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A LEGACY OF GOOD FOREST MANAGEMENT
District Foresters Dan Jacobs and Dave Rochester recently teamed up to certify a new tree farm in Mapleton (Aroostook County), beside the picturesque Aroostook River. This 250-acre woodlot has three generations of family owners who take an active part in managing the land. At 87 years young, Arnold Davis has handed the more vigorous management activities to his son, Bob Davis, and grandson Mitchell Davis, but still takes an active interest in the woodlot. A press release is planned for this spring to commemorate the presentation of the traditional Tree Farm Sign to the Davis woodlot farm. The foresters’ review included observing the results of an “improvement” harvest that removed poor quality and dying hardwood trees that were processed into firewood and sold locally as heating oil prices approached $5 per gallon. The residual stand is now of higher quality stems of hardwood and softwood trees which are free to grow at a more productive growth rate. This improvement harvest also will produce future harvests of higher quality products while enhancing wildlife habitat. Jacobs and Rochester then inspected the 100-plus acres of Norway spruce, white spruce, and red pine plantations established over the last 50 years by Rochester's predecessor, Chester Gage. The Davis Family also recently thinned these plantations commercially to maintain the health and growth rates of the remaining trees; the harvested trees were used for lumber, pulpwood, and biomass fuel for electricity generation. The Davises have pruned the remaining trees of their lower branches to improve the quality of the wood grown on the first 16 foot log. This will produce clear, knot-free lumber, increasing the value of each tree. Grandson Mitchell spent a good part of his high-school break working on this project, hoping in time to see the benefits of his efforts. The Davis woodlot also is used by the public for recreation, including skiing, hunting, riding ATVs and snowmobiles. The woodlot includes part of the state snowmobile trail system. The American Tree Farm Program recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in Maine; the program recognizes the good forest stewardship of a landowner. The American Tree Farm System works to sustain forests, watershed and healthy wildlife habitats through the power of private stewardship by offering affordable forest certification for family forest landowners in the United States. The American Tree Farm System has undergone many changes since its beginnings in 1941 and is now recognized internationally as a credible forest certification system. The ATFS certifies landowners to the American Forest Foundation’s Standards of Sustainability for Forest Management through a network of volunteer inspecting foresters. It maintains credibility across the entire system, ensuring markets remain open to Tree Farmer’s wood, by undergoing third-party certification audits by independent, ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accredited certification bodies.
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