Woods Wise Wire
Project Canopy, Maine’s urban and community forest program, is offering native conifer seedlings free to Maine landowners on a first-come, first-served basis. Donated by Irving Woodlands, first year seedlings of white spruce and eastern white pine are fast growing, sun-loving and will mature as very tall trees (60-100ft). These conifers are evergreen, grow well throughout the state and provide numerous benefits such as wildlife habitat, windbreaks, erosion control and even energy savings when planted near your home.
Annually, Project Canopy and Irving Woodlands distribute more than 2300 seedlings to Maine’s schools, municipalities and non-profits. This year, our regular plans were thwarted by COVID-19, and we need to find homes for these trees before the snow flies. So we are making these available to Maine residents for a short time and once they’re gone, they’re gone!
Requests must be in writing, emailed to DACFseedlings@maine.gov by September 25th. Requests will be honored in a first-come, first-served basis. If your request can be filled, you will receive a confirmation email. Free seedlings must be picked up in person (masks and social distancing will be enforced) at regional MFS offices during the first week in October. Exact date, time and location of seedling pick up to be announced in confirmation email. Limit of 20 seedlings per person.
Project Canopy is funded by the USDA Forest Service Community Forestry Assistance Program. The USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program was authorized by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (PL95-313) and revised by the 1990 Farm Bill (PL101-624) to promote natural resource management in populated areas and improve quality of life. Project Canopy is a cooperative effort of the Maine Forest Service.
Maine Association of Conservation Districts is offering free regional webinars to highlight how to protect Maine forests from invasive forest pests. Webinars will be presented by local Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) staff and will focus on statewide and regional pest problems. ME Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry staff will also be on hand with information on current local forest pest management issues.
Presentations are scheduled for:
- Wed, September 23 from 3-4 pm (Knox-Lincoln SWCD);
- Thu, October 1 from 4-5 pm (Cumberland SWCD);
- Wed, October 7 from 3-4 pm (Penobscot SWCD); and
- Tue, Oct 13 from 9-10 am (Central Aroostook SWCD).
There are already several invasive forest pests targeting Maine’s trees and spreading throughout the state including emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, browntail moth and winter moth. And, there are additional invasive forest pests in neighboring states that we don’t want moving to Maine, such as Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly and oak wilt, all of which have the potential for devastating effects on forest, landscape and agricultural tree species. Join us to learn how to identify and report sightings of these potential threats – and how to keep them out of Maine.
Webinars are free and sponsored by a grant from USDA-APHIS. Participants may attend any webinar that is in their region or at the most convenient date and time. Pre-registration is required. Participants will receive information on how to join the webinar after they register. For questions or more information, please contact Hildy at Knox-Lincoln SWCD at 596-2040 or hildy@knox-lincoln.org.
Credits:
The Maine Board of Licensure of Foresters has approved this webinar for 1 hour of Category 1 credits towards the annual forester renewal requirement. The Board of Pesticide Control has approved this webinar for 1 credit.
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The Beginning with Habitat (BwH) program, a collaborative partnership of agencies and non-governmental organizations housed at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), applies a habitat-based approach to conserving Maine’s fish and wildlife. During the first 20 years of the program, we primarily worked with municipalities and land trusts to inform conservation planning, but we have always recognized that private landowners are just as important to the conservation of our state’s natural resources and our wildlife and fisheries heritage.
As BwH enters its 20th year, our program is growing. We want to better serve landowners’ needs with respect to habitat management and would like to learn what resources are most important to you in achieving your land management goals. If you are an owner or manager of land in Maine, please take a moment to share your thoughts in this 10-minute survey to inform our future offerings.
Complete the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/bwhlandsmanagement
The 2020 Maine Foliage Report season is under way. Maine Foliage Reports are issued Wednesday afternoons during September and October.
- Get signed up for weekly Maine Foliage Reports at mainefoliage.com
- Submit Maine foliage photos online
- Follow Maine Foliage Reports on social media
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