The poster child for habitat loss in the northeast, Canada Warblers nest on the ground in damp mixed hardwoods/spruce/fir forests. Data show they lose up to 7 percent of their habitat in the Northeast annually. Photo by Larry Master
Reimbursement Available to Landowners
The New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) is working with private landowners like you to help create or restore important wildlife habitat across 2.3 million acres of Western Maine. Most or all of the cost of improving habitat is reimbursable on land with high wildlife value—and improvements are compatible with other uses like commercial forest management, hunting, hiking and snowmobiling. This program is designed for properties of 70 or more acres.
Restoring Habitat Requires Action
Plants and animals that are declining in Western Maine—including 139 that are rare—need landowners like you to help create a diverse and vibrant forest. Since each piece of property is different, the first step is to contact NEFF for a conversation about your land. If your woods appear to have high wildlife habitat potential, the NEFF Western Maine Project team will visit your land and make recommendations for improvements and assist you throughout the project.
Different wildlife species have distinct habitat needs. Some require fast-growing young trees, while others thrive in shaded old woods. Some need a mix of both. Often the way to create the right mix of old, middle-aged and young trees is to cut the right trees in the right place at the right time. Leaving some dead trees standing for nesting birds and hungry woodpeckers, protecting a vernal pool for spotted salamanders, thinning out a crowded stand to allow big trees to grow bigger, or chopping and dropping a dead tree to create a trout pool in a stream are among the habitat improvements that may be suitable for your property.
And here’s the real surprise: using these techniques to grow high-quality wildlife habitat also benefits the climate by storing more carbon on the stump and, at the same time, has the potential to grow high-quality wood that can be harvested responsibly in the future for a premium price without compromising important wildlife habitat.
It’s patient forestry that creates value all the way around—and the kind of legacy to be proud of.
Get Involved
The NEFF Western Maine Project team will work with you to determine if your land can offer important wildlife habitat, and therefore, if you are eligible for cost reimbursement. From start to finish, we will help you get to know your land, establish eligibility for reimbursement for habitat improvements on qualifying woodlands, and connect you with well-qualified local professionals for the long-term care of your property. If you already have a forester, we can work with them to amend an existing plan. Our goal is to work with you to get the on-the-ground habitat work done right and on time. Contact information:
Christine Parrish, Western Maine Project Specialist | cparrish@newenglandforestry.org
Resources and Additional Information
Click the following links for more information:
- Project Area Map
- PDF project area map for Western Maine Habitat Restoration
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Action Plan
- View wild brook trout in a Maine Fish and Wildlife video
The following articles provide an in-depth look at the program:
- “Hold the Curtain: The Show-stopping Canada Warbler Needs Help From Family Woodland Owners” | Written by Christine Parrish, published by NEFF and Maine Natural Resources Conservation Service | This story provides an overview of the Canada Warbler’s life history and serves as a case study for how the Western Maine Habitat Restoration project makes a difference for imperiled wildlife.
- “Trapping the Silent Places: New Project Helps Landowners Improve Furbearer Habitat” | Written by David Miller, published by The Maine Sportsman | A traditional outdoor sports advocate looks at NEFF’s Western Maine Habitat Restoration forestry project and finds it a good fit for hunters and trappers who own woodland—the cost-share makes creating wildlife habitat affordable while the result is more abundant game and improved timber value from a well-managed forest.
- “Woodland Owners Help Shore Up Wildlife Habitat” | Written by Christine Parrish, published September 2020 by Maine Woodlands | As the Canada Warbler flies south to the South American Andes for the winter, the Maine Woodland Owners (MWO) association continues to be a good friend to the Western Maine Habitat Restoration project. By the time the Canada Warblers return in the spring to breed and nest, more MWO supporters will be enrolled in the project and using targeted forestry to help secure important nesting habitat.
