Demonstration Timber Harvest
at the Appleton Preserve


We are excited to share some news about our Appleton Preserve. In the coming weeks, we will embark on the organization's first forest management project, a small timber harvest on 16 acres of this 124-acre property. Partnering with us on this project is Robbins Lumber Company, a 5th generation family-owned business in Searsmont committed to the principles of sustainable forestry and recent winners of the 2011 Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award.


Our primary goal with this timber harvest is to demonstrate responsible forest management techniques while also generating a modest income for the Land Trust. The management plan for the property, developed in 2006 by ecologists Allison Dibble and Cathy Rees, highlights the opportunity for this type of educational timber harvest. The harvest is also compatible with our project agreement with the Land for Maine’s Future Program that provided financial assistance for the Land Trust’s purchase of the Appleton Preserve.


We have developed a robust public campaign to keep the community informed of our plans and the timber harvest progress. This includes a public presentation about the project at the Mildred Stevens Williams Memorial Library in Appleton on Tuesday, December 13, at 5:30 PM, periodic press releases, newsletter articles, and hosted informational walks. We will also create a self-guided tour with interpretive signs placed throughout the project area to ensure that an educational legacy remains after the harvest is complete.


The timber harvest will occur on frozen ground this winter (2011-12) to minimize the impact on soils and surrounding vegetation, and we estimate the activity will last four to six weeks. The project area was harvested in the past by the property’s former owners, Connecticut Tree Farm, Inc., and therefore will only receive a selective thinning at this point in time.


Shepherding this project is our Stewardship Program Manager, Jay Astle, and he’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. We hope you’ll join us in the coming months to learn about sustainable forest management at the Appleton Preserve. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Jay.