The Mills Administration has launched the Healing Together webpage to serve as a clearinghouse of information of ways to support victims and families in Lewiston, organizations involved in the community and health care response, and anyone who might be struggling with mental health during this stressful time. Your involvement can help ensure that the help, kindness and generosity of Maine people gets to those who need it in the days and weeks to come.
 BELFAST — Aleta McKeage wanders the shady groves and manicured meadows of City Park arboretum like a data-driven grim reaper, pointing out one iconic Maine tree after another that climate scientists predict will decline or disappear over the next 75 years.
Red spruce, balsam fir and paper birch. Beech, elm and ash. These are some of the native species likely to see their numbers cut in half, or worse, by the end of the century, either because of climate change or the pests and diseases that will thrive in it, said McKeage, a conservation biologist and technical director at the Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District.
“The trees are both our witnesses and our prophets, showing us the consequences of what we have done to our ecosystem,” she said. “They are dying because we are hooked on fossil fuels. They are tangible proof of climate change.” Read more...
 AUGUSTA – To enhance fire safety and prevent wildfires, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is implementing a new law that mandates burn permits for larger campfires. The law, LD 24, goes into effect on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, and will impact fires that exceed 3 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter that are not for debris disposal. Notably, permits for burning brush and wood debris remain unaffected and are still required under the existing regulations. The new law also makes it unlawful for burning outdoors during red flag warning days. Read more...
AUGUSTA - Maine, more than any other state in the country, is blessed with trees, and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Maine Forest Service is looking for the largest specimens. Nominations for the 2024 Maine Register of Big Trees can be submitted through December 31, 2023.
Since 1968, the Maine Forest Service has been compiling a list of the largest known specimens of native and naturalized trees in Maine. The 2020 Register contains 147 trees, representing 139 species. Of these, the Maine Forest Service has been notified that five of the more notable specimens are dead or nearly so, including both the co-champion Northern red oaks (Quercus rubra) on the list in Lovell and Augusta.
State champion big trees capture our imagination for their size and strength; however, there is more to a champion than just its size—they are symbols of all the good work trees do for the quality of the environment and our quality of life. Big trees provide more cooling shade and more places for wildlife to perch and nest. They sequester more carbon dioxide, trap more pollutants, and purify more water.
To determine if a tree is a champion, the Maine Forest Service gives each tree a score based on a formula that adds circumference in inches, height in feet, and ¼ of the crown spread. In addition to 147 state champions, Maine has three trees on the national register; the yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) located in Wayne, with 321 points, the mountain paper birch (Betula cordifolia) located in Bethel, with 152 points, and the black spruce (Picea mariana) in Brooklin, with 170 points. The National Register of Big Trees is going through a transformation of its own, with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville taking over management of the registry. They plan to publish a new edition in 2024 after a 3-year hiatus.
The 2020 edition of the registry can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/new_publications.html
For nominations, please contact Jan Santerre, Big Tree Coordinator, at the Maine Forest Service, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333 or call 207-287-2791.
Bark Bits
Profile of Cecil Konijnendijk, Urban Forester
Even Small Urban Green Spaces Boost Biodiversity
Why Public Space Is a Critical Tool for Climate Resilience
Why Urinating Dogs Are Such a Menace to Nature in Cities
Funding for Firewood Banks - Funding for firewood banks is now available. The Alliance for Green Heat is partnering with the USDA to implement a program to provide small grants to both existing firewood banks and new start-up firewood banks.
Community Wood Grant Funding Opportunity Program - The Community Wood Grant Program provides funding for grants to install thermally led community wood energy systems or to build innovative wood product manufacturing facilities. The Forest Service expects renewable wood energy systems installed under this program to use the most stringent control technologies. The program places extra emphasis on assisting sawmills in economically challenged areas to retool or add advanced technology. The deadline to apply for financial assistance is 5:00 pm local time on December 15, 2023.
Nov 8 - Growing Next-Generation Scientists and Advocates for Nature in Cities
Nov 8 - Towards Tree Species Preservation: Protecting Ash Amidst the EAB Invasion
Nov 8 - Stewardship Forester & Tree Farm Inspector Workshops, Orono
Nov 14 - Stewardship Forester & Tree Farm Inspector Workshops, Bridgton
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