Keeping Maine’s Forests

A Meeting of Minds
Groups Seek Common Ground for Maine’s North Woods

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

“The Maine Woods comprise the greatest continuous expanse of unbroken forest in the Eastern United States, encompassing the largest intact temperate broadleaf and mixed forest in the nation and one of the best examples in the entire world.” KMF proposal

“Maine’s forest products industry ranks first in the country in terms of its contributions to the state’s economy and second in the nation in terms of its contribution to state jobs. Maine’s forests area is also the base for a growing tourism and recreation economy, which currently contributes billions to the state’s economy.” KMF proposal

Keeping Maine’s Forests: A Landscape Forest Conservation Initiative (KMF), represents the collective vision and work of people from many sectors seeking to cross boundaries that too often separate forest landowners from conservationists and natural resource professionals. Fueled by the participation and input of many others, KMF has forwarded its proposal to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

Essentially, the proposal describes a public-private partnership that would “create opportunities for willing forest landowners to ensure their lands can remain an active part of Maine’s productive timber base.” The proposal offers “new mechanisms” that would fairly compensate landowners for “the societal benefits provided by maintaining forest attributes such as bio diversity, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and public recreation.”

Funders met with members of the Keeping Maine’s Forests steering committee for a half-day work session October 5 in Freeport. Panel moderator Eleanor Kinney noted that it was remarkable to have representatives from federal and state governments alongside members of the nonprofit sector and private landowners. Panelists included:

  • Patrick Strauch – Executive Director, Maine Forests Products Council
  • Marvin Moriarty - Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Alec Giffen – Director, Maine Forest Service
  • Alan Hutchinson – Executive Director, Maine Forest Society
  • Donald White – President, Prentiss and Carlisle Management Company

Each speaker addressed one issue and entertained questions from participants. Marvin Moriarty stressed a significant advantage of Maine’s forest regions: They are intact, when more typically, forest land requires far more costly restoration. Alec Giffen reported that it took a lot of time for the group to agree on the six elements of the proposal:

  • Maintain a stable or increasing flow of wood fiber
  • Promote healthy forests that are sustainably managed
  • Safeguard key natural resources particularly water resources
  • Conserve and enhance key fish and wildlife habitats
  • Provide abundant recreational opportunties
  • Sustain local economies

Following the panel discussion, funders, panelists, and other natural resource professionals worked in smaller groups to explore the question: What do funders need to know to feel confident investing in Keeping Maine’s Forests? The highpoints were:

  • Funders need to know where their money will go (a defined set of needs and a timeline; a menu of funding opportunties would be a powerful incentive for aligned grantmaking).
  • In the short-term, private investment, estimated at $150,000, is critical to continue to design and begin to implement ideas in Keeping Maine’s Forests. These costs represent compensation for professionals to more fully develop the concepts and ideas and to coordinate the proposal’s passage in Washington with the steering committee here in Maine.
  • The proposal is not a quick fix: The potential outcomes and benefits for Maine are will take many years, 20 or more, to develop and see to fruition. At the same time, KMF needs to demonstrate results in a pilot project and showcase “quick wins” to bolster funder confidence and longer-term grantmaking and mission-related investments.

The KMF Steering Committee will continue its work to secure funding for the design and implementation phase and to steward the proposal. To read the proposal or executive summary and to review the full list of steering committee members, go to www.keepingmainesforests.org. 

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