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Skowhegan’s Yankee Woodlot back in active management
Maine Forest Service District Forester Patty Cormier and the
Somerset Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) have begun actively
managing the Yankee Woodlot in Skowhegan after a long hiatus. The Yankee
Woodlot is a 300-acre parcel owned by the Bureau of Parks and Lands. Under a
memorandum of understanding that dates to 1982, the Somerset SWCD is
responsible for managing the lot, and harvest revenue is reinvested in
management of the lot, including signage and other educational initiatives. A
harvest recommended several years ago never took place, and Cormier and the SWCD
advisory group took the initiative to make it happen.
The report on this winter’s harvest activities includes:
- 750 cords of wood delivered to the mill, up from the projected 500
cords (from a 10-year old inventory). The same yield is projected for harvest
next winter.
- Harvest education opportunities, including: three landowner
workshops (62 people); one college wood science class (12 students); one
Skowhegan High School class (12 students); and a Skowhegan High School group of
30 students.
Cormier and the SWCD plan to hold several more workshops this
year. A workshop/cleanup day scheduled for Saturday May, 20th,
starting at 9 a.m. The morning will be devoted to discussion about "after
the harvest, what now?" The group will discuss BMP’s, trail work,
and review the harvest data. After lunch (provided) at noon, the group
will be invited to help with trail clean up, hay and seed application,
etc.
In addition to the Maine Forest Service and the Somerset SWCD, event
partners include the local chapter of Maine Woodland Owners and the Skowhegan
Conservation Commission. The group also will offer a soils workshop on
June 29th. July workshops will cover post-harvest inventory
and setting up continuous forest inventory (CFI) plots.
For more information contact Patty Cormier @ (207) 592-2238 or patty.cormier@maine.gov .
 Feller buncher at work
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