A full house at MFPC's Legislative Breakfast
At the MFPC breakfast Jan. 29, legislators heard reports from MFPC members on key sectors of the industry, including pulp and paper, sawmils and logging, and got a copy of our new Special Report, Understanding public access to working forests.
KMF Forum
About 60 Participants attended a Keeping Maine's Forests (KMF) recreation forum at MFPC Nov. 9, which was designed to encourage a conversation between landowners and those who depend on access to private land so that everyone is aware of existing and emerging issues, and also to foster stronger relationships.
Five valuable breakfasts
We finished the last of five candidates breakfasts on October 10 in Calais and I’m happy to say we had an excellent turnout — about 150 total — of candidates and members. These breakfasts are valuable because they bring our members together with candidates who care enough about our industry to show up — some driving many miles — and listen.
Catch up on all the action at the annual meeting!
More than 100 people heard Maine's four gubernatorial candidates speak about forest products issues, including Tree Growth Tax, work force development, and R&D for new wood-based products; found out about the unified paper industry’s effort to slow the decline in paper consumption and about how St. Croix Tissue has revitalized Woodland Pulp.
Outstanding! The best of 2018
Each year, the Maine Forest Products Council asks its members to select outstanding individuals from the forest products community who excel in their professions. Find out what Brian Souers, Mark Doty, Jim Nicols, Vern Labbe, Ken Laustsen, Sarah Medina and Robert Linkletter are doing right.
Importance of forest products industry to Maine's economy
This spring MFPC added one question to the Critical Insights on Maine survey, a comprehensive, statewide public opinion survey of registered voters, which has been documenting the attitudes, perceptions, and preferences of Maine’s residents for more than 20 years. “On a scale from 1 to 7, how important to Maine’s economy is the state’s forest products industry? (1 not at all important to 7 very important).”
Green Me Up!
Crowds gathered at both the SFI and PLT booths at L.L. Bean most of the day as the Girl Scouts of Maine hosted the Earth Day event "Green ME Up!" We talked with Girl Scouts from as far south as Eliot and north from Madawaska."The Girl Scouts already had a real understanding of sustainability," said Pat Sirois, SFI Maine coordinator, "and some of them were exceptional in their ability to articulate the concepts."
What's up with Maine's white pine?
Ken Laustsen, biometrician for the Maine Forest Service, reported on the status of white pine at the MFPC Board meeting Nov. 9, saying “Eastern White Pine is still ranked statewide as #3 in total live merchantable volume and #1 in sawtimber volume,” Laustsen said. “Over the last 20 years, concerns have been occasionally raised about the status and prospects of this species.The presentation addresses both issues, looking at the forest type’s core area and the broader statewide trends.”
After a dark decade, secondary wood manufacturing rebounds
Secondary wood manufacturing once played an enormous role in Maine’s rural economy, with mills in many towns across the state. Then from roughly 1998 to 2008, a flood of imports put many mills out of business. In 2003 alone about a dozen closed. But the survivors learned how to survive in global markets and their industry is now growing again.
Check out Maine's budworm website
A new spruce budworm website, designed to be a comprehensive communications outreach tool and resource for the coming outbreak in Maine, has been launched by a statewide task force.The website provides facts about the natural cycle of the budworm, current information regarding the approach and potential impacts of the next outbreak, an historical backdrop, and interactive maps on current outbreak status and citizen science. It also includes an interactive Q&A on the site, and the ability to request experts to ...
Amazing lynx photos
MFPC just sent comments, reports and photos regarding the Canada lynx status review. Foresters working for a number of MFPC members in the northern forests are seeing a lot of lynx. Even if you just want to look at the great pictures of beautiful lynx, this report is worth a look.
Maine's 'Battle of the Budworm'
Most Mainers barely recall the last spruce budworm infestation, when the northern forests turned red as they came under attack. Nor do they realize how budworm has shaped Maine’s history, economy, laws and culture. But those who lived through the 1970s outbreak are watching with dismay as another outbreak heads our way. They vividly remember the devastation, including moth flights “so severe that they literally had to be scraped off the road with snow plows.”
Join us!
Since 1961, the Maine Forest Products Council has been the voice of Maine's forest economy, including landowners, paper mills, sawmills, wood pellet plants, biomass energy plants, loggers, truckers, primary and secondary wood processors, and related service industries. The primary purpose of the Council is to provide a supportive economic and public policy climate for the forest products community and promote a healthier, more vital forestry sector.About MFPC
Since 1961, the Maine Forest Products Council has been the voice of Maine’s forest economy. The MFPC represents the diverse needs of Maine’s forest products community. Our members are landowners, loggers, truckers, paper mills, tree farmers, foresters and lumber processors, but they are also bankers, lawyers and insurance executives. We feel we represent anyone who has an interest in seeing the Maine woods remain a viable, sustainable resource.
We serve our community by gathering information, bringing groups together to discuss concerns, hosting events, conducting tours and helping people find common ground.
We represent our members at the Maine Legislature, across the state, in Washington D.C. and across the nation.
The MFPC Board is very active, and holds weekly policy teleconferences during each legislative session to discuss legislation of interest and arrive at a position.
Understanding public access to private working forests in Maine
Maine landowners have traditionally allowed the public to use their properties for recreational activities, while in other states access to private land is often severely restricted. This tradition is especially important because Maine is 89 percent forested and of Maine’s 17.6 million forested acres, 15.9 million acres are private commercial forestland. This Special Report is designed to tell you about the variety of ways that landowners not only try to be neighborly, but also to be good stewards of our forests.
MFPC tells legislators about the ‘big upturn’
Any legislator whose picture of Maine’s forest products hadn’t been updated since the Madison mill closed in May 2016 got a pleasant surprise at the Council’s Legislative Breakfast Jan. 29. In the past few years, Executive Director Patrick Strauch told them, roughly $600 million in capital investments have been made or announced in Maine’s forest products industry.
“We really feel like we’re at the beginning of a big upturn in the opportunities for the industry,” Strauch said. “We need to make sure we’ve got good, trained workers, but it’s an exciting time and we’re part of the new, green forest economy. Legislators are going to be important in helping us as we put together the strategy in the FOR/Maine master plan.” Read more.
Calendar of Events
129th First Regular Session of Maine Legislature
Mobilizations give forest rangers vital experience
Living in a “fire camp” is not very glamorous. It involves sleeping in a tent with up to 1,200 other firefighters nearby, limited showers and catered meals, 12- to 16- hour work days and no days off. The payoff comes when Maine’s forest rangers gain vital experience in managing large wildfires, which benefits both the Maine Forest Service (MFS) and Maine’s forest landowners. Read more
Don’t get left behind as industry recovers — sign up for CLP training
Stay informed!
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As Baby Boomers retire, jobs are opening up in Maine’s forests. Do you have what it takes to work in the largest contiguous privately owned working forest in the U.S.? Decide after you’ve watched this video.
With thanks and appreciation for the Pacific Forest Foundation, creator of the original, award-winning “This Is My Office” video, which inspired our Maine version.