A firebreak project in Castine cleared more than 1,000 feet of brush abutting the village center over the weekend, just a few miles from the site of a wildfire that burned along the forest floor for multiple days earlier this summer.
While Saturday’s event was planned months before, the fire and Maine’s ongoing drought made the clearing in Witherle Woods “even more timely and pertinent,” according to Mike Kersula, a regional stewardship manager for the Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
It came after the state saw high wildfire risks for weeks and numerous blazes amidst a severe drought that doesn’t show signs of letting up in Hancock County. Over the long term, climate change has also increased Maine’s fire risk through more frequent droughts and strong windstorms, according to Kersula.
Much of the forested land in the region is also regrowth from former pastures, he said. That means the majority of trees in them are all the same age, which makes them more susceptible to “blowdowns,” or wind-downed trees that provide fuel for wildfires.
The trust-owned woods take up about half of the small peninsula — known as “the neck” — where the village is located. There’s just one main road on and off the neck, and residents for decades had been concerned about unpermitted fires and activity in the woods.
That spurred planning for the event. It enlisted about 170 Maine Maritime Academy students to put in around 450 combined hours clearing brush along about 1,000 feet, according to Capt. Justin Cooper, who oversees the school’s regimental students.
The “shaded fuel break” they created leaves some tree cover rather than clearing out the break completely, according to Kersula. That helps preserve moisture on the forest floor, reducing future fire risk, and can be accomplished using hand tools.
Such clearings also focus on removing faster-burning softwood tree species and taking out “ladder fuel,” or material that could allow a fire to more easily climb from the forest floor to the treetops.
This week, the 120 large piles of trees and brush they removed will be chipped to keep nutrients in the forest, retain more moisture and further reduce risk.
Cooper said the recent wildfire raised awareness around the project, and he hopes the collaboration between the school and the land trust will show how organizations can work together successfully for stewardship projects, especially ones that need a lot of manpower. He also praised first-year students for giving back to their new community.
The land trust doesn’t plan similar work at its other forested properties, according to Kersula; it typically allows natural processes to progress, though staff will sometimes remove branches from larger trees that have blown down so they can hit the forest floor and retain moisture.
“In general, the most effective work is done by individuals in the design and upkeep of their homes,” Kersula said of preventing wildfire damage to homes and structures.
A separate, multi-town community wildfire protection project has started its planning phase on the Blue Hill Peninsula. One of its major recommendations is for homeowners to create a “defensible zone” cleared of vegetation around buildings to protect them in case of wildfires.
The Maine Forest Service, the town of Castine and the local volunteer fire department also participated in Saturday’s event.
