Forest Legacy Committee

Established

  • In 1994
  • At the culmination of the work of the congressionally mandated Northern Forest Lands Council. The Council identified over thirty-five actions to reinforce the Northern Forest regions traditional patterns of land ownership and use, the first of which was to ensure the consistent and adequate funding by Congress of the Forest Legacy Program. This recommendation came at a time when both public and private efforts were growing to protect forest land in Maine from conversion to non-forest uses.
  • To focus on acquiring conservation easements or fee interest in lands in order to protect the traditional uses and public values of Maines forests.
  • Advise the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands on program policy.
  • Recommend projects to be presented to Congress for funding through the national Forest Legacy Program.

Grant Announced by the Forest Legacy Program

The State of Maine is currently accepting applications to the Maine Forest Legacy Program from interested forest landowners. To be eligible for FY2025 funding, applicants must first contact Jo D. Saffeir, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, by May 1, 2023 to discuss the proposed project and receive further application details.

Maine Forest Legacy Program Guiding Documents

Current Proposed Projects

  • To be announced

Advisory Committee Meetings

No meetings currently scheduled.

Previous Meetings

Date and Time Headline Location Additional Information
August 3, 2022 1:00 PM Forest Legacy Committee Meeting Virtual Agenda
June 17, 2022 1:00 PM Forest Legacy Committee Meeting Virtual Agenda
August 5, 2021 9:00 AM Forest Legacy Committee Meeting Virtual
April 26, 2021 2:00 PM Forest Legacy Committee Meeting Virtual TEAMS meeting

Meeting link can be found in agenda

Agenda

Advisory Committee Members

  • Andy Cutko, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands
  • Don Mansius, Maine Forest Service
  • Jim Connolly, Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
  • Will Brune, New England Forestry Foundation
  • Ked Coffin, J.D. Irving
  • Kate Dempsey, The Nature Conservancy in Maine
  • Eliza Donoghue, Maine Audubon
  • Don Kleiner, Maine Professional Guides Association
  • Jessica Leahy, University of Maine Orono
  • Catherine Robbins-Halsted, Robbins Lumber
  • Peter Triandafillou, Huber

For more information, please contact:

Jo D. Saffeir
Special Assistant to the Commissioner
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0022
(207) 441-4851

For more information visit the USFS Northeastern Area Forest Legacy program