Why Conserve Maine’s Forestlands?

Ninety percent of Maine is forested and that forested landscape is integral to the Maine way of life. The woods provide recreational and cultural opportunities, as well as economic and ecological benefits. In recent years the composition of Maine's forest landowners has changed from industrial owners with mills, to investment partnerships looking for the 'highest and best' (meaning dollar value) for the lands that they purchase. This well-documented shift in ownership pattern presents a major threat to the way of life Mainers have enjoyed for generations. Today these woods are threatened by the creation of subdivisions, development, and fragmentation that could permanently alter their character.

Recreational Values

Maine’s forestland owners have traditionally allowed public access to their land for outdoor recreational enjoyment. Thousands of visitors travel to Maine’s forestlands each year to experience the extraordinary outdoor activities offered by the land, including: cross-country skiing, hunting, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, canoeing, and snowshoeing.

Economic Values

Maine’s forestlands have sustained a flow of valuable, renewable forest products for more than 150 years. Maine’s 17 million acres of woodlands support the state’s second largest industry, forest products, and significantly contribute to the largest, tourism.

Ecological Values

Maine's North Woods provide an unbroken expanse of forestland that supports large populations of moose, black bear, loons, lynx, pine marten, and fisher. This diversity and abundance of both wildlife and plant species is found nowhere else in the eastern United States. Maine's forests contain thousands of remote lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, as well as mountain and wetland environments that support numerous unique natural communities.

Cultural Values

From the earliest times of Native Americans, through European explorers and settlers, the lumber barons, loggers, and surveyors of the 1800's, to present day, Maine's woods have provided the resources to enhance the livelihoods of Maine's residents. Henry David Thoreau, was greatly influenced by Maine's North Woods and recognized their intrinsic value and was calling for its conservation long before it became a popular American cause.

Threats to Maine’s Forests

Global economies, growing world and local populations, second home purchases, and many other factors have raised the threat of conversion or loss of Maine's woods to a new level. Forest products companies are forced to create products at smaller and smaller margins and one of the easiest ways to raise the bottom line is to sell off strategic properties––these are usually in the form of shore frontage or large “kingdom lots” which are then taken out of forest management and converted to other uses. Another threat to Maine's forest are the areas where growing population centers are encroaching more and more on productive and beneficial forestland. In southern Maine as well as in the Bangor region, this is a very real threat with many acres of forest being converted to malls, subdivisions, and other development every month. In Maine’s North Woods the encroachment and threats are a little different––shore frontage and large blocks for second homes are the major threat, not only to remove forestland from management, but also to close off access to it for recreational users.

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