Foresters put their skills to use to clear hazard trees and brush as part of the Firewise program
- Photo L to R: Louis Altobell (Forester Weyerhaeuser), Morgan Hancock (BluRoc), Gillian Lightenfield, Cullen Utermark (Forester Weyerhaeuser), Jon Doty (Forester Two Trees Forestry), Sally Poole, Drew Poole (Forester Weyerhaeuser), Chris Fife (Weyerhaeuser Public Affairs Manager), Ruby (Weyerhaeuser Forestry Assistant Doggo), and Jake Weber (Forester Weyerhaeuser). Also assisting, but not pictured, was Ann Weber of the Great Diamond Island Volunteer Fire Department.
PORTLAND – On Saturday, June 25, Jake Weber, a forester with Weyerhaeuser, and a group of his coworkers and peers brought their forestry skills and strong backs to Great Diamond Island to remove hazard trees and brush as part of the Firewise program. Jake coordinated with the Great Diamond Island Fire Department and the Maine Forest Service, which helped residents identify trees and understory that should be removed to reduce fuel loading and provide easier access for fighting fire.
Joseph Taggart, President of LandVest, Inc. and resident of Great Diamond Island said, “I was overwhelmingly impressed with the Weyerhaeuser volunteer team who came out to Great Diamond Island with the Maine Firewise fuel abatement program. These stellar foresters spent a grueling Saturday treating brush and fuel loads around structures for fire safety and gave an education about the silvics of the north woods. Big thanks to Chris Fife, Jake Weber and the rest of the team for their hard and safe work. I’d also like to recognize Weyerhaeuser and their community service programs for making this workday possible.”
Although Great Diamond Island is part of Portland, it is only accessible by water and the local fire department has limited resources. Wildfire presents a serious threat to homeowners there, especially since the Hemlock Wooly Adelid has killed all of the hemlock trees on the island.
“Maine Forest Products Council would like to recognize Weyerhaeuser, a valued member, for going above and beyond to help this island community prevent forest fires,” said Krysta West, Deputy Director of the Council. “Responsible stewardship of the land in all parts of the state is a top priority for our membership. Thanks to Weyerhaeuser and its staff for their time and effort to make this educational volunteer event possible.”
About Maine Forest Products Council: Since 1961, the Maine Forest Products Council has been the voice of Maine’s forest economy. 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. MFPC represents anyone who has an interest in seeing the Maine woods remain a viable, sustainable resource. For more information, visit maineforest.org.
About Weyerhaeuser: Founded in 1900, Weyerhaeuser has grown to become one of the largest sustainable forest products companies in the world. For more information, visit Weyerhaeuser.com.
