Background
The Forest Society of Maine (FSM) is a state-wide land trust particularly focused on Maine’s North Woods, the largest expanse of forestland east of the Rocky Mountains. FSM is made up of people who care about the future of this great forest, with its 5,000 lakes, its more than 4,000 acres of canoeable rivers and streams, its 12 million acres of productive forestlands, and its abundance and diversity of wildlife. We want this great and unique forest to endure.
FSM has helped pioneer landscape-scale forestland conservation through the development and implementation of conservation easements to sustain the ecological, economic, cultural, and recreational values of Maine’s forests. Since the organization was founded in 1984, FSM has helped conserve more than one million acres of forestland in towns from Van Buren to Porter and Attean Township to Amherst. FSM strives to encourage thoughtful dialogue and conservation actions that encompass the full array of interests and ownerships in Maine’s North Woods.
FSM 40th Anniversary StoryMap – a historical look of FSM through the years.
Read FSM Strategic Plan 2020 to 2025.
Read about FSM in this article by writer Joe Rankin.
Land Trust Accreditation–A Mark of Distinction
The Forest Society of Maine became a nationally accredited land trust in 2009 and attained accreditation renewal in 2014. There are about 1,200 land trusts in the United States, 400 of which are accredited, and when measured by numbers of acres conserved, FSM is one of the top five. This is a remarkable achievement and a significant responsibility. Accreditation provides assurance that FSM is operating at a level of proficiency and excellence in keeping with those responsibilities. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards and are committed to excellence, continual learning, and improvements.
Learn more about Land Trust Accreditation.
