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The Maine Forest Service published the 2021 Wood processor Report last month and is available here.
Report Highlights
- Maine's forest products industry consumed 11.1 million green ton equivalents in 2021, down 7% from 11.9 million green ton equivalents in 2020. Seventy-nine percent of the processing total (8.7 million green ton equivalents) was harvested in Maine, while 21% (2.4 million green ton equivalents) was imported.
- Maine landowners harvested 10.7 million green ton equivalents of wood in 2021, down 4% from 2020 (11.2 million green ton equivalents). Nineteen percent (2.0 million green ton equivalents) of the 2021 harvest was exported, down 2% from 2020 (2.1 million green ton equivalents).
- Maine's pulp and paper producers processed 5.5 million green tons of pulpwood, down (13%) from 2020 (6.3 million green tons). Seventy-five percent of the pulpwood originated from Maine's forests; 25% was imported.
- Biomass harvesting volume was 1.7 million tons in 2021, up 15% from 2020 (1.5 million tons). Biomass energy facilities consumed 1.6 million tons in 2021, up 6% from 2020 (1.5 million tons). Ninety-one percent originated from Maine's forests; 9% was imported.
- Maine's sawlog processing in 2021 remained stable at 0.86 billion board feet, a small change from 0.88 billion board feet in 2020.
- Maine's forest products industry imported 2.4 million green tons during 2021, down 16% from 2020 (2.8 million tons). 2.0 million green tons were exported in 2021, down 2% from 2020 (2.1 million tons).
Overview:
Maine TREE seeks a dynamic professional to serve as the Certified Logging Professional (CLP) Program Director to direct logging professional safety and skill training, continuing education, and site evaluations. Founded in 1991, Certified Logging Professionals is a combined effort that has established a professional standard in the Maine woods. Offering professional development and individual certifications to Maine logging professionals and associates, the CLP program is seeking a dynamic leader to drive the program's continued success and innovation into the future.
Certified Logging Professionals is a program of the Maine TREE Foundation, an independent, private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and advocate for the sustainable use of the forest and the ecological, economic, and social health of Maine's forest community. The foundation hosts forest-based programs focusing on education, research, and community.
Applicants should have extensive knowledge of Maine’s logging industry, safety training, and relevant experience in the field. Desired qualities include strong organizational and communication skills and a demonstrated commitment to innovative approaches to program operations and alignment with organizational and programmatic missions.
More Information
Date:
November 4, 2024
Time:
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location:
Fields Pond Audubon Center, 216 Fields Pond Road, Holden, Maine
This workshop is designed for professionals responsible for road-stream crossings.
- We will cover road-stream crossing projects from site assessment to permitting and installation.
- Emphasis is on maintaining and restoring aquatic habitat and economic values of the stream.
- Workshop presenters include professionals from state and federal agencies and statewide non-profits.
- Participants can receive recertification credit for Maine DEP's Voluntary Contractor Certification Program.
Bring your own lunch if you will be attending the optional field trip from 1 to 3 pm.
MFS is a partner in the Stream Smart program.
Registration required
Contact Name:
Natalie Conn
Organization:
Maine Audubon
Contact Email:
conserve@maineaudubon.org
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced it is making up to $34 million in funding available to support innovation and jobs in the forestry sector while supporting healthy forest landscapes. The agency is seeking proposals that will spark innovation, create new markets for sustainable wood products and renewable wood energy, and expand processing capacity.
The funding, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, is available through the Forest Service’s three key grant programs to support the forest products economy: Wood Innovations Grant, Community Wood Grant, and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant Programs.
“Sustainably sourcing wood to manufacture products makes our forests healthier and our communities more vibrant,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, we’re making even greater investments in the wood products economy and supporting sustainable forest management, which in turn creates jobs in rural areas.”
The agency is seeking proposals that support innovative uses of sustainably sourced wood in construction, as a renewable energy source, and in manufactured and processed products. These programs also provide direct support to expand and retrofit wood energy systems and wood products manufacturing facilities nationwide.
The Wood Innovations, Community Wood, and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant Programs have helped build markets, support efficient processing, and strengthen our critical wood products infrastructure. The Forest Service has provided nearly $190 million to 482 projects across the country since 2021. Over $618 million was matched or leveraged from applicants for a total investment of $808 million. These projects also help address the nationwide challenge of reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, disease, and infestations by retaining or expanding markets for sustainably sourced wood.
The Forest Service is requesting proposals from eligible entities in the private, non-profit, and government sectors including tribes, local and state governments, businesses and for-profit entities, institutions of higher education, as well as public utility, fire, conservation, and school districts, among others.
These investments in the sustainable wood products industry will support forest management projects to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk. Byproducts from forest management, like small diameter timber and woody biomass, have historically had little market value. Thanks in part to these Forest Service grant programs, funding is available to support and explore the use of these materials in many types of existing and future commercially viable wood products.
Businesses that are engaged in or support the forest products economy are eligible to apply for funding to expand manufacturing capacity to process wood materials with zero or no commercial value. These businesses are vital employers in local communities, especially in tribal or rural communities.
The investments will also support the Forest Service’s 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis in the places where it poses the most immediate threats to communities. The agency is investing in projects that source wood from activities that reduce risks to communities, like prescribed fire and mechanical thinning to reduce the vegetation that fuels wildfires.
Visit the Forest Service webpage for more information on funding for the Wood Innovations, Community Wood and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant Programs.
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