Maine Forest News

Governor Announces Panel on Optimizing Wood Harvesting in Maine

2008-11-14T18:35:48Z

In a letter dated October 21, Governor Baldacci announced that he will be assembling a panel of wood user experts in order to develop a greater understanding of the causes and possible solutions to increased demand for wood fiber in Maine.
A recent increase in demand for wood has translated into rising costs and increased conflicts among users.
In his letter, the Governor states, “The good news is that in the long run, Maine has available a great amount of wood and that the supply of wood from Maine’s forest is adequate to meet current and many future demands”.
Panelists include Jim Contino of Verso Paper, Nick Bennett of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Nathan Hebel of Boralex Inc., Rosaire Pelletier from the Department of Conservation, Alec Giffen of the Maine Forest Service, Sandy Brawders of the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program, Les Otten, the former chair of the Governor’s Wood to Energy Task Force, and Patrick Strauch of the Maine Forest Products Council.
Alec Giffen of the Maine Forest Service will chair the panel.
The Governor’s Wood to Energy Task Force presented their final report in September. The Panel on Optimizing Wood Harvesting will present their recommendations for legislation and other Administrative action by March of 2009.
Please contact Patrick Strauch for more details.

CLUP Update

2008-11-14T18:32:41Z

The Land Use Regulation Commission met on November 5th in Bangor, where they discussed next steps in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan process.
During a presentation by LURC staff, interested members of the audience were invited to weigh in on what they believe should the process should look like moving forward. Staff’s presentation included an overview of their new version of the draft Vision, or Chapter 1, of the CLUP.
While addressing the Commission, Executive Director Patrick Strauch cited the Council’s frustration with the process to date.
“It is frustrating to represent the majority of landowners in the region and not have an interactive discussion over the principles and values and Vision of the jurisdiction” Strauch said.
Throughout the meeting, Commissioners also discussed their concerns with the process. One such concern was the fact that several members of the Commission are operating on expired terms and there may be value in holding off on any major decisions until new appointments, or reappointments have been made by the Governor.
Landowner members of the Maine Forest Products Council also weighed in with their concerns.
“One of the biggest worries I have is that you have been, I think, largely unaware of what was said at public workshops because you weren’t allowed to be there and hear it in person,” said Executive Committee member Steve Schley.
Interested members of the public are invited to send their recommendations pertaining to the CLUP process to the Commission prior to the next meeting on December 3rd. MFPC will be developing its own recommendations and submitting them in coming weeks.

MFPC Announces December Landowner Forum

2008-11-14T18:31:35Z

Please join MFPC members and staff on December 9th for our MFPC Landowner Forum designed to brief landowners on a variety of issues ranging from Maine’s Tree Growth Tax to the effect of tax increment financing plans in the Unorganized Territories, to updates on the draft Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and proposed critical habitat designations for Atlantic salmon and Canadian lynx.
Agenda for Landowner Forum

9:30- 10:00- Doreen Shieve: Unorganized Territory Update
10:00- 11:30- Bob Doiron and Maine Revenue Service: Tax Increment Financing in the U.T.
11:30- 12:00- Lunch
12:00-1:00 Updates:
· Proposed Critical Habitat Designation for Canadian lynx and Atlantic salmon
· Land Use Regulation Commission’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan
· Legislative news
1:00- 2:00- Ken Elowe: Beginning with Habitat

All MFPC members are welcome to attend. For more details or to RSVP please contact Sue McCarthy at 622-9288 or smccarthy@maineforest.org.

MFPC & FRA Announce Third Energy Task Group Meeting

2008-11-14T18:25:25Z

On Tuesday, December 2, the Maine Forest Products Council will host its third Energy Task Group meeting in partnership with the Forest Resources Association.
As many manufacturing facilities continue to face energy costs of double what they were just one year ago, many members have expressed interest in learning more about the opportunities currently available to them. The forum will also assist the Maine Forest Products Council to develop legislative agenda on energy issues for the coming legislative session.
This meeting will have a special focus on self generation energy strategies for wood manufacturing facilities and sawmills.
Among the many items to be discussed are changes in Public Utilities Commission regulation concerning net energy billing, and efforts to establish Pine Tree Renewable Energy Zones for Maine lumber mills and wood manufacturers.
Also on the agenda are presentations on opportunities for Energy Efficiency Grants, and an overview of upcoming policy initiatives and legislative agendas.
Representatives from the Public Utilities Commission, Governor’s Office, and Legislature are expected to attend.
For more information, please contact Sue McCarthy. smccarthy@maineforest.org

Atlantic Salmon Proposal Heard

2008-11-14T18:17:23Z

As you have probably heard by now, NOAA’s Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to redefine the endangered Gulf of Maine population of Atlantic salmon to include fish found in other nearby areas in early September.
The proposal would expand the endangered designation to Atlantic salmon populations in the Androscoggin, Dennys, Kennebec, and Penobscot River watersheds, which could potentially impact over 10 million acres of land in Maine, of which 7.5 million acres is actively managed forestland, not to mention the potential impacts this listing may have on anglers who choose to fish these waters.
This proposal is of particular concern to Maine’s traditional natural resource industries, such as agriculture and forestry, because of its potential regulatory consequences on land and water use in the proposed critical habitat area.
The critical habitat designation essentially provides the same protection for the species habitat as the species itself, meaning this proposal could have widespread impact not only on the rivers, but surrounding areas and communities.
The listing comes after an initial Atlantic salmon listing in the year 2000, when the stretch of Kennebec River downstream of the Edwards Dam, and stretch of Penobscot River downstream of the Bangor Dam, northward to the mouth of the St. Croix River were listed. Many will remember Governor King’s unsuccessful attempt to sue the federal government and stop the listing. Numbers of the salmon in the rivers today appear to be at historic lows, although federal regulators are challenged to pinpoint just exactly why numbers have continued to decline. High marine mortality rates while the fish are migrating at sea have been identified as a significant problem, although just why the high mortality rate is occurring has yet to be determined.
There are many salmon restoration projects happening in Maine today, perhaps the most well known being the Penobscot River Restoration Project and Project SHARE (Salmon Habitat and River Enhancement). Much credit must also be given to landowners who independently participate in programs and best management practices that improve water quality. These programs are proactively working to enhance salmon habitat and are a welcome alternative to strict environmental regulations that hamstring economic development efforts in rural Maine.
Manufacturing facilities have expressed tremendous concern over the potential for hydropower operations to be adversely impacted. Over one hundred dams will be potentially impacted by this proposal, as noted in the accompanying economic analysis. Considering that many facilities are now facing energy costs of double what they were just one year ago, reducing hydropower capability in Maine is not an option.
On November 6, James Cote of MFPC presented the Council’s testimony in opposition to the proposed critical habitat designation at a public hearing in Brewer.
“It is estimated in the economic analysis that hydropower and development will accrue 90% of the estimated economic impact. It is important to recognize however, that energy production and land value are tied closely to silviculture, and, because none of these activities take place in silos, the loss of value in any one of these activities will almost certainly have an adverse impact on the others” Cote said.
The public record for written comments ends on December 2nd for comments pertaining to the expansion of listing for the population, and December 5th for comments pertaining to critical habitat designation. MFPC members are welcome to contact James Cote with any questions or comments.

Why You Should Be Concerned About the Direction of the New CLUP

2008-01-31T21:27:55Z

Click here to download this file
Maine’s recreational and working heritage in the Unorganized Territory will undergo many unnecessary and harmful changes if the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) proposed by the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) staff is adopted.

MFPC Releases Comments on LURC Land Use Plan

2007-04-03T15:59:07Z

The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) is currently updating its Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). The process has included the release of several draft sections of the proposed new CLUP, as well as a series of public meetings designed to allow stakeholders and the general public an opportunity to comment on the new plan as it is being developed.

In order to ensure that the new CLUP accurately portrays the role of the forest products industry in Maine’s unorganized territories, the Maine Forest Products Council has undertaken a comprehensive review of each draft section of the CLUP as it has been released to the public.

The document posted in the Newsletters section on the homepage is the summary of MFPC’s remarks, which have been submitted in full to LURC staff and commission members. MFPC hopes that both Council members and related stakeholder groups will take the time to review both the draft sections, which can be found on the LURC website at http://www.maine.gov/doc/lurc/reference/cluprev.html, and MFPC’s comments.

It is critical that LURC hear from those stakeholders who will be most impacted by the CLUP in the years ahead. Please contact MFPC at 622-9288 with any questions.