WELLS, Maine, July 25, 2012  A 34-acre woodlot in Wells is seen as a testing ground for managing timber for long-term gain while maintaining its value for wildlife, clean water, and recreation. The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve will complete a partial harvest of its Yankee Woodlot this fall while hosting a series of four workshops that will encourage participants to get involved in the process.

We want to demonstrate that woodlots can be managed on a longer time scale, which is the only way to obtain desirable older growth timber, said the Wells Reserves stewardship coordinator, Tin Smith, who is overseeing the project. Our goal is to give the woodlot a chance to become valuable while holding onto the ecosystem benefits it provides naturally.

Over the past few decades, land trusts and conservation commissions have been able to protect woodlands around the region, but they need to know how to steward the resource. These workshops will give anyone interested in sustainability the tools they need to manage their forests for high quality timber, as well as natural resources, over the long term, Smith added.

The biweekly evening workshops, which begin Thursday, August 30, will be interactive. Participants will discuss every step in planning and managing a timber harvest, from walking the site and hiring a forester to obtaining permits, marking trees, overseeing the cut, and doing site remediation. The first portion of each session will be on the Yankee Woodlot and the second in the classroom.

Rob Bryan of Forest Synthesis LLC will lead the workshops. Each session costs $12, but the full series is only $35. Light dinners will be provided. To learn more and to register, visit wellsreserve.org/yankeewoodlot or call 207-646-1555 ext 119.

Series sponsors and contributors include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine; Maine Department of Conservation, Forest Service; Maine Coastal Program; and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is a 2,250-acre National Estuarine Research Reserve with its headquarters listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wells Reserves goal is to protect and restore coastal ecosystems around the Gulf of Maine. Staff and volunteers expand knowledge about coasts and estuaries, engage people in environmental learning, and involve communities in conserving natural resources.

The work of the Wells Reserve and the care of its historic site are made possible by Laudholm Trust. Organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1982, member-supported Laudholm Trust provides vital monetary and in-kind support to the Wells Reserve. This local support enables the Wells Reserve to receive additional funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is located on Laudholm Farm Road, just off U.S. Route 1 near the Wells-Kennebunk line.

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Resources

• Press release
• Project web page