March 29, 2024
Business

Baldacci heralds forestland initiatives

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Solutions to problems that face Maine’s natural resource-based industries must come from a concerted effort that not only involves the state, but also the forest products industry, conservation groups and those connected to outdoor recreation, Gov. John Baldacci said Wednesday.

To bring all the key players involved in Maine’s woods together under one umbrella to find the solutions, Baldacci announced the development of the Maine Woods Legacy and the creation of a Task Force on the Sustainability of the Forest Products Industry.

“Our Maine Woods Legacy arises from a shared vision of a future for Maine’s forestlands that is rooted in shared values,” Baldacci told a large and diverse gathering Wednesday at the Penquis Higher Education Center.

Baldacci said his legacy’s key components include:

. Strengthening the ties between economic health and conservation in the Maine Woods.

. Support for and expansion of the manufacturing base in the forest products industry.

. New efforts to ensure a continuous supply of wood fiber to the market.

. New initiatives to support Maine landowner efforts to become “green certified.”

. The promotion of, and access to, Maine’s woods and waters for recreational opportunities.

. The celebration of the cultural heritage of the communities bordering the Maine woods.

. A program of landscape-scale conservation of the state’s woods, waters and wildlife and “the 100 Mile Wilderness,” the part of the Appalachian Trail that winds through Maine.

“We have before us an all-too-brief opportunity to conserve the natural heritage of the Maine woods in a way that supports diverse economic opportunities for Maine people and leaves an unparalleled legacy to the next generation,” the governor told state, county and municipal officials, paper company representatives and members of forest-related organizations.

Baldacci said privately owned forests in Maine have offered employment opportunities in paper and wood products, as well as recreational opportunities. But significant changes, including the fragmentation of large tracts of woodlands, new harvesting practices and ownership changes, have created a sense of uncertainly about the future of the region.

That uncertainty became more evident this week when it was learned that Roxanne Quimby, who supports the creation of national park in northern Maine, had snapped up about 24,000 acres in Township 5, Range 8 from J.D. Irving Ltd. Quimby, who now owns about 40,000 acres in northern Maine, plans to present her vision for the North Woods at a Forest Resources Association dinner Dec. 4 in Brewer.


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