, 1.9 miles after the turn onto the Varnum Pond Road.
Because there is not enough room to park in the driveway, park on the right
side of the road, starting at the driveway. There are four mailboxes
opposite the driveway which are in sequence: green, blue, black, and
black. Number 391 is on the green mailbox. There will be a SWOAM
sign marking the starting point to start parking. Parking should be on
the right side of the road only. Use the driveway only to turn around.
There is also a bus turnout 100 yards on the left before the mailboxes which is
useful for turning around.
From East Wilton----Take the Temple
Road until you reach the Varnum Pond Road. Turn left onto the Varnum Pond
Road. Go approximately 1.5 miles until you see the four mailboxes on the
left—or parked cars on the right.
From Washington Township--- Starting
somewhere from Rt. 156, park your vehicle then start hiking due east, four very
difficult miles through the woods, then over Varnum Mountain to the western end
of the Varnum Pond Road. There is no trail.
Coffee and doughnuts will be served up the
driveway in Chuck’s garage. This is free and open to all, no need to
pre-register. Any questions contact Patty Cormier at 492-2238, or patty.cormier@maine.gov.
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