Project Canopy lost one of our most notable advocates in Maine with the loss of forester Fred Huntress Jr. of Auburn this last month. Fred served as the town forester for Poland, and was one of the most frequent names appearing on Maine’s Register of Big Trees. Fred’s legacy of Big Trees will carry on with current champions in the categories of pitch pine, bear oak, and Eastern redcedar. He is pictured here with a former National Champion eastern larch, which was located in Jay.
Obituary: Fred A. Huntress Jr
 WXPR - “There's an Eastern Larch Beetle that's native but is experiencing what we call a climate release. That means that as the climate gets warmer, its damage has been expanding into areas where it hasn't damaged before,” said Brian Sturtevant, research ecologist with the USDA Forest Service at the Northern Research Station in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
There are ways to manage a lot of the species and limit the damage they do, but the key is early detection.
“It's a huge challenge to be able to just simply distinguish among all the disturbances that are out there,” said Sturtevant.
The idea is if they can differentiate the disturbances, they can then create mapped products for forest managers to help verify which pest is causing the disturbances and find the leading edge. Read more...
 What are the benefits of urban green and blue spaces for health? Ruth Hunter from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, and Thomas Astell-Burt from the University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, talk to Lauren Southwell and Heather Brown about the importance of these spaces and the challenges in translating their potential benefits into improved health outcomes. Listen to the episode...
 Watch video.
How Stone Walls Became a Signature Landform of New England
Meet the tree tenders
Emerging tree diseases are on the rise, threatening the planet's largest plants
Send Holiday Cheer, Not Pests: Follow Out-Of-State Plant Health Regulations
Upcoming Opportunities
Dec 4 - Emerald Ash Borer and Other Tree Health Concerns DACF Update for Cities and Towns
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will host guest speakers and provide an update for city and town tree and forest managers and public works staff on the known status of emerald ash borer in Maine, current state efforts, municipal opportunities as well as updates on other insects and diseases affecting forests and trees.
Agenda:
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Brief Introduction, Jan Santerre, Maine Forest Service
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Timing Considerations for The Treatment of Emerald Ash Borer, Jeff Gillis, WellTree, Inc
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Lessons Learned: Considerations for Managing Emerald Ash Borer and Ash Trees in Municipalities, Cliff Sadof, Purdue University Cooperative Extension
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Maine Perspective: Working With Cities And Towns On Ash Management, Tom Ford, The Davey Tree Expert Company
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Department Emerald Ash Borer Update, Gary Fish and Mike Parisio, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Dec 4 - Knox-Lincoln Counties Local Working Group Meeting, Camden
Dec 14 - Waldo County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Annual Meeting, Searsmont
Survey for Women Woodland Owners in Maine
Hello Women Woodland Owners in Maine!
You are invited to take part in a study being conducted in three eastern states – Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Maine – by Penn State University. The study will be used to develop a new peer education program for women This program will help build literacy and leadership around private forest management, carbon markets and climate change. The researchers are looking for nominations of women in leadership to help facilitate the curriculum planning. Nominees are expected to meet some or all of the following criteria:
- Over the age of 18
- Forest owner, co-owner or inherited forest land from spouse
- Experience with private forest management
- Interested in climate change issues
- Interested in leadership
- Lives in Maine
If you, or any women you know meet these criteria, please complete this survey to nominate them for the study!
Supplementary RTP Grant Cycle Now Open!
Due primarily to a limited period increase in available RTP funding, the Grants & Community Recreation Program is holding a supplementary grant cycle for eligible trail projects. This grant cycle is now open and will remain open through mid-March 2024.
Applications will be accepted through 5:00pm, March 15, 2024.
Applicants may request up to $50,000 for the regular project category, or up to $120,000 for a large-scale project. See the website for more details.
The application documents now posted on the RTP Website will remain up for your use in this extra funding cycle.
Projects awarded in this grant cycle will have two full construction seasons within which to complete the proposed work.
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