Maine Woodlands February 2025 : simplebooklet.com

Message Community t Advocacy t Knowledge t LegacyInsideForestry Forum..............................4Wildlife in February.....................6Newsletter Flashback...................8Emergency Storm Fund..............10Harvest in New Gloucester.......12Wood Quality...............................14Annual Appeal..............................16Legacy Planning Program..........18Invasive Plants EventJoin Chad Hammer from MNAP for an online program.More on Page 1850th Anniversary Legacy Endowment CampaignA Monthly Publication of Maine Woodland Owners February 2025 Vol. 50 No. 2By Jim ClairCelebrating a 50th Anniversary is a big deal!! As Tom Allen, president of our Board of Directors, and Tom Doak, Executive Director, pointed out at the recent Annual Meeting on January 15th, much effort, resilience and teamwork over the last fty years has gone into ensuring Maine Woodland Owners is the quality organization that stands today.This past fall, the Maine Woodland Owners Development Committee spent time contemplating just how much has changed over these fty years. From the role of the large paper companies and mills, to forest economics for woodlot owners, to the impact of climate change, to the way the Maine Legislature works – change is the one constant. Maine Woodland Owners has successfully adapted to these changes and continues to be your voice and source of quality and objective information and advice.With the Executive Committee’s guidance, and the full board’s endorsement, Maine Woodland Owners has established a 50th Anniversary Legacy Endowment Fund. We are raising $500,000 to ensure that Maine Woodland Owners has the resources to continue to be the source of excellence over these next fty years.I’m pleased to report that during our ‘soft launch’ phase we’ve already raised close to $100,000, thanks primarily to the leadership of our Board. But your help will be needed to reach – and hopefully exceed – this ambitious goal. Soon, you will be receiving more information about how to make a campaign pledge and we’ll be holding some special events later in the year (more to come about that soon) as a thank you for your generousity.Those of you who were able to attend the Annual Meeting heard Tom announce he is now in his last year as Executive Director. It would be a tting tribute to him if we can lean in and ensure that Maine Woodland Owners has the resources needed to continue its great work now and into the future.We welcome any questions you might have and look forward to your participation in this 50th Anniversary Legacy Endowment Campaign.Jim Clair is a member of the Board of Directors for Maine Woodland Owners. Email: clairgroup@gmail.com

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February 2025 Volume 50 Number 2 8 Mulliken Court, PO Box 836Augusta, ME 04332-0836Telephone: 207-626-0005Toll Free: 1-877-467-9626E-mail: info@mainewoodlandowners.orgWebsite: www.mainewoodlandowners.orgStaffTom Doak, Executive DirectorDebra L. Ladd, Office ManagerJennifer Hicks, Director of Communications and Outreach, Newsletter EditorOlivia Nicolarsen, Forest Outreach CoordinatorBoard of DirectorsExecutive Committee:President: Tom Allen, Portland1st Vice President: Seth Sprague, Portland2nd Vice President: Jennifer Dann, Orono Secretary: Jeff Williams, Limington Treasurer: John Melrose, VassalboroDoug Baston, Gardiner (2026)Kyle Burdick, Brookton (2026)Hannah Carter, Orono (2027)Jim Clair, China (2025)Mark Doty, Madison (2027)Richard Nass, Acton (2026)Paul Sampson, Lincolnville (2027)Chapter LeadersCentral Maine: Jim Ferrante, SebecDown East: Si Balch, Brooklin Midcoast: Andrew Smart, UnityNorthern Maine: Vacant; Lauren Ouellette, Island FallsPenobscot Valley: Larry Beauregard, BrewerSouthern Maine: Jeff Williams, LimingtonSt. Croix: Ernest Carle, Big Lake TwpTwo Rivers: Andy Shultz, AugustaUpper Kennebec Valley: Jason Hilton, MercerWestern Maine: Merle Ring, NorwayUnless specifically stated, opinions expressed in Maine Woodlands do not necessarily reflect the position of Maine Woodland Owners.Maine Woodlands is mailed bulk rate. The post office does not forward. Your current address is essential.A Nonprofit Corporation – IRC 501(c)(3)A Monthly Publication of the Maine Woodland OwnersMaine Woodlands February 2025Page 2A Member-Supported OrganizationCharting Our FuturePresident’s MessageBy Tom Allen,TAllen1645@gmail.comThanks to so many of you who attended our Annual Meeting and Forestry Forum on January 15, either in person or online. During the event, we announced that the Board has decided that 2025 will be a celebration of SWOAM/Maine Woodland Owners’s 50th year of existence, Tom Doak’s 20th year of outstanding leadership, and our rst, long overdue capital campaign to build an endowment appropriate to our size and activities. Our annual budget is growing toward $900,000 but we have only a ve-gure endowment. It’s time to take a big step forward! Again and again, when more funds are needed for special projects, our generous members have stepped up to the plate and delivered. A right-sized endowment will help cover unanticipated but vital needs and provide annual income when other funds are not immediately available. Our 50th year is the right time to act. Maine Woodland Owners’s Executive Director Tom Doak has been suggesting recently that his retirement was approaching but he wanted to leave only when he was sure our organization was able to secure quality leadership. We may not nd another Tom Doak – someone who is a forester and widely respected in the Maine Legislature and the Executive branch. However, with our deputy director position also open, we have exibility to nd a good combination of Tom’s skills and experience. Tom expects to be with us throughout 2025 to help new leaders learn the ropes he has managed so well for 20 years. The initial responses to our endowment campaign is encouraging! The Board has set itself a goal of raising $100,000 (20% of the total target) and we are on track to meet it. Outreach beyond the Board will be underway soon.And we won’t let Tom Doak leave without honoring all he has done for our organization and Maine’s forest lands. He has made a lasting contribution to the protection of our forests and for the people who own and care for them. For those who missed our meeting, it was exceptional. I was there, but I am going back to review the recording at: www.mainewoodlandowners.org/annual-meeting. You should too!

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 3A Member-Supported OrganizationMaine Woodland Owners is seeking to ll a new wildlife biologist staff position to assist woodland owners with the implementation of practices to enhance wildlife habitat on their forestland. This individual will have a bachelor’s degree or higher in in wildlife biology or a related eld, and a strong knowledge of wildlife species, habitat requirements, and conservation practices. The wildlife biologist will serve as a liaison between landowners and various conservation programs, to promote nancial programs and technical assistance to enhance wildlife habitat on their properties. This is a three-year shared position with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). There is a possibility of a two-year extension. The position will be located at Maine Woodland Owners’ ofce in Augusta with occasional time spent at NRCS ofces. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to: info@mainewoodlandowners.org.Wildlife Biologist

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 4A Member-Supported OrganizationA Day of Forestry and CommunityOn January 15, Maine Woodland Owners hosted its Annual Meeting and Forestry Forum at the Augusta Civic Center during the Maine Agricultural Trade Show. Close to 300 people attended our event throughout the day, both in-person and online. The day started with a brief business meeting followed by the announcement by Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Commissioner, Amanda Beal that Jay and Kathryn Libby from Cornville are the 2025 “Maine Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year” winners. Senate President Mattie Daughtry presented a letter of sentiment to Maine Woodland Owners board president, Tom Allen as part of the recognition of the organization’s 50th anniversary. And later in Senate President Mattie Daughtry presents Maine Woodland Owners board president Tom Allen with a letter of sentiment from the Maine Legislature recognizing the organization’s 50th Anniversary.Governor Janet Mills offered words of congratulations to Maine Woodland Owners and provided her thoughts about Maine’s forests and innovation in the forest industry to support the state’s economy and environment.Past president of Robbins Lumber, Jimmy Robbins served as the auctioneer for the rst-ever Forestry Forum live auction. Items Maine Forest Service entomologist Mike Parisio (left), Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife wildlife biologist, Joe Roy (center), and Maine Woodland Owners member Felix Blinn take in the activities.the morning, Governor Janet Mills addressed the attendees with her thoughts about the importance of Maine’s forests. A series of very informative presentations was provided throughout the day focused on the future of land management, carbon market opportunities, interpreting our woods, cost-share programs, as well as invasive forest pests and disease updates. The day also included a entertaining live auction led by Robbins Lumber’s Jimmy Robbins.The entire day was recorded and can be found on the webpage: www.mainewoodlandowners.org/annual-meeting. For more info contact: jenn@mainewoodlandowners.org.Bambi Jones (left), of Hidden Valley Nature Center in Whiteeld, and Barrie Brusila, owner of Mid-Maine Forestry catch up during a break.Former Maine Woodland Owners board member Mike Dann (center) and his daughter, current board member Jennifer Dann (right) chat with Tom Charles during the lunch break.Photo: Olivia Nicolarsen Photo: Jennifer HicksPhoto: Jennifer HicksPhoto: Jennifer HicksPhoto: Jennifer Hicks Photo: Olivia Nicolarsen

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 5A Member-Supported OrganizationAlison Kanoti, forest health director, presented Maine’s spruce budworm response.Olivia Nicolarsen, forest outreach coordinator, provides information about cost-share programs.Maine Forest Service entomologist presented a forest pest and disease update.Ben Carlisle, president of Prentiss & Carlisle, presented a program about the future of land management.Maine Woodland Owners board member, Seth Sprague provides the treasurer’s report during the business meeting.Jay and Kathryn Libby speak after Commissioner Beal (right) announced them as the recipients of the 2025 Maine Outstanding Tree Farm of the Year.Representatives from Renoster and Family Forest Carbon Program discussed carbon market options for owners.Ecologist Tom Wessels interpreted several dozen shots of interesting woodland scenes.Photo: Jennifer HicksPhoto: Kayci WillisPhoto: Olivia NicolarsenPhoto: Olivia NicolarsenPhoto: Jennifer HicksPhoto: Jennifer HicksPhoto: Jennifer HicksPhoto: Olivia Nicolarsen

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Maine Woodlands January 2025Page 6A Member-Supported OrganizationBy Joe RoyDuring the month of February, I spend part of everyday thinking about the previous summer. Not because I am wishing for warmer weather – I love the winter – but because that’s when I stacked my rewood. I put a lot of thought into my wood pile during the summer. I organize it to make sure that the best rewood is easily accessable during the coldest part of the year. The wood that is stacked rst is used in the spring and is not the best since at that point, I am only heating to cut out the chill. The really good stuff – oak and ash roundwood – gets stacked second, so I have them in late January and through the month of February when temps sit well below freezing and the winter winds howl. As “The Firewood Poem” by Lady Celia Congreve states, “Oaken logs if dry and old, Keep away the winter’s cold. But Ash wet or Ash dry, A king shall warm his slippers by.” Now you may be asking yourself, “Joe, what does this have to do with wildlife habitat?” and my answer to that is, the actions we take in one season, may not really pay dividends until well into another season. Lots of items that are on our wildlife habitat management checklist for this month, will be tasks whose fruits (literally) won’t be reaped for several months. But, like our thoughtful stack of rewood, when we reap the fruits, we will be thankful for our labor from months past.Tree and Seed OrderIn the January 2025 edition of Maine Woodlands, we talked about planning your tree, shrub, and seed needs for the year. February is a great time to get those orders in. Many nurseries and suppliers have March ordering deadlines and have limited supply committed on a rst-come-rst-served basis. You won’t regret getting your order in early. Check to see if there is a bulk discount for large orders and consider working with your neighbors to order together to save money on shipping as well. As always, select native and non-invasive, site-appropriate plant and seed materials. Also, plants that bloom and fruit at different times throughout the growing season will help provide year-round benets to wildlife. Fruit Tree Check-up As the winter snows begin to accumulate, a concern I have is rodent activity around the base of trees in the area between the top of the snow and the surface of the ground. Our rodents love to tunnel in this area and when they encounter the bark of young trees, especially fruit trees, they like to nibble. Often this leads to girdling which can damage and kill a tree. I place tree trunk protection tubes on all my planted trees, but I still like to go out with my snowshoes and pack down the snow around the tree to limit access.Pruning Fruit TreesThe middle and end of February is when I begin to conduct pruning activities after identifying needs in January. There are ample guides to pruning, and this publication has covered it previously. I recommend looking back to earlier issues to get some guidance. Generally pruning the dead and dying branches is a great rst step, as well as any branches growing backwards towards the center of the trees. Frozen GroundAs the ground freezes, many of our wet areas become easier to access. Places that normally would bury a tractor or equipment in mud, are now hard and frozen. You can get to much needed corners of your lot without rutting up and compacting your soil. Create “Mineral Stumps” for browseTwelve Months of Wildlife Management: FebruaryRemoving hardwood tree limbs.Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series focused on wildlife management practices woodland owners can consider each month of the year.University of Maine Cooperative Extension

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Maine Woodlands January 2025Page 7A Member-Supported OrganizationTree Pruning and ReleaseDuring the winter months, our trees are in a dormant state. This is a great time to harvest trees that are known to “stump sprout” as a way to promote young, tender growth within browsing height over the next few years. Stump sprouts usually grow faster than seedlings because they already have an established root system. Since these sprouts have access to a large root network, they have a denser concentration of important nutrients and minerals compared to mature buds and leaves. These young shoots are more digestible due to less lignin content in the cells and can be a target forage by whitetail deer and other browsers in the spring when they are in much need of nutrients after the long winter. Since these stump sprouts are so high in benecial minerals, they have been given the name “Mineral Stumps” by some researchers and professionals. Not all trees stump sprout, some of the species in Maine that do, and provide desirable forage for wildlife, are our oaks, maples, and American beech. I generally stay away from cutting oaks and sugar maples explicitly for stump sprouting, since they may have higher values when you allow them to mature, both from an economic and wildlife perspective. I do not cut beech for stump sprouting either due to some management challenges with this species, particularly if partially shaded. My preferred tree to select for creating “Mineral Stumps” are poorly formed red maple (see lower left photo). You can often nd some that are already growing in clusters out of a previous stump on your woodlot. Cutting these less than 12 inches up from the ground can help promote stump sprouting. I also generally pick trees that are 16 inches in diameter or less. Evaluating Winter UseIn January we talked about the ability to evaluate winter use and browse on your property. February is a good time to continue that monitoring activity and winter browsing on your property.Red maple stump sprouting.Photo: Central Pennsylvania ForestryUniversity of Maine Cooperative ExtensionJoe Roy is the Private Lands Wildlife Biologist for Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Contact Joe at: joseph.roy@maine.gov or (207) 592-3344.

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 10A Member-Supported Organizationby Jack BeaudoinUntil 2024's devastating winter storms, very few Mainers had sought help from the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, let alone even heard of it.The program, originally authorized by the U.S. Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 and overhauled in the 2008 farm bill, is designed to provide up to a 75% cost share to owners of Non-Industrial Private Forestland (NIPF) damaged by natural disasters. It will contribute up to $50,000 to qualifying landowners to remove debris, replant trees, implement erosion control measures, and – perhaps most importantly – help replace or rebuild infrastructure needed to remove timber."Historically, we've seen the EFRP used on a more or less ad hoc basis," said Amanda May, a Maine-based program manager with the U.S. Farm Service Agency, which administers the program. "All it takes is one non-industrial private forest land owner in a county to have a need for it: that would initiate a countywide sign-up period. And we'd get maybe one or two applications from it."May said that historic pattern reected the intensity and size of storms Maine typically experienced – "strong storms in small areas" that might take down some trees, but more importantly, took out a conservation structure such as a stream crossing, culvert or access road. In 2020, for instance, the FSA had just one applicant for assistance, providing $4,010 in direct aid. There were no Maine applicants in 2021, and just one more in 2022 (for nearly $20,000). But things began to change in 2023, when six applicants collectively requested $81,364.00 in cost share help. Still, even that did not prepare ofcials for what would unfold in 2024.Apocalyptic damage to forestsA series of four major storms walloped large swaths of the state beginning with the Grinch Storm (Dec. 17-18, 2023), and followed quickly by the coastal storms of Jan. 9 and Jan. 13, and a later March storm that hit just as clean-up was getting underway. The scale of The Emergency Forest Restoration Programdamage was unprecedented – one estimate placed the December storm's damage to public infrastructure at $20 million, while federal emergency declarations stemming from the January storms reached $70 million. As a result, nearly 120 applicants had requested $6.9 million under the EFRP."We denitely saw a ton of applications last year with all those storms," said Alexis Clune, a Skowhegan-based District Conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the technical services provider for the EFRP. "Sometimes it looked apocalyptic in the forest, especially when bridges and culverts had blown out. The water came with such force that culverts, or pieces of a bridge, were swept down into the forest. That stream or river that was running through maybe was originally ve feet wide, turned into 30 feet wide ...And every tree in its path was pushed over or injured in some way."As technical resource partner, the NRCS took responsibility for every completed application – the sheer number required what Clune calls an "all-hands-on-deck" response. Each application folder represented a forest owner who needed help restoring a woodlot; each required a site visit to meet the landowner, document the damage, and plan for restoration."We brought in NRCS foresters from throughout the state," she said. "We brought in NRCS engineers from throughout the state. And together foresters, engineers and conservationists from NRCS would go out and assess the damage. If it's a bridge, what size bridge? What's the stream ow? What do we need to replace? If it's the forest roads, where are they eroding, or how many acres of blowdowns? So, we're there to calculate and do an actual technical assessment of the true damage, boots on the ground style."And that's only the start. After ling initial trip reports, NRCS personnel drew up conservation plans, certied that none would negatively impact environmental or cultural resources, and provided full design packages for infrastructure such as bridges and Damage found in Kirby Ellis’s woods after one of the 2023 - 2024 winter storms.Photo: Kirby Ellis

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 11A Member-Supported Organizationroads. They coordinated with the contractors doing the work to ensure it would be done to spec, and, nally, completed post-remediation assessments that compared the plans with actual outcomes."We denitely worked very hard, especially the engineers," said Clune of the experience. "But it's necessary and it provides a clear benet: it's for these folks, these small landowners, caught up in an event like this. They can't often afford to do these large projects, and they weren't planning on a huge storm coming through and wiping away a section of their forest. So really, the benet is very evident."No changes expected for 2025Given the success in meeting 2024’s unprecedented volume, neither the NRCS nor the Farm Service Agency expect to see changes to the EFRP in the near-term."We really do not have any additional information [to provide forest owners] at this time, said Sherry Hamel, state executive director of the Farm Service Agency. "We are continuing to work though the recovery effort and get [remaining] applications approved and paid as quickly as possible.""I don't know of any changes that have been implemented," Clune agreed. "We certainly couldn't staff up, as an agency, just for the potential that an emergency might happen. The process for this program is already quite streamlined because it is a national program, and disasters are always striking somewhere, sad to say. And we might have another three years, like the 20-23 years, where no major disasters occur."Still, she added, a federal disaster declaration isn't required for private woodlot owners to get help."That's what we're here for," Clune said, referring to a number of other federal programs her agency administers such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. “To help correct damage as it's been done to things like bridges and culverts and stuff and forest roadwork – even without the emergency label on it."And while federal disaster declarations bring focus and resources to a natural disaster, they aren't required to dene a situation as an emergency. In a presentation on the history of the EFRP, program specialist Emily Horsley said, "It's important for you, as forest landowners, to identify where your local service center is, reach out and notify the local FSA that you suffered damage to your NIPF land due to a natural disaster. And ask if EFRP assistance will be made available."Anyone, Horsley said, can request EFRP help – even outside of a designated sign-up period. Jack Beaudoin lives in Stonington, Maine, where he writes about the state’s heritage industries and natural resources. For more visit: www.mainewoodlandowners.org/resourcepage#USDA

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By Mike KinneyThe Bowie Pit woodlot is one of the many parcels donated to Maine Woodland Owners in 2018 by the Chandler family. Like all the Chandler family properties, the Bowie Pit woodlot has been thoughtfully managed. The property is primarily a white pine stand, but also has 15-acres of planted red and white pine, a moderate component of white oak, and two healthy American chestnut trees. Stand Conditions and Harvest GoalsThe Chandler family planted 15 acres of red and white pine in the early 1960s on an 8’ x 8’ spacing. Since the initial planting, some pre-commercial thinning and pruning has taken place. Most of the trees stand 50’ to 60’ tall and are between 10” and 12” in Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 12A Member-Supported OrganizationLand Trust Newsdiameter. Their form is generally poor with small crowns and large branches. The canopy is closed, and a lack of light reaching the forest oor has limited pine recruitment. Despite closed canopy conditions and a lack of soil disturbance, the 2023 white pine seed crop germinated exceptionally well in this plantation. A Maine Woodland Owners Pine Plantation Harvestcarpet of moss under the pine made an excellent seedbed. The harvest goal for this stand was to provide these new seedlings with the light they need to grow while maintaining enough shade that future Seedlings germinated in the moss under planted white pine.saplings would not be susceptible to white pine weevil damage. The remaining 65 acres of this parcel had no planting activity. White pine and scattered red pine and red oak occupy the overstory. The stand was thinned in the 1990s and oak, red maple, and beech saplings now make up the majority of the midstory. Some of the mature trees in this stand have experienced white pine needle damage. Also called needle cast, this disease complex causes yellowing needles and premature needle loss. The primary harvest goal for this stand was to increase growth rates in dominant white pine and promote resiliency to white pine needle damage. The secondary goal was to release pine and oak saplings by reducing competition in the midstory and creating gaps in the canopy. PrescriptionIn the pine plantation, harvest trails were agged every 6th row or roughly 50’ apart. Between trails, 40% of the trees were marked for removal. This created a desirable mix of shade and sunlight for seedlings to grow while minimizing the risk of weevil damage. Trees with the best form and largest crowns were retained for future seed. These dominant trees also tend to be more resilient to stress from extreme weather and disease. In areas where no dominant trees were present, groups of two or three trees were left to provide shade. The rest of the property was “thinned from below.” This method of thinning focuses on harvesting trees that occupy lower positions in the canopy. Poorly formed trees that are in direct competition with dominant crop trees are also cut. As a result, dominant crop trees experience increased vigor and growth rates. A thinning from below also aids in Pre-harvest conditions in the pine plantation.Post harvest conditions in the pine plantation.

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 13A Member-Supported OrganizationMike Kinney is a forester with Prentiss and Carlisle and serves as a Land Trust Forester for Maine Woodland Owners. Email: mpkinney@prentissandcarlisle.com.Pre-harvest conditions in the naturally regenerated stand.canopy drying, making our trees less susceptible to white pine needle damage. Two main trails were agged for the machines to bring wood to the landing. Side trails were spaced at roughly 60’ intervals and were laid out parallel to public roadways to give the stand a more pleasing aesthetic. The white and red pine were marked for a 30% to 40% removal, and chestnut and white oak were agged for retention. Where white pine and oak saplings were present, the operator reduced midstory competition from beech and red maple and provided a little extra space in the canopy to increase the amount of light available to the pine and oak.Harvest SystemA cut to length system was selected for the harvest. This mechanized logging system uses two machines, a processor and forwarder. The processor fells, limbs, and merchandizes trees in the woods, and the forwarder carries the logs back to the landing. A cut to length system has many merits including nutrient recycling, reduced soil disturbance, and increased product utilization. But the processor’s ability to fell trees from a distance and the way in which it deals with logging slash is what made the system perfect for this harvest. Most processors have an extendable boom that can reach trees from up to 30’ away. This meant that trail spacing could be wider and fewer seedlings were damaged by the machines driving over them. When the processor would cut a tree, the limbs and tops were placed in the trail in front of the machine. The amount of woody debris interfering with seedling development between harvest trails was greatly reduced. Also, because the forwarder carried logs back to the landing instead of dragging them, very little damage was done to the residual stand. Next Steps Over the next several years, we will closely monitor the property’s response to the harvest. White pine seedling growth tends to be slow for the rst few years, so a bit of patience will be required. If we don’t see the growth rates we want in 4 or 5 years, a second entry into the plantation may be necessary to increase the amount of sunlight in the stand. We will also monitor the response of our natural pine stand. By creating space in the canopy, we hope to see less white pine needle damage. While we are excited about red and white oak regeneration on the lot, we want to make sure that the stand doesn’t turn into a pine overstory with a hardwood understory. Precommercial thinning or small patch cuts may be required to achieve the species diversity we want on this property. Post harvest conditions in the naturally regenerated stand.

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By Bob SeymourI often say that a major reason I became a forester was my early fascination with wood and its origins. As I gained an advanced education and experience with the science of growing trees, I never lost my afnity for wood and woodworking. I own a portable sawmill and for decades the only lumber I have bought is dimension framing material, having squirreled away thousands of board feet of ne hardwoods all sawn from Maine and from a family property in Ohio. “Wood quality” usually refers to two main Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 14A Member-Supported OrganizationPractical SilvicultureSilviculture and Wood Qualitycharacteristics. Appearance is paramount for woods that are displayed as furniture, paneling, ooring, and moldings that have no structural role. Here, knots (cross-sections of tree limbs) are usually considered defects, and lumber grades Fig. 1. Location of different types of wood within a tree trunk.reect this, yielding much higher prices for clear material. All hardwoods and some softwoods (soft pines, redwood, some Douglas-r) are graded this way. Wood strength is the primary factor in rating the quality of dimension lumber used for framing buildings. Within a species, the location and size of knots within a board govern its strength, because the wood bers that provide strength must divert around knots (former branches) creating weak spots.With silviculture, we can inuence both strength and appearance, mainly by controlling the size of the tree’s crown over its life. Anatomically, wood is xylem whose function is to transport water from the roots to the leaves (sapwood), and to support its above-ground mass structurally and resist breakage from swaying. Wood near the center of the tree (the knotty core) will always be inferior in quality to the growth rings formed on the outside of the bole, for two reasons. This wood is always formed within the vertical zone where there are (or were) living branches, so such wood is always knotty. Also, in conifers, this central zone is Fig. 2. Reject pile of badly warped spruce strapping.formed within the “young” portion of the tree, a concept termed “cambial age” which is the number of growth rings from the outermost ring to the pith at that point on the main stem. Such wood is known as juvenile wood, as opposed to mature wood that forms outward of this central core (Fig. 1). Juvenile wood is weak and warps badly when dried; Fig. 2 shows an extreme example of spruce strapping sawn from the center of small spruce logs that became unusable once fully dried on the Home Depot rack. To minimize this central knotty core, we can grow trees in a crowded condition when young so that their lower branches die and are shed quickly (Maine Woodlands June 2020) or we can remove them articially via pruning (Maine Woodlands October and November 2020). Once the knotty or juvenile core is xed, all subsequent growth will be high-quality material, even if it grows fast with wide rings. Thus, growing trees to large diameters will always improve wood quality if the tree is otherwise straight and has shed its lower branches.In some hardwoods (black cherry, walnut), the heartwood is prized for its color but the pale sapwood is considered unusable. Although the heartwood does contain the knotty core, they are not the same. Heartwood forms as the inner rings of sapwood (living xylem) die off as new xylem forms under the cambium; the color comes from extractives deposited in the dead heartwood. The area of sapwood is highly correlated with the tree's weight of foliage, so large-crowned stems will have more sapwood than slow-growing smaller trees.Strength of wood is governed by the nature of the xylem cells within the annual rings (Maine Woodlands June 2023). As new shoots expand in May, the xylem being formed is termed earlywood and has relatively larger tubes (lumina) and thinner cell walls. As the growing season progresses and shoot growth stops, cell division changes to producing latewood, with smaller lumina and thicker cell walls. The contrast Photo: Bob Seymour

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 15A Member-Supported OrganizationBob Seymour is Professor Emeritus of silviculture, School of Forest Resources, UMaine. rseymour@maine.edu. YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@tmimotfFig. 3. Comparison of fast (left) and slow (right) grown white ash boards.Fig. 4 Contrasting pieces of Douglas-r: a fast-grown 2x4 likely from a plantation, and a vertical-grain ne-ringed door rail sawn from an old-growth tree.between the two wood types occurs in all temperate species and is why we see distinct annual rings. In ring-porous hardwoods (white ash, red oak), the earlywood consists of large open vessels, whereas the latewood is very dense and strong. Regardless of how rapidly a tree is growing, some earlywood is almost always formed, but if a tree is experiencing severe competition, the band of latewood is narrow and the density and strength of the resulting wood is lower than if the tree is growing vigorously, forming wide bands of latewood. This means that wide growth rings from fast-growing trees (outside the juvenile core) always produce stronger wood than narrow rings. This important fact is sometimes replaced by the mythology that “old-growth, narrow-ringed wood is the strongest.” A recent example of this comes from Brett McLeod's otherwise-excellent book “American Axe” where he states (p. 159) that “Tight, narrow rings indicate slower-growing wood, which makes for a stronger handle.” Exactly the opposite is true. Fig. 3 shows two white ash boards, one grown very rapidly, the other very slowly as a tall intermediate tree that was barely alive. The fast-grown board has 12 rings in two inches; the other has 90, and is noticeably lighter in weight. Peavey Manufacturing in Eddington, a major forestry tool maker, would not buy ash logs with rings this narrow. Narrow rings may offer an advantage in appearance, as shown in the contrasting pieces of Douglas-r (Fig. 4).Another defect is reaction wood, which forms in leaning trees. Conifers form compression wood on the underside of the lean; hardwoods form tension wood on the upper side. Unlike normal wood, such material shrinks longitudinally along the axis of the stem and thus, a board sawn from it. I often read posts in a sawmill users’ group where sawyers want to know why their boards immediately develop a strong bow after being sawn, and what they might do about it. The answer is nothing; once a tree develops a lean, the wood is forever compromised and it will misbehave badly in any furniture, cabinets, or stud walls built from it. Reaction wood is easily recognizable by the ring pattern on a log cross-section, where the log may be somewhat oval with the pith offset from the geometric middle (Fig. 5). This is why the log-grade specs from high-end hardwood veneer logs demand a well-centered pith, and why we favor vertical stems over leaners when marking a partial harvest.Fig. 5. Illustration of off-center growth rings in trees with reaction wood.Photo: Bob SeymourPhoto: Bob Seymour

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 16A Member-Supported OrganizationAnnual Appeal UpdateThanks to you, we reached our Annual Appeal goal. Financial support from our members plays a critical role in Maine Woodland Owners’s ability to provide the resources and expertise on which woodland owners rely upon. To make a donation, visit our website: www.mainewoodlandowners.org/donateMembership Survey Use this QR code with your device to go to the survey question or visit: tinyurl.com/MWOMemberSurvey2025 or click on the link at www.mainewoodlandowners.orgMaine Woodland Owners and University of Maine is surveying members and non-members alike to learn about their land, concerns they have about their land, and where they’d like to see Maine Woodland Owners go in the future. This survey is also helping three University of Maine students with their research on recreation access, tree planting and carbon programs. The information from the survey will guide Maine Woodland Owners’s work and support new initiatives. It will take around 20 minutes to complete, is voluntary, and is anonymous. Summaries of the survey responses will appear in future editions of Maine Woodlands. We thank you in advance! Responses are needed by February 15th, 2025.

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 18A Member-Supported OrganizationNEW PASSWORD!!Maine Woodland Owners Members Page:www.mainewoodlandowners.org/members-pagePassword: ASH*1975 Organizational NewsVisit Our Events Page!www.mainewoodlandowners.org/events Forest Invasive Plant ProgramTuesday, February 25, 20254:30 PM – 5:30 PMJoin Maine Natural Areas Program invasive plant biologist Chad Hammer for a program discussing the most problematic invasive plants and learning how to reduce or eliminate them in your woods. This program will be held on Zoom and is free for members. A $10/per session donation is requested from non-members. For more information about the program contact Jennifer Hicks at (207) 626-0005 or jenn@mainewoodlandowners.org. Register: www.mainewoodlandowners.org/events#onlineVirtual Information Sessions Western Maine ChapterLegacy Planning for Your WoodsThursday, February 20, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PMOtiseld Town Ofce, Annex RoomRoute 121, Otiseld, MaineDown EastDarren and Erica ApplegateJames CustMark WalztoniMidCoastClyde SmithStephanie SmithNorthern MaineCobb MixterOut of StateBecky HarveyNick HarveyReece HarveySouthern MaineStephen DrapeauRyan FitzGerald and Alice EvansTim and Emily HoechstCarl Tabor and Joshua TaborTed Wright Forest ServicesKatherine and Jason WarrenTwo RiversKenneth and Didier BourneLake Auburn Watershed ProtectionUpper Kennebec ValleyAndrew and Barbara PiskunWestern MaineDavid CromwellArchibald and Debbie OwenDo you have plans for what will happen to your woodlands once you can no longer manage them? Rich Merk will present options for what can happen to your land. He will also present ways you can make plans to have the land continue to be managed as you would want it to be.The presentation will take one hour and leave time for questions and discussion. All land owners are welcome. Please contact Rich Merk (207) 415-1628 or Merle Ring (207) 743-4613 to conrm your plans to attend so they can notify you of any weather cancellations.

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Maine Woodlands February 2025Page 19A Member-Supported OrganizationMerchandiseWoodland Owner HandbooksThree Pack: “Creating a Legacy,” “Managing for Wildlife,” and “Small Woodland Owner’s Handbook.” Order all three manuals for one low price – $30.00Visit our online store at www.mainewoodlandowners.org/store to see all merchandise available for purchase. Items can be ordered online or call our ofce at (207) 626-0005 to place an order.American Axe BookAmerican Axe: The Tool that Shaped a Continent, by Brett McLeod. McLeod pays tribute to this iconic instrument of settlement and industry, with rich history, stunning photography, and proles of the most collectible vintage axes. – $30.00Heather/Gray LLBean Mens Trail Fleece This jacket has the Maine Woodland Owners 50th Anniversary logo embroidered on the upper right and is Full-Zip with zippered chest pocket and two zippered hand pockets. Slightly Fitted: relaxed through the chest and sleeve with a slightly slimmer waist. Made of 100% Repreve® polyester velour eece, brushed on both sides for extra softness. Midweight performance eece wicks moisture, dries quickly and breathes well. Antimicrobial treatment ghts odor. Anti-pill nish protects through repeated wash and wear. Machine wash and dry. Zippered chest pocket with two zippered hand pockets. Available sizes: M, L, XL, XXL– $75.00Join Today or Give the Gift of MembershipMembers receive 12 monthly issues of the popular Maine Woodlands and other benets of being part of the only statewide organization devoted to the interests of Maine woodland owners. Please choose your membership: oNew Membership o Renewal This is a gift from: _____________________________Name: _____________________________________________Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________Phone: _____________________________________________Send newsletter by: o mail o onlineEmail address: ___________________________________Send check payable to: Maine Woodland OwnersPO Box 836, Augusta, ME 04332Sign up online: www.mainewoodlandowners.org/membershipo $50 Basic o $75 Steward o $125 Partnero $250 Leader o $500 Championo $1000 ConservationistGray Knit Cap This is a 100% acrylic with 100% polyester eece lining. It has a the Maine Woodland Owners 50th Anniversary logo embroidered on the front. Hand wash, lay at to dry. – $25.00 50th Anniversary Gear

Maine Woodlands February 2025

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