Forest Society of Maine

Your land trust for Maine's North Woods
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Donate

  • Home
  • About
    • Committed to Diversity
    • All About FSM
    • Mission
    • F.A.Q.s
    • Staff
    • Directors and Advisors
    • COVID19 Update for FSM
  • Conserved Lands
    • FSM Conserved Lands
    • Projects Under Way
    • Caring for Conserved Lands
    • Statement of Conservation Position
  • Forests & Climate
    • Maine Voices Op-Ed
    • Maine Won’t Wait
    • Forest Carbon Task Force
    • Maine’s Carbon Budget
  • Blog & News
  • Jobs at FSM
    • Job Openings
    • Swan Internship
  • Contact Us
  • Support FSM
    • Donate Now
    • Ways to Give
    • Financial Statement
    • FSM’s Supporters

Remembering Alan Hutchinson

January 16, 2018 By Annie

The man who took FSM from a file box on his kitchen table to a million acres conserved.

It’s hard to imagine the Forest Society of Maine (FSM) without Alan Hutchinson. In truth, FSM really wasn’t an active land trust before he arrived. In 1984 FSM existed on paper, so that a conservation organization in neighboring New Hampshire could hold easements in Maine, but there was no staff, no office, and no new activity in Maine for more than a decade.

It wasn’t until 1997 when large tracts of Maine forestland were changing hands, that a group of landowners, conservation professionals, and scientists realized that Maine’s North Woods needed a dedicated land trust. They decided to bring FSM to life and hired Alan as the first employee and executive director. Before coming to FSM, Alan served with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) doing impressive work in various roles, but after 24 years he took a leap of faith and left IF&W to guide a fledgling organization. For the first several months he worked from his kitchen table, boxes of files stacked around him.

Soon after FSM upgraded to office space in downtown Bangor, Jim and Jenness Robbins of Robbins Lumber Company walked through the door. They wanted to discuss conservation options for 23,000 acres they’d purchased around Nicatous Lake. At the time it was a project of monumental proportions and a big test for a new executive director and a young organization. Working with numerous partners, (a practice that Alan made standard operating procedure for FSM), the Nicatous project became the first of many conservation successes.

If I was to use one word to describe Alan it would be ‘credibility.’ He exemplified it.” Maine forestland owner, Jim Robbins

Although completing projects was an important part of what Alan did, he did so much more to help make FSM a leader in conserving Maine forestlands. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was building an organization with a clear mission and vision for the future. It was slow work that required patience and tenacity, and depended in large part on his ability to bring people with diverse views together around the same table.Paddling on Prong Pond, ME

One of Alan’s amazing talents was to create an environment where there was deep, mutual respect for each other, and an openness to discuss some controversial topics in the most professional manner.” Former FSM board president Bob Burr

Alan was fond of saying, “We have a big tent,” meaning that people from all of the pillars of FSM’s mission–the economic, recreational, ecological, and cultural–could meet and find common ground. He recognized that helping Maine forestland owners and forest products businesses succeed is crucial to forestland conservation. He was also a good listener who could talk to anyone, because he knew that everyone had something to contribute.

Alan was the epitome of great leadership. He had a gracious way of making everyone feel a part of the project—and what incredible projects happened under his leadership. He was a real inspiration.” FSM friend Tarun Johns

Today, FSM has a staff of eight and a monitoring program for large forest easements that is highly regarded nationally. There is an active board of directors and advisory council, who are experts in forest resources, outdoor recreation, natural sciences, Maine history, land trust development, and more. Alan was very proud that FSM was among the first land trusts in Maine and the nation to become accredited through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. He was deeply aware of FSM’s ‘forever’ commitment to Maine lands, and worked hard to make FSM a strong and resilient organization.

Paddling in the Moosehead Lake region.

I think the most difficult thing to be in the current state of our world is moderate. It takes day-in and day-out personal courage because you are constantly being criticized and questioned from all sides; yet, moderation is often the key to making progress. Alan had that personal courage; the unfailing ability to be calm, to be rational, to listen to all sides; and then to take firm, courageous, but moderate positions.” FSM partner Dick Spencer

One morning last year Alan told a young member of FSM’s staff that his generation had done a lot, both good and bad. “Now,” he said, “it’s up to your generation. It’s up to you.” His statement was a fair challenge, but it is only partially true: regardless of your generation, it is up to all of us to keep going, to keep making the changes we want to see in the world a reality, and to practice the tenacity, patience, and willingness to listen that Alan set as an example for us. Let’s honor Alan and further his legacy by continuing to come together around our shared goal of keeping Maine’s forests as forests for many generations to come.

 

Article originally published in Forest View, Fall 2017.

 

Top photo of Alan Hutchinson by Bruce Kidman.

Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: Alan Hutchinson

Committed to Diversity

The Forest Society of Maine (FSM) recognizes the importance and urgency of increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in all elements of our mission and work. Please read FSM’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Statement here: FSM’s DEIJ Statement.

KIW-Silver Lake Drone Footage

The Forest Society of Maine is pleased to share with the public drone footage highlighting the unique values of the KIW-Silver Lake property. The drone footage can be accessed using the following link to a Google Drive folder: KIW Drone Footage. The footage was sponsored by Conservation Forestry, LLC and filmed by North Woods Aerial. The videos shared here also include subtitles for accessibility.

Maine Won’t Wait

The Maine Climate Council published a four-year plan for climate action in Maine in December 2020. The Council made two proposals that directly impact Maine’s forests. Firstly, an increase of 30% in total acreage of conserved lands in Maine by 2030 (30 by 30) through purchases of land and conservation easements. Secondly, the development of new programs and incentives to increase carbon storage.

For the full document, visit: Maine Won’t Wait.

Background Photo Credit: James Wheeler

FSM’s Latest Blog Posts

  • From the President/CEO Spring 2021 July 22, 2021
  • Meet the 2021 Swan Intern June 22, 2021
  • Fish River Lakes Conservation Easement Completed June 18, 2021

Maine Forests & Carbon

Maine’s Forests Reduce Carbon Pollution Most of us can point to tangible ways in which our … Read More...

Your land trust for Maine’s North Woods

Forest Society of Maine conserves Maine's forestlands in a manner that sustains their ecological, economic, cultural, and recreational values.

Contact Information

 
Main Office
115 Franklin St., 3rd Floor,
Bangor, Maine 04401
(207) 945-9200
info@fsmaine.org

Signup for our E-News

Join E-News

Donate Now

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 Forest Society of Maine · All Rights Reserved

Built with RainStorm Foundations & WordPress