COURTESY OF MAINE FOREST SERVICE
A fall walk in the woods reminds us how impressive Maine’s forests are. Maine is the most forested state in the country, with over 17.5 million acres of forestland. These diverse forests—ranging from young to mature, conifers to hardwoods—are vital as we face changing conditions from droughts, storms, and invasive plants, insects, and diseases.
Forest resilience measures how well forests adapt and respond to changing conditions. A resilient forest can resist disturbances, such as intense windstorms, or recover after insect outbreaks. While some trees or species may be lost, the forest ecosystem endures.
There are many actions a landowner can take to increase the resilience of their forestland. For example, thinning to remove trees in an overly dense forest can improve the health of remaining trees.
These trees may be more likely to survive drought stress or diseases. Removing invasive plants from a forest creates space for native trees, wildflowers, and shrubs. Native plants provide important wildlife habitat while being less desirable for ticks. However, actions that increase forest resilience can be costly. Fortunately, the Maine Forest Service is launching a new financial incentive program, the WoodsWISE Resilience Program.
Through the WoodsWISE Resilience Program, we can help Maine landowners apply stewardship actions or “practices” that may otherwise be cost-prohibitive. Within the program, eight practices are eligible for financial incentives:
Early Forest Practices:
- Pre-commercial thinning: Reducing the number of trees in young or sapling-sized forest:
- Early commercial thinning: Reducing the number of trees in a forest where part of the trees can be sold.
- Crop tree release: Removing trees to favor those of the preferred form, vigor, or species.
Regeneration Practices:
- Harvesting to promote tree regeneration: The intentional removal of trees to create space and resources for regeneration (seedlings, sprouts, or established small trees).
- Tree planting: Planting tree seedlings to meet landowner objectives.
- Regeneration protection: Temporary tree cages or exclosures to protect small trees or seedlings from animal browsing.
Forest Health Practices:
- Sanitation cutting: Removing specific trees or tree species to reduce the threat of diseases, insects, fungi, or other health concerns.
- Invasive plant control: Using mechanical or chemical methods to remove invasive plants.
Eligible practices enhance forest resilience by promoting multiple tree ages and species, freeing resources for remaining trees, reducing tree health risks, and ensuring new trees grow. Eligible practices also support other forest goals, including recreation, clean air and water, and tree growth and quality.
The WoodsWISE Resilience Program will launch later this winter and is open to landowners with 10 or more forested acres. Eligible landowners include private or family ownerships, federally recognized tribes, municipalities, and conservation groups.
If you are a forest landowner in Maine, consider exploring the WoodsWISE Resilience Program and applying for support to help strengthen the health and future of your forest. To learn more about the program, visit the WoodWISE website https://tinyurl.com/svxjkdff or contact the Maine Forest Service at 207-287-2791 or [email protected].
