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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, which 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 provide input on potential conservation strategies for late-successional forests and old-growth forests.
This page provides key resources — including links to the Late-Successional and Old-Growth Forest Conservation Strategies for Maine - LD 1529 Report, LD 1529 text, and meeting agendas and materials. This web page also had provided the meeting schedule, meeting registration links, and a place to sign up to receive information about the work group meetings and activities when work was in progress. The public was invited to participate and stay informed as this important work as it unfolded.
Resources
- LD 1529 - An Act to Enhance the Protection of High-value Natural Resources Statewide - (approved July 1, 2025):
Meeting Agenda and Materials
The final report has been sent to the Maine legislature; no additional meetings will be scheduled. The public was able to attend work group meetings in person or online. To participate online, advance registration was required. To request accommodation for special needs, the public had to contact the Maine Forest Service in advance - typically at least five business days before the meeting by phone, email, or TTY/TDD. There was a 5- to 10-minute public comment period near the end of each meeting.
Meeting Archive
| Date | Title | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2026 | LSOG Work Group Meeting # 1 - Work Group Introduction | |
| May 11, 2026 | LSOG Work Group Meeting #2 - Review of LSOG forest ecology and science | |
| June 9, 2026 | LSOG Work Group Meeting #3 - Review of LSOG forest and strategies | |
| June 25, 2026 | LSOG Work Group Field Day - Review of LSOG Characteristics, Management, and Implications for Mill Operators | |
| July 9, 2026 | LSOG Work Group Meeting #4 - Review of LSOG strategies | |
| September 11, 2026 | LSOG Work Group Meeting #5 - Feedback on LSOG strategies | |
| October 16, 2026 | LSOG Work Group Meeting #6 - Final review and feedback |
Get Involved
- Registration for Work Group Meetings – The public was able to attend work group meetings in person or online. To participate online, advanced registration was required. To request accommodation for special needs, participants were asked to include this information in their meeting registration in advance — typically at least five business days before the meeting — by phone, email, or TTY/TDD. Contact was 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 – The public was directed to email Andrew Whitman (Andrew.whitman@maine.gov) to sign up to receive meeting materials and meeting announcements.
- Public comment - Each meeting included a brief public comment period. In August, this website included links through which the public could comment on the draft LSOG Conservation Strategies document prepared by DACF.