Annie – Page 11

North Maine Woods Communities are an Inviting Place to Live

July 7, 2017 By Annie

Aerial view of Little Greenwood Pond, Lake Onawa, Borestone Mountain, and Barren Mountain (traversed by the Appalachian Trail). — Aerial view of Little Greenwood Pond, Lake Onawa, Borestone Mountain, and Barren Mountain (traversed by the Appalachian Trail) not far from Monson.

I wanted to draw attention to some exciting work being done in Monson, Maine by the Libra Foundation. Recently, this work has been featured in the Boston Globe (Could Artists Revive a Fading Maine Town?), and in the Bangor Daily News and Portland Press Herald. These articles highlight Monson and the Libra Foundation’s investment in the community. The author of the Boston Globe article questions whether Monson will be viewed as a less than desirable location and too remote to attract artists to the area. As the leader of an organization that has worked in Monson and many other rural Maine communities for 20 years, I can tell you I’m convinced people will be attracted to this community, especially with this significant investment from the Libra Foundation.

Monson is surrounded by one of the most stunning landscapes in the country, and serves as a gateway to Maine’s fabled North Woods – the largest undeveloped expanse of forestland east of the Rocky Mountains. Much of this forest is privately owned and sustainably managed. Monson sits at the doorstep to this vast forest, including two million acres of permanently conserved, undeveloped woods and waters. Thanks to conservation, these lands will forever be available for recreational enjoyment and will forever be producing clean air, clean water, and dark night skies lit only by countless stars – not bright city lights. Yet Bangor, Maine’s third largest city, is only about an hour away with an airport, universities, thriving downtown, and other amenities.

Two hundred thousand people visit this region each year, and many are attracted to Moosehead Lake just 11 miles north of Monson. This region is renowned for its outdoor recreational opportunities, sitting along the Appalachian Trail as it enters the Hundred Mile Wilderness leading to Baxter State Park and Mount Katahdin. Here, there is an abundance and diversity of wildlife found nowhere else in the East. This is a region that has inspired writers and artists for well over a century, including Frederic Edwin Church, Carl Sprinchorn, and Virgil Macey Williams. Henry David Thoreau visited Monson twice on his epic journeys to Maine’s North Woods, trips that transformed his thinking and inspired his writings that have in turn inspired generations.

View of Mount Kineo and other conserved forestlands along Moosehead Lake.

But the greatest natural resource Maine has is its people. When visitors come to Maine, they’re met with warm conversations, honest, down-to-earth people, and a relaxed way of life that is a testament to those who live, work, and play here. This remains universally true whether you are in Monson, the Moosehead Lake Region, Baxter State Park, Acadia National Park, the sprawling farm fields in Aroostook County, or in Portland, our state’s largest city.

When blended with the incredible size of Maine’s North Woods, the community revitalization vision emerging from Monson with the help of the Libra Foundation, in concert with grassroots efforts underway in nearby Greenville, is unparalleled. Living in such a serene, beautiful place will surely be enticing to artists, young professionals, retirees, and others who welcome a refuge from an often busy, fast-paced world.

The Forest Society of Maine is pleased to have helped with the conservation of the expansive forestland that serves as an important resource in supporting the future of Monson and other North Woods communities. We look forward to being part of the exciting future coming about from the good work of the people of Monson and the Libra Foundation.

In Memory of Hank Swan

June 8, 2017 By Annie

Taking a break at FSM’s summer board meeting. (Hank Swan back row, first from left.)

It is with heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of Henry “Hank” Swan. He played a key role in shaping the Forest Society of Maine (FSM) into the organization it is today.

Hank’s service to FSM dates back to the organization’s beginnings. He was vice president of FSM’s founding board when we were created with the help of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire’s Forests in 1984 to hold an easement in Attean, Maine. He continued on the board, served as a member of the original stewardship committee overseeing the Attean easement, and was part of the critical decisions and actions in 1995-97 that transformed FSM into a staffed, Maine-based land trust for Maine’s North Woods. He chaired the first nominating committee that was instrumental in establishing the precedent of maintaining a board reflecting the diversity of FSM’s unique and multi-faceted mission.

Whether on the board or off, Hank was a driving force behind the Forest Society of Maine’s efforts to “think big” with its conservation work. From the Nicatous Lake project to the West Branch project and all that followed, he was always encouraging FSM to pursue projects that conserved important forestlands for the future. His vision was that forestland conservation and business objectives for landowners could go hand-in-hand. And he was right.

Hank will always be remembered for his long-term service, dedication to and support of Forest Society of Maine, and his pioneering thinking on conservation easements and working forestlands.

From the Executive Director: Spring 2017

May 22, 2017 By Annie

Last fall my wife, Terri, and I had the opportunity to travel through England and Scotland. From Stonehenge, castles, cathedrals, and pubs to the Scottish Highlands and Yorkshire Dales: what an inspirational journey. You can see the richness of the history at every turn, but even more stunning was seeing the depth of that 10,000-year history, and seeing how those ancient threads are celebrated and woven into current lives and culture.

My thoughts turned to how similar – yet so different Maine and our North Woods are to what I saw on our travels. The lands and cultures are just as ancient in both places, dating back to soon after the glaciers receded. Yet the depth of our embrace of ancient ties to the land is so much less. How many of us readily think of the cultural connections to Maine’s forest going back more than a few hundred years? Few, I suspect, unless you are Native American. Perhaps, that’s because unlike the everyday presence of thousands of ancient stone structures spread throughout England and Scotland, Maine Native Americans built with wood and hide – materials that last at most centuries – not millennia. This absence may be part of why we forget the depth of the history surrounding us daily.

It’s exciting that FSM’s mission embraces the historic and cultural values of Maine’s North Woods. I came home with the commitment to more fully understand and embrace the depth of that cultural richness, even though it is not readily visible or part of my personal ancestry. This deeper realization leads me, and hopefully you, to a deeper understanding of just how special Maine’s expansive forestlands truly are.

Featured Friends: Bob and Mary Burr

May 16, 2017 By Annie

Originally featured in FSM’s newsletter, Forest View, Fall 2015.

Bob & Mary Burr standing next to their tree farm sign. — Bob & Mary Burr.

Annual donors Bob and Mary Burr have been supporting the Forest Society of Maine (FSM) for more than a decade. When asked why, Bob replied, “FSM is in alignment with how I think about Maine’s North Woods, and there is still more that FSM can do. Those additional opportunities require continued support.”

It was after he joined the board of directors that he felt he really understood the importance of FSM’s mission. “This led,” he says, “to a deeper appreciation of the work FSM does to conserve what I love about Maine’s North Woods.” When asked what it is he loves about Maine’s North Woods Bob remarked, “Well, there are several things, but I have always made my living because of a tree. Since high school, my income has been directly related to the trees grown in the state of Maine. The economic benefits of Maine’s woodlands are many. Mary and I have also both had the opportunity to enjoy the recreational aspects of the North Woods and we want that to continue.”

The Burrs have also included FSM in their estate plans, explaining that “by providing additional financial support to FSM through our will, we feel we can have a positive impact on the future of the North Woods.”

Moosehead Lake: Strong Connections between Conservation Lands and Economic Health

May 9, 2017 By Annie

By Karin Tilberg, FSM Deputy Director

The Forest Society of Maine (FSM), a land trust serving Maine’s North Woods, holds nearly 1 million acres of forestland in conservation easements. A good portion of the conservation easements we hold surround the Moosehead Lake region and extend to the north, west, and east including many mountains, lakes, and rivers. The conservation easements typically allow for continued sustainable forest management and the landowners, who still own the land, continue to pay taxes on the land. The public benefits from the permanently assured public access and the conservation of wildlife habitat, special natural areas, recreational assets, and scenic beauty the easements ensure.

Easements are permanent and ensure stability that in turn gives confidence to communities and businesses to plan for forest management, recreational trails, permanent access for hunting, fishing, hiking, and enterprises that are geared to outdoor recreation activities. Given the extent of FSM’s easement holdings in the Moosehead Lake area, our organization has endeavored to strengthen the connections between the conservation provided by the easements and the economic benefits for businesses and communities. For the past four years, FSM’s staff has been an integral part of establishing permanent hiking trails on Weyerhaeuser (formerly Plum Creek) easement lands in collaboration with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and others. Our organization also has been a leader in starting a new group, Moosehead Trails, that brings together volunteers to help care for trails in the vicinity of Moosehead Lake. This is important for safety and for improving the experience of those using the trails, since those that enjoy well-maintained trails are more likely to return.

FSM is investing a significant amount of organizational energy as part of the board of the Moosehead Lake Regional Economic Development Corporation (MLREDC). The MLREDC helped sponsor Roger Brooks International and the Moosehead Branding Initiative and held some exciting Think Tank Workshops guided by consultants from Future iQ for regional planning for the Moosehead Lake region. The goal of this work is to develop a shared vision within the Moosehead Lake communities for how best to celebrate the natural beauty of the waters, forests, and mountains of Moosehead Lake, and the amazing array of cultural, recreational and natural resource-based opportunities within the region. Central objectives of the branding of Moosehead Lake as America’s Crown Jewel are to bring more year-round residents to live in the area, extend the economic season to eight months (from five months) per year, and to celebrate and steward the natural resources of Moosehead Lake that make it such an icon. The Forest Society of Maine brings its knowledge and expertise to this task with great enthusiasm. We are honored to be an integral part of an amazing enterprise that is bringing together so many people who care about the future of Moosehead Lake.

Published in Moosehead Matters, Piscataquis Observer April 2017.