Storywalk opens at the Kennebec Land Trust Ezra Smith Wildlife Conservation Area

The Dr. Shaw Memorial Library received a grant from the Maine Bicentennial Commission to create a Storywalk at the Ezra Smith Conservation Area on Route 41 (Pond Road) in Mt. Vernon.

This Storywalk features Winthrop author Lynn Plourde’s book, “At One In a Place Called Maine.” On the flipside of the pages are fun facts that correspond to the text and provide information about various aspects of our Maine environment.  It begins at the head of the Deer Trail, going counterclockwise, ending at the head of the Beaver Trail.

It should be up through the end of August and can be enjoyed at any time. A notebook is located inside the KLT’s sign-in box at the head of the trails, feel free to leave comments and thoughts in the notebook regarding the story walk.

For more information, call 293-2565.

The Davidson Nature Preserve: A Gift for Generations

by Elizabeth Byrd Wood

“Blueberry muffins and juice will be ready when you return,” my aunt used to call out as my sister and I, along with our children, would make our way over the damp paths to the blueberry fields behind her house, carrying tin pails and blueberry rakes. Berry picking was a favorite activity of our summers in Maine, from the time when our children were toddlers to when they were youngsters, then teens. The morning sun would warm us as we crouched in the fields, picking the tiny wild berries. Breezes mercifully kept the bugs away, and after the first plink, plink, plink of berries landing in the pails, the only sounds we heard were the chirps of the goldfinches and chickadees flitting among the birches.

These blueberry fields and the surroundings woods and wetlands now make up the Davidson Nature Preserve, a 97-acre preserve in North Vassalboro. In 2005 my aunt, Elizabeth Davidson, who had retired and moved to Maine thirteen years earlier, donated the land to the Kennebec Land Trust. Today the property welcomes visitors of all ages and interests who come to pick berries, hike down to the fen to watch the herons, or seek out the many varieties of birds found in the woods and open fields.

My aunt’s love of the natural world, especially the birds, and her attachment to Maine prompted her gift of land to KLT. During her time in Maine (she now lives in a retirement home near Boston), Elizabeth was a keen observer of what was occurring in the preserve over the seasons. She recalls a magical expedition organized by KLT Advisory Board member  Ron Joseph to watch the aerial displays of the woodcocks, and hearing their insistent peenting calls during courtship rituals in the early spring. She remembers seeing golden-crowned kinglets in the hemlocks on the path to the fen and scarlet tanagers on the now-named Tanager Trail. My aunt is a musician, and the flute-like call of the shy evening thrush echoing through the deep woods was a particular delight to her. She is pleased that the Davidson Nature Preserve not only provides a sanctuary for birds, but also serves as a critical habitat for bees and other insects that pollinate the blueberries.

Last summer my aunt and I visited the preserve late in the afternoon. Bright coral-colored Canada lilies and Queen Anne’s lace dotted the fields, and a few blueberries still remained. My aunt noted—with approval—the dedicated work of the KLT summer interns to remove invasive plants and keep the trails cleared. We checked the visitor log, and she was delighted to see that her former neighbors continue to make use of the property along with newcomers from other states.

Stewardship Fund Donations needed for the ERP

Our spring newsletter featured the new Eastern River Preserve Additions and an explanation of our Stewardship Fund. We still need to raise about $7,000 to support the permanent conservation of the ERP. Donations of all sizes are welcome!

Donate here

You may also mail a check to The Kennebec Land Trust, PO Box 261 Winthrop, ME 04364.

Please indicate in the memo that you would like your donation to support the Stewardship Fund for the Eastern River Preserve.

Spring 2020 Newsletter

Our Spring 2020 Newsletter has been published. All members receive the newsletter mailed to their home or business.

A few weeks after our newsletter is mailed, we publish online. You can read it here.

Consider joining as a member to be the first to hear of KLT news!

President’s Message: 50th Earth Day Meets Global Pandemic

KLT’s President, Kim Vandermeulen, shared this message in our spring 2020 newsletter.

As the KLT community prepared earlier this year for the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, planning a celebration at the top of Howard Hill behind the capitol in Augusta, the SARS-CoV-2 virus was beginning its worldwide spread. By Earth Day the pandemic had caused the cancellation of all KLT community gatherings, with of course even more severe repercussions for humankind worldwide. Nonetheless, as I write the semi-annual president’s column, I will focus on both the accomplishments of the past fifty years and a few things we have learned during our COVID-19-imposed social distancing.

Fifty years ago the private land trust community was in its infancy. According to biological scientist Richard Brewer, writing in “Special Places” (the quarterly newsletter of the Trustees of Reservations, founded in 1891 in Massachusetts and the earliest still-existing land trust), there were fewer than fifty land trusts in the U.S. in the mid-twentieth century. By 1980 the number was 400; by 1990, 900; and by 2005, 1,667. Today, even after a series of mergers, the number stands at over 1,300. Conserved acres climbed to over 56,000,000 by 2015.

According to Brewer, the national land trust movement began in 1981 with the creation of the “Land Trust Exchange” for the purpose of encouraging cooperation and the exchange of information among land trusts across the country. The Exchange became the Land Trust Alliance in 1990, and the LTA continues to be the national organization supporting land trust activities. By 2015 the LTA reported that the land trust movement was supported by over 200,000 volunteers—members and volunteer stewards like you. Clearly much has happened since Earth Day 1970. Environmental improvements of equal magnitude have happened in water quality, air quality, control of hazardous substances, and many other important areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created incredible hardship across the planet. It reminds us that the Earth and all living things are fully interconnected. Humankind’s impact on the Earth is a paramount consideration in thinking about the future of the natural systems. Our work—the support of the land trust movement in the United States, more particularly Maine’s land trust activity, and even more concretely our own KLT—is one very important factor in the sustenance of the ecosystem. As I walked with my wife, Linda Young, last week at the Baldwin Hill Conservation Burial Ground site, I was struck by the impactful work of KLT and the realization that my small part in it was only possible because of all the past and current work of dedicated members, volunteers, and staff. In its thirty-plus years of work, KLT has attracted the expertise and respect of many community members, thus enabling us to advance important conservation endeavors.

During our social distancing, we have been reminded in stark terms of the absolute importance of a community’s access to shared, conserved areas of natural beauty. Joining together to care for and enjoy the forests of Maine soothes the soul. Please continue to support and enjoy the lands conserved by the donors, members, staff, and community of KLT. We can’t do it without you!

Get Outside for Physical and Mental Wellbeing but do it Safely.

For Immediate Release

Media Contacts

Warren Whitney, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, wwhitney@mcht.org
Jeremy Cluchey, The Nature Conservancy in Maine, jeremy.cluchey@tnc.org 
Jim Britt, DACF, jim.britt@maine.gov

Get Outside for Physical and Mental Wellbeing but do it Safely.

AUGUSTA, Maine – Biking, boating, hiking, fishing, birdwatching, and other outdoor activities are great ways to stay healthy in the age of COVID-19 – provided they are conducted in accordance with all public health restrictions and guidance. As summer weather is fast approaching, Maine’s conservation and recreation communities, natural resource agencies, and outdoor brands developed the following checklists to help us all enjoy Maine’s outdoors in ways that are safe and responsible during this difficult time. Before you hit the trail, cast a line, or launch a canoe, please be sure to:

 Find the Right Time and Place

• Know What’s Available: Consider visiting a nearby Wildlife Management Area, or a less-trafficked state park, public land, or local land trust (Maine Trail Finder is a great resource!)

• Check before you go: While some popular conservation lands have closed recently due to overuse and crowding, the vast majority remains open to the public. Visit websites to see the latest information on closures or conditions. Please respect all property closures.

• Have a plan B: If the parking lot is full, the destination is too crowded. If your first destination has a busy parking lot, go to the next spot on your list!

• Avoid peak times: Get out earlier or later in the day.

Be Prepared Before Heading Out

• Expect limited services: Facilities like public restrooms could be closed, so plan accordingly.

• Dress for success: Be aware of current conditions and bring appropriate gear to match those conditions. Local outdoor brands are open for online sales and are available to give advice on appropriate gear and equipment.

• Support local businesses: Many local businesses – from restaurants and retailers to guides and lodges – are working hard to provide services in ways that are safe and in keeping with public health rules and guidance. If you’re comfortable, consider finding ways to support them while you’re enjoying the outdoors.

• Don’t take risks: Stick to familiar terrain and avoid unnecessary chances to avoid injuries, which add stress on first responders and medical resources.

• Be aware of the rules: Check before you go to see what activities are allowed. If dogs are permitted remember to bring a leash and to properly dispose of waste.

• Watch out for ticks and biting insects: Wear light-colored pants, closed-toe shoes, and apply EPA-approved bug repellent.

• Leave home prepared with sanitizer and disinfectant.

Heed All COVID-19 Health Warnings

• Practice social distancing: Stay at least six feet away from other people who do not live in your household. If necessary, step aside when passing other people on the trail.

• Don’t linger: Shorten your stay when visiting natural stopping points such as waterfalls, summits, and viewpoints so everyone can enjoy them while maintaining a safe distance.

• Bring a mask: When you’re in the vicinity of others, even with six feet of separation, a mask will help keep everyone safer.

• Don’t touch: Avoid touching signs, kiosks, buildings, and benches to minimize the potential spread of the virus.

• If you’re sick, stay home: It puts others at risk when you leave home while exhibiting symptoms related to COVID-19, or if you have recently been exposed to the virus.

If we all follow these guidelines and put public health first, we can enjoy Maine’s natural resources in safe and responsible ways as we work through this difficult time together.

Parking Areas, an update

We have updated our Property Guidelines page with some new information about our parking areas. Due to the coronavirus, natural areas and parks around the globe are seeing an increase in visitors. While we are thrilled to provide access to the outdoors, an increase in use does come with challenges. KLT always strives to be a good neighbor, to protect our natural resources, and to provide a positive experience for visitors.

Remember, even if hikers are able to be physically distant on a trail, it is not always easy to keep distant when there are too many cars in a lot or on a road.

Overcrowded parking lots can create safety hazards, particularly if they are on high-speed roads.

We continue to encourage you to visit nature in your own neighborhood or community.

Additional parking guidelines are below:

• Please be courteous of our neighbors. Never block driveways or roadways.

• Leave No Trace, always, including in parking areas.

• Most of our conservation areas have limited available parking. Please plan your outing during a time when the property may have fewer visitors (early morning, weekdays). If the parking lot is full, please move on to another location.

Please check individual property pages for specific information about parking.

People and the Land: Mark Robinson, Fayette town manager

By Jonah Raether
Kennebec Land Trust

FAYETTE — As town manager, Mark Robinson is very aware of the resources that make his town so special. The extensive shorelines of Lovejoy and Parker ponds, Echo Lake and other area ponds and streams are a draw for residents and visitors of all ages. The small population ensures a tight-knit community.
Robinson is also aware of threats to the community and the natural environment — the unstable future in the wake of climate change; local forests and waters threatened by the introduction of invasive species; the need for federal and state funding for education; concerns about the growing population of older individuals and their needs for future support as they age in place; and, as in many rural Maine communities, a concern about how a fast-growing population would impact the municipal budget and corresponding taxes for families and landowners.
He sees natural areas in Fayette as fundamental to addressing multiple issues at once, as long as the resources are sustainably managed with long-term consideration for future generations. In particular, large undeveloped and un-fragmented parcels of land, including those used for sustainable agriculture and forestry, or those providing “public value” through hunting, fishing or recreation, are resources that can benefit the entire community. These lands, mostly held by private landowners, provide valuable ecosystem services, like protecting drinking water, providing clean air, and helping mitigate climate change. Further, they help to ensure a viable
As an example, many of the largest parcels in town have dense conifers, lots of cedar, and large trees, all of which are requirements for a healthy deer wintering area. At a time when the number of DWAs across the state is declining, property owners in Fayette are helping to support their survival by keeping existing woodland intact. This is important to the town, because deer hunting brings visitors throughout the fall, and visiting hunters provide a boost for local businesses.
Ensuring sustainable wildlife habitat, however, is only one element of Fayette’s conservation goals. Robinson would like to see the “protection of a rural working landscape” all over town. In particular, there is a need for lands that are actively used for farming and forest management that will support and diversify the local economic base, while also contributing to statewide and global private and public conservation efforts.
The open expanses of land in Fayette are an asset to the community, but only if the parcels remain intact and undeveloped. Through partnerships and community-based land and resource management efforts, Robinson and the town are working to ensure long-term success for the community and the region.

In 2019, Kennebec Land Trust intern Jonah Raether interviewed five Kennebec County community members about their relationships and connections to the land and natural spaces. The Kennebec Land Trust works cooperatively with landowners and communities to conserve the forests, shorelands, fields and wildlife that define central Maine. The trust welcomes the public to explore its trails and properties, making their own connection with the natural world. For more information visit www.tklt.org or call 207-377-2848.

Mt. Pisgah Conservation Area Temporarily Closed

Last Updated: April 30, 2020 - 7:52pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2020

Contacts: Sarah Fuller, Chair, Winthrop Town Council, 207.446.6462; sarah@fullerink.com; Jeffrey Kobrock, Town Manager; 207.377.7200 ext 423; manager@winthropmaine.org

Mt. Pisgah Conservation Area Temporarily Closed

WINTHROP, Maine – The Mt. Pisgah Conservation Area, a popular hiking destination managed by the Town of Winthrop and The Kennebec Land Trust will be closed to the public beginning Friday, May 1, 2020. Despite signs requesting hikers use other recreational properties if the parking lot was full to ensure uncrowded trails and safe parking and road conditions, vehicles have been overflowing the lot and creating safety issues along the roadway.

The town, in conjunction with staff at the Land Trust, have attempted several tactics to keep the property open. Recent roadside parking bans designed to limit the number of people on the property at one time and maintain road safety were unsuccessful with people continuing to park along the road and on the private property of local residents, and created difficulty for service vehicles trying to access private homes along the road.  

“This is an unfortunate change as we recognize that people need places to get outside, but given the repeated flouting of parking and regulations designed to keep the number of people limited for physical distancing, trails safe, and the roadway uncongested, it’s a step we must take,” noted Sarah Fuller, Chair of the Winthrop Town Council. She added, “As conditions warrant, we will re-evaluate the situation and hopefully will be able to open Mt. Pisgah to visitors again soon.”

The area will be regularly patrolled by Winthrop Police and violators will be subject the Governor’s orders under against the Safer-at-Home regulations and may be fined.

The Kennebec Land Trust has been working with the Town to expand the existing parking lot at the Mt. Pisgah property but resources are still being collected and plans finalized to add several additional spaces. “More off-road parking would be welcome, and likely adequate under usual circumstances, but the number of cars we are getting along the roadway far exceeds even that potential capacity. Having people and cars lining the roadway is an accident in the making,” commented Winthrop Police Chief Ryan Frost.

Winthrop’s Emergency Management Agency will be examining the Town’s additional recreational facilities and what options are available as certain restrictions for public access and gatherings are adjusted based on the phased plan Governor Mills announced earlier this week.

For additional Winthrop notices:

As a reminder: people can sign-up to receive updates on the new town website under the section marked “Winthrop Alerts.” This new email notification system will provide updates as they are available, as well as on the Town’s Facebook page and those of the emergency departments (EMS/Ambulance, Police, Fire).

Questions for school-related activities and polices should be directed to Superintendent Dr. Cornelia Brown: 377-2296 x2001.

Questions for municipal-related activities should be directed to Town Manager Jeffrey Kobrock, 207.377.7200 ext 423.

Reynolds Forest

The Reynolds Forest in Sidney is small but packs A LOT into its 35 acres. A highlight is the powerful Goff brook with its foaming water roaring over exposed rocks into stone-lined pools. This brook once hosted saw and grist mills, the foundations of which are still visible from trails within today’s Reynolds Forest. The brook also creates a floodplain habitat. The property also has interesting wildflowers and excellent birding opportunities.

The property is located on River Road in Sidney just north of the Dinsmore Road. Parking is on the shoulder of the road, please use caution. There also is poison ivy near the trailhead-be careful!

Happy Earth Day & Friends of Howard Hill

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and  the land we love is in the headlines, worldwide. To our KLT members and volunteers, thank you for your many contributions to land conservation in our own backyards. Our close-to-home conservation properties are helping people stay healthy everyday.

To recognize the significance of this anniversary, KLT was planning to host an afternoon of community service on the scenic 164-acre Howard Hill Historical Park. We were going to invite nearby residents, neighbors, youth groups, local workers, and school students to come together for a spring afternoon on the ridge, in the woods, and on the trails. As committed land stewards, we would work together to tackle invasive plant species while we celebrated the beauty of the natural world around us.

This community event was our proposed kick-off for a new land stewardship program, the “Friends of Howard Hill.” Unfortunately, we cannot gather in-person, but we will look forward to hosting this community service day in the future. In the meantime, we will continue  to help organize the Friends of Howard Hill.  

Thank you to the City of Augusta, Ansley and Janet Sawyer, KLT volunteers and interns, and the Maine Conservation Corps for your good work on Howard Hill to date! The project took many years of  concerted effort, and the result is well worth every minute. It is inspiring to see hikers, young and old, enjoying the paths that you helped build.

If you are interested in Howard Hill, using the trails already, or live nearby, you are a great candidate for the Friends of Howard Hill!  Please sign-up on our website, and if you have questions, please contact us at info@tklt.org. (Also, we have other volunteer opportunities throughout our service area).

In the meantime, today is a good day to celebrate and to take care of the earth!

Threats, Challenges Facing Maine's Forests

by Joe Rankin

Forests have always faced threats.

From natural disturbances like hurricanes and wildfires to native pests and diseases like spruce budworm to shifts in climate over the millennia.

Humanity has been a threat: think about how quickly forests in a large part of Maine were cleared in the 1700s and 1800s to make room for agriculture, or how logging has changed the age, size and species of trees in many forests.

Some threats to the forests of the Northeast were more or less neutralized. The effect of wildfire were blunted as firefighting preparedness and surveillance improved. Damage from acid rain was curtailed by reducing power plant pollution.

But these days Maine’s forest faces a raft of challenges or threats — forest fragmentation, over-harvesting, development pressures; climate change; invasive pests, pathogens and plants; a rapidly aging cohort of small woodland owners — at a time when the forest is more important than ever as we try to slow the runaway train of global heating.

“I would put climate change right up at the top,” of the list of threats, said Alec Giffen, a former chief of the Maine Forest Service and now affiliated with both the New England Forestry Foundation and the Clean Air Task Force. “We don’t really know what the consequences are of increased temperatures on forests and forest management.” Many people may assume “we are going to be able to manage them like we have in the past and that might not be true,” Giffen added.

Ecologists know that “climate is the main determinant of why forests look the way they do and why they’re different, with temperature and moisture being the biggest drivers,” said Andrew Barton, a forest ecologist, professor of biology at the University of Maine at Farmington and co-author of the book The Changing Nature of the Maine Woods.

“We know now that the climate has shifted and have every reason to think it’s going to shift more in the future. We know there are going to be some quite drastic changes in the climate of the future, some powerful changes in the next century.”

Barton said that, for forests, the coming climate change will be the biggest challenge Northern Hemisphere forests have faced since the Younger Dryas, a period beginning some 12,900 years ago when the planet abruptly cooled only to begin warming up again 1,300 years later.

Current thinking is that in an era of global heating Maine can expect a longer growing season, milder winters with less snow, drier summers and more of its annual precipitation concentrated in fewer storms in the spring and fall. But no one knows.

We do know that forests are already responding to global heating, with some species moving to higher elevations or northward. While some predict Maine will inherit the forests of southern New England, Barton says that’s not a given. Maine’s future forests may be “no-analog” communities — entirely new blends of species. Like no forest before them.

“I do think that forests are resilient. We will have forests in 100 years, there won’t just be a barren landscape. But it will be very changed and there could be very negative consequences,” Barton said.

Ivan Fernandez, a soils scientist, professor in the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources and a member of UM’s Climate Change Institute, said uncertainty about what the forests of Maine’s future will look like will “be made even more challenging by the long-lived nature of our forests. Some trees will grow better until they don’t. New pests and pathogens will require greater surveillance of our forest condition and improved information about how to respond to insects and disease. Invasive species from microbes to mammals are likely to have increased opportunities” as climate disruption gives them a competitive advantage.”

Still, with ample water, a longer growing season and increased carbon dioxide, “it is very reasonable to expect that the forests we have in our future will possibly be more productive," Fernandez said.

Mark Berry, the forest director for The Nature Conservancy, said his main concern isn’t just one threat but “the potential for multiple negative factors to build on each other.” Depending how threats interact, well . . . There’s the potential for “runaway feedback of negative consequences” that could lead to “large-scale loss of forests, large scale carbon emissions and fragmentation of remaining forests,” Berry said.

One of the more serious threats referenced by experts we interviewed is that of invasive species, particularly pests and pathogens.

Forests in the Northeast have seen an onslaught of imported diseases and insect pests over the past couple of centuries: White pine blister rust, Dutch elm disease, beech bark disease, and chestnut blight to name just a few.

But still they keep coming. Emerald ash borer is already here. Southern pine beetle is marching north towardPhoto courtesy of Maine Audubon the state. Spotted lanternfly is spreading in the eastern US.

“We know we can expect one new forest pest or pathogen every two and a half years,” said Allison Kanoti, the Maine state entomologist.

Will exotic pests and diseases gain greater virulence given a warming climate? It’s hard to say, said Kanoti, but the outlook isn’t good. Warmer and wetter springs would likely lead to an increase in fungal diseases like white pine needlecast disease, which has plagued Maine’s white pines every spring for more than a decade.

Warmer and shorter winters could mean more generations per year of pests like hemlock wooly adelgid or woodborers like the native eastern larch beetle, Kanoti said. The browntail moth, which hatches in the summer months, has longer to feed and is “entering winter more robust than in the past.”

Then there are questions about our relationship with the land, and how we value forests.

Much more of northern Maine’s forestland is owned by large landowners, than in southern Maine where the forest is owned by tens of thousands of small landowners.

The decision by paper companies in the 1990s to sell off their large forestland holdings created a tremor of fear in the conservation community. But the shift from paper companies to timberland investors actually opened up possibilities for landscape scale conservation, said Karin Tilberg, the executive director of the Forest Society of Maine.

The paper companies weren’t interested in selling conservation easements; the new investors saw that as part of their revenue stream, said Tilberg. “Now a fifth of Maine, close to 21 percent, is under some form of conservation,” she said.

And there’s a new trend back toward timberland ownership by families and even by conservation groups like the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Some experts caution that issues of forest fragmentation and over-harvesting that date back decades continue to threaten forest health and the wood supply.

The state needs to “just say no to development and fragmentation by corridors and pipelines” in the woods, said Giffen, who also is adamant that over-harvesting needs to be addressed.

Citing research on ideal stand makeup by US Forest Service scientists, Giffen said Maine has anPhoto courtesy of Center for Research on Sustainable Forestry, UMaine overabundance of seedling and sapling-sized trees and much less than the recommended percentage in older, sawtimber-size trees. “We’re pushing the forests right to the max, simplifying them and eliminating certain age classes in doing it,” Giffen said. “We need to back off” and “restock the forest.”

That doesn’t mean Maine shouldn’t harvest trees, said Giffen. He maintains that lumber is part of the climate solution — a board is another type of carbon storage unit, after all. Just that there needs to be a movement toward a more ideal age and size distribution in the woods. That’s where better forestry could come in, Giffen said. The result would be a healthier forest that would preserve biodiversity and could store more carbon.

Theresa Kerchner, the executive director of the Kennebec Land Trust, also worries about the “absence of late successional growth forests on the landscape” and the values they represent. A good long-term goal would be extended harvesting rotations of 80-plus years that favor longer-lived tree species and larger diameter trees, Kerchner said. The challenge is how to get there, given markets and owners’ expectations of returns on investment, she added.

Maybe, she said, carbon storage can change the financial equations.

Given climate change, a forest’s ability to store atmospheric carbon as wood — for decades if not centuries — is becoming very important.

Yet our economic system is still geared toward turning that wood into cash and is moving only slowly toward figuring out a way to financially reward forestland owners for all the other values the forest provides to humanity and the biosphere:  clean water, erosion control, temperature moderation, biodiversity, recreation and carbon storage, among others.

“We have not aligned our financial incentives with what we want as a society,” Giffen said. “We’re living with an antiquated system that will only pay people for timber . . . we need to reward people for the kind of stewardship society wants.”

There have been some sales of “carbon credits” in Maine, but the process is hugely complex and expensive and easily accessible only for large land trusts or large landowners. Small landowners — there are 86,000 family landowners with 10 acres or more in Maine — are generally left out of that equation.

And that’s an equation we need to solve to address some of the fragmentation and overharvesting challenges the forest faces.

The Maine Climate Council is refining a proposal by Tilberg that would set up an incentive-based Maine Forest Carbon Program to reward small landowners for managing their forests for carbon storage and still encourage harvesting for timber.

Giffen is also working to create an investment fund that would marry philanthropic money with private investment to encourage carbon storage, exemplary forestry and improved wildlife habitat.

Giffen believes that “building with wood is a big part of the climate solution.” Kerchner, Tilberg and others agree. Wood products, which are renewable resources, after all, are a vital part of Maine’s economy. And, Tilberg notes, durable wood products store carbon for a long time. She added that in developing carbon programs for landowners in Maine, “we don’t want to inadvertently hurt Maine wood businesses” or move harvesting pressure elsewhere.

Kerchner hopes “we will see increased demand for traditional and new wood products that are dependent on a long-term view of forest management and sustainable forest practices.”

While development in Maine’s woods has traditionally been in the form of rustic camps where people could retreat to recharge, some experts worry that climate change could exacerbate development pressure.

TNC’s Berry said that “people relocating in part due to climate change” is one of the things that concern him. Tilberg said Maine’s cooler climate and ample water supplies might “increase development pressure in ways that we have not imagined. For the first time in a very long time, Maine is losing forestland — about 8,000 acres per year over the last decade.”

Whether it’s these challenges, threats and pressures or others we haven’t seen yet, there’s something theyPhoto courtesy of Yves Levesque all have in common:  we helped create them and it will be up to us to help the forest deal with them. We’re in this together — trees and people.

Kevin Smith, the senior plant physiologist at the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Research Station in Durham, N.H., has studied forests for more than four decades.

He offers a bit of optimism: “The most positive sign for me in recent decades has been the increased awareness” of average people of the vast array of benefits forests provide. And the willingness of those who manage forests to help connect people to the “wonder, resilience and vulnerability of forests.”

 Author’s Note: This will be my last feature for Forests for Maine’s Future. It is my 99th Fresh from the Woods article since 2010. I’ve had a good time writing them and learned a lot. I owe a big thank you to everyone who has shared their expertise and insights about the Maine woods: Scientists, naturalists, conservationists, foresters, logging contractors, land owners and managers, mill owners and managers, state and federal officials and others. See you in the woods!

Davidson Nature Preserve

This 97-acre property in Vassalboro was donated to KLT in 2005 by Elizabeth Davidson. (Please note, to protect sensitive bird and wildlife habitat, dogs are not allowed. Thank you for your understanding.)  Near Taber Hill Road, the property features approximately 10 acres of blueberry fields. The trails feature fields, woods, and an impressive wetland with a stream flowing through it (a fen).

KLT owns four properties that are managed for blueberry production. The most common species of blueberry in Maine is the lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium). It is a small shrub that grows roughly  4-15 inches tall, and produces small but sweet berries. These small plants are the primary commercial blueberry crop in Maine. Another species found in Maine is highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). Highbush blueberries can grow over six feet high, and can have berries up to 2-3 times larger than the lowbush species.

The lowbush blueberry fields at the Davidson Nature Preserve are mowed on a rotating basis so the blueberry bushes can be pruned to the ground. In the growing season immediately following fall mowing, plant growth occurs and flower buds are formed. In May of the following year (the crop year), flower buds open and bloom and berries develop.  Without this management, the fields would revert to forestland--ecologists call this succession. It was the land donor’s explicit wish that the blueberry fields be open to the public for (non-commercial) picking. The open blueberry fields also provide valuable food for pollinators.

This is one example of the work of KLT’s stewardship program. KLT staff, with the assistance of summer interns and many volunteers: build and maintain trails; install signage and trailhead boxes; actively manage the land to reach our conservation goals; and respond whenever there is an issue on our properties. Thank you to our members,your support makes this all possible!

While it is too early in the season to enjoy blueberries, we hope that you enjoy a walk through the fields and into the woods at the Davidson Nature Preserve.

Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat

By Kirsten Brewer, Director of Membership & Programs

As I wrote up this description of our next “hidden gem property” the Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat (VWH), I was interrupted by a local baker dropping off bread, cookies, and pastries for me. During the pandemic, local businesses and the supply chain are adapting in new and creative ways to ensure we have food and other necessities. Trucks on the interstate indicate that food and goods are still being produced and shipped; albeit with delays on some needed products. The history of the Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat is a reminder of how our local landscape and local economies have changed so much.  

The one-mile Alewife Amble Loop on the property crosses an historic trolley line, taking your imagination back to the early 20th century. In 1909 the trolley line opened and connected the rural town of Vassalboro to the cities of Waterville, Augusta, and Lewiston. The trolley line was abandoned in 1932. Local rail lines connected not only passengers, but also goods from Vassalboro farms. In the 1800s, farmers had cleared this land for crops and pastures, and mill owners dammed the pond for water power. All of these historical land uses created changes that we still observe on the landscape; drainage patterns and soil conditions influence the vegetation, and ultimately the wildlife habitats, that we can see today.

What we are experiencing today will no doubt change Maine forever. I am hopeful that, like nature, we will be resilient. We are lucky to have a strong heritage of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and entrepreneurs, to carry us into the future. When you visit VWH I hope you reflect not only on where we have been, but also on where we are going.

Photo: Maine Memory Network