Conservation Challenges and Management Decision Making in Maine’s Coastal Forests

A summer workshop was held in Surry and Blue Hill, Maine, to address conservation challenges and management decision-making in Maine’s coastal forests by highlighting multiple projects and efforts supported by the Blue Hill Heritage Trust, University of Maine, USDA, Northeastern States Research Cooperative, and the Maine Community Foundation. Forest managers, land stewards, landowners, researchers, and other community members gathered to discuss the newest findings related to coastal forest management and conservation, including climate impacts on regeneration, experimental plantings and food-forest restoration initiatives, tree growth measurement and monitoring, and management approaches to restore and promote resilient coastal forests. The workshop began at Surry Forest, where four concurrent sessions were held to address common challenges private landowners, forest managers, stewards, and others face in managing their coastal forest. 

Laura and Jay share their experimental setup.

Jay Wason and Laura Pinover, a master of science in forest resources student at the University of Maine, led a session discussing the experimental setup and results of their recently completed study investigating climate impacts on tree regeneration. The study used experimental plantings to test how heat and drought affected the growth and survival of 10 tree species native to Maine. 

Kathy Pollard, owner of Know Your Land Consulting, led a session highlighting a project to restore food-bearing permaculture in Surry Forest from 2020 to 2022, in collaboration with the Blue Hill Heritage Trust. Participants also learned about assisted migration through Kathy’s presentation of The White Oak Project. Assisted migration is a management strategy that promotes the growth and survival of key tree species, including white oak, hickory, black walnut, and other mast/drupe-producing hardwoods as they expand northward in response to a warming climate.

Spruce restoration and enrichment planting at Surry Forest in Surry, Maine.

JW Harriman, conservation forester and land manager for the Blue Hill Heritage Trust, Rose Gellman, program coordinator at the Smokey House Center in Vermont, and Nicole Rogers, landowner outreach forester with the Maine Forest Service, lead a discussion about coastal red spruce management and restoration options for landowners using Rose’s newly published guide titled “Coastal Spruce Forests: A Guide to Ecological Management.”

Colby Bosley-Smith, PhD student at the University of Maine, shared results from ongoing monitoring efforts in coastal red spruce forests. Colby also demonstrated ways to measure and monitor tree growth using increment borers and automated point dendrometers.

Colby and Jay discuss characteristics of mature coastal spruce stands at Penny’s Preserve in Blue Hill, Maine.

After the morning sessions concluded, participants gathered at Penny Preserve in Blue Hill to visit one of Colby’s research sites and discuss preliminary findings from a study examining compositional and structural characteristics of mature coastal spruce forests. Participants learned about the unique characteristics of mature coastal spruce stands and how Colby measures and monitors them using dendrochronology techniques, regeneration and deadwood surveys, and more. 

Visit https://www.mainetree.org/events to learn about other events and opportunities to discuss management challenges and research findings.