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Forestry Forum Agenda

8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.: Maine Woodland Owners Business Meeting

8:50 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: Welcome Tom Allen, Maine Woodland Owners president

Session I: 9:00 a.m. - 9:25 a.m. - Wood Market Update Ethan Bessey, President E D Bessey & Son and Bessey Development Company

What were the highlights of the wood market in 2023 and what can we expect in 2024? Ethan Bessey will dust off his crystal ball and offer some predictions and also share practical advice for those thinking about conducting a harvest in their woods. 

Session II: 9:30 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. - Panel: Climate Change and Forest Carbon Erin Lane, Director USDA Northeast Climate Hub; Kyle Burdick, Vice President, Baskahegan Company; and Sarah Hall, Family Forest Carbon Program Forestry Director, American Forest Foundation. Family Forest Carbon Program

Climate change is a major factor in the health of Maine’s woodlands, but forests are one of the important tools to sequester and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. Hear from three panelists who will discuss the latest information about climate-induced changes in forests, the realities of measuring and monetizing forest carbon, lessons learned by a Maine forest owner selling their forest carbon credits, and a new forest carbon credit program that is about to launch in Maine.

10:30 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.: Session III - BioHome3D Susan MacKay, Ph.D. Senior R&D Program Manager II, UMaine/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Hub and Spoke Program

Learn about how work with forest-derived bio-composites and the world’s largest 3D printer (producing the world’s first 3D printed house) is driving the future of advanced manufacturing with applications in marine, defense, housing, renewable energy, and transportation industries.

11:00 a.m. - 11:25 a.m.:  Session IV - A Wildlife Career in Maine - Woods, Water, and Wildlife Ron Joseph

Ron Joseph, a wildlife biologist and author of Bald Eagles, Bear Cubs and Hermit Bill, will share stories about his decades of experience in the field and discuss his latest book that recounts his youth in central Maine, the importance of his family's dairy farm, and his adventures in the field over the course of a career that spanned more than three decades. 

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Awards and Recognitions

• 2024 Tree Farmer of the Year award

• Tom Doak for 20 years with Maine Woodland Owners

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.:  Lunch Break

12:45 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.:  Lone Pine Brewing Donation Announcement -Tom Madden, Co-Founder of Lone Pine Brewing

1:00 p.m. - 2:25 p.m.:  Session V - Screening and Discussion: Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the the American Chestnut  Mark McCollough, The American Chestnut Foundation Maine Chapter President

This documentary, produced by The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), presents the story of the work to restore the iconic American chestnut. Once an abundant species, a deadly blight accidentally imported into the U.S. from Asia devastated the American chestnut. Within a span of only two generations, the tree was nearly extinct. After the screening there will be a discussion about the American chestnut in Maine lead by the TACF Maine Chapter President,  Mark McCollough

2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.: Session VI - Forest Pest and Disease Update Allison Kanoti, State Entomologist

Hear from Allison Kanoti about the latest information about the threat of pests and diseases facing Maine’s forests. This will include, among other things, hemlock woolly adelgid, browntail moth, ticks, emerald ash borer, white pine weevil, beech leaf disease, and European larch canker. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation. Visit the Maine Forest Health webpage for more information.

 3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.: Closing