Project Canopy
 AUGUSTA - The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's (DACF) 80th annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show (ATS) is scheduled for Tuesday to Saturday, January 19-23, 2021. The five-day all-online ATS features a mixture of agricultural and forestry presentations, discussion, and networking opportunities. Registration is encouraged but not required. All ATS events are free and open to the public. All programming will be live-streamed on the Whova Event App and the DACF's YouTube channel and Facebook Page. Attendees who register can easily view the full program and the exhibitions, plus gain exclusive access to offers from ATS exhibitors, including producer associations, membership groups, boards, and commissions. After the event, all programming will be viewable on the Whova App, and the Department's YouTube channel and Facebook Page. More info here.
 Maine Woodland Owners will host its annual Forestry Forum on January 21, 2021, and for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization’s largest indoor event of the year will be held completely online!
The in-person version of this annual event has drawn over 300 attendees in the past, and the expectation is that attendance of the online program could be similar. The program will be held during the third day of the virtual Maine Agricultural Trades Show and is open to the public - geared to woodland owners, forestry professionals, government officials, and conservationists.
The program will start with a brief member meeting at 8:00am, followed by a series of informative presentations throughout the day. The morning will offer presentations on wood markets, forestry management, the history of axes and toolmaking, and forest pest and disease updates. Credits from the Maine Board of Pesticides Control are available for those attending the pest and disease presentation.
The afternoon presentation, “What Small Woodland Owners Should Know About Carbon Markets,” starts at 1:00pm and will feature Senator Angus King who will provide an overview of the “Trillion Trees and Natural Carbon Storage Act,” followed by a representative from Maine’s Climate Council to discuss the role forests can play in meeting the state’s carbon reduction goals. These will be followed by an overview of the carbon market, current carbon offset projects in Maine, and companies who work in the carbon credits market.
In addition to hosting the all day program, Maine Woodland Owners also will hold an online auction with one-of-a-kind items including two sculptures created by wood carver Josh Landry. Landry created the sculpture that Stephen and Tabitha King commissioned for their home in Bangor. The auction will run from January 15 through January 21, just after the end of the Forestry Forum.
Maine Woodland Owners was formed in 1975 as an educational organization dedicated to providing knowledge and technical support for Maine’s small woodland owners. Their goal is to increase landowner engagement and long-term stewardship to ensure the health of Maine's forests. Maine Woodland Owners is the only statewide organization supporting Maine’s 86,000 family woodland owners.
The Forestry Forum will be held on the online conference platform Zoom. For more information about the event and how to attend, visit Maine Woodland Owners website, www.mainewoodlandowners.org, or contact Jennifer Hicks, Director of Communications and Outreach at jenn@mainewoodlandowners.org, (207) 626-0005.
 Maine Invasive Species Network has announced that the agenda is available and registration is now open for the 2021 Maine Invasive Species Network Annual Meeting, to be held virtually from 9-11am on February 23 & 24. Closer to the date, MISN will send you a Zoom link(s) for the meeting.
We are seeking Society of American Foresters and Maine Board of Pesticide Control continuing education credits and will update the agenda when we know how many credits are approved.
Note, there will be time on the 2nd day for announcements for the good of the community. Please contact Gary Fish, the meeting moderator, if you would like to make an announcement during this time: Gary.Fish@maine.gov
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