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Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forest Conservation Strategies Work Group
Maine's late-successional and old-growth forests are among the state's most ecologically rich landscapes. These forests provide critical habitat for wildlife, store vast amounts of carbon, and support ecological attributes and species that are less common and even rare elsewhere. Scientifically, they serve as key reference points to help Mainers understand how our forests are changing. They also hold deep recreational, aesthetic, and legacy value for Maine communities and future generations. At the same time, these high-volume forests are largely on privately owned lands and provide important wood supplies for the forest products industry.
Maine's Legislature passed LD 1529 to establish a work group charged with developing strategies to conserve these irreplaceable forests. LD 1529 stipulated that the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) “may develop a comprehensive report on statewide strategies to enhance the conservation of late-successional forests and old-growth forests, including the management of transitioning late-successional forests.”
It also stipulated that DACF “may incorporate ecological values, carbon sequestration methods and economic considerations from a broad range of perspectives to include forest landowners, forest industry representatives, logging contractors, conservation interests, and local economies.” DACF has engaged a work group representing this broad range of perspectives to help develop conservation strategies for late-successional forests and old-growth forests.
This page provides key resources — including links to the LD 1529 text, meeting agendas and materials, meeting registration links, and a place to sign up to receive information about the work group meetings and activities. We invite you to participate and stay informed as this important work unfolds.
Resources
- LD 1529 - An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide - (approved July 1, 2025):
Meeting Agenda and Materials
No meetings currently scheduled.Get Involved
- Registration for Work Group Meetings – The public may attend work group meetings in person or online. To participate online, advanced registration is required. To request accommodation for special needs, please include this information in your meeting registration in advance — typically at least five business days before the meeting — by phone, email, or TTY/TDD. Contact Andrew Whitman 207-557-0781 or at Andrew.whitman@maine.gov. There will be a public comment period of 5 to 10 minutes near the end of each meeting.
- Registration for meeting information – Please email Andrew Whitman (Andrew.whtiman@maine.gov) to sign up to receive meeting materials and meeting announcements.
- Public comment - Each meeting will include a brief public comment period. In August, this web site will have links where the public may comment on strategies identified by the LSOG Work Group.