Sustainable Forestry
By Barrie Brusila
Most people come to Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) for outdoor recreation and nature-based education programs. This 1,000 acre property has a wealth of trails used by hikers, skiers, snowshoers, and bicyclers. You might be surprised to learn that most of these trails were originally established for forest management and timber harvesting, which have a long and ongoing history at HVNC. In 2014, HVNC was the Maine Outstanding Tree Farm and one of the top 4 Tree Farms in the country.
Harvesting conducted in the past 16 years or so has focused on improving the forest’s health, tree growth, and enhancing wildlife habitat. Crop tree release is the system being used. Individual trees with timber and/or wildlife value are identified and released from competing trees for future growth. Over 200 acres of forest have been thinned to date, and Tim Libby, Midcoast Conservancy’s Forest and Land Manager, is currently working with a forest crew using low impact forestry techniques to thin an additional 18 acres around Haybale Pond. White oak, red oak, and white pine are the favored tree species. Tim and crew are taking care to minimize damage to the remaining trees or landscape through careful directional felling with chain saws, and careful use of a tractor to pull harvested trees out of the woods.
Wood products produced include firewood used at the rental cabins and for sale, timber frames and lumber for the buildings (including some for the soon to be built visitor center), and famous funky tables and benches made from live edge pine planks. Informational signs are located throughout the forest, showcasing different years of harvesting, innovative stream crossings, and more. As you travel the trails, you’ll notice areas of thinned and unthinned forest. If you observe more closely, you’ll see how deer have browsed the sprouts from hardwood stumps, and you may see some mice moving in the protective brush piles. You may see a woodpecker or owl in a larger, decaying hardwood tree.
Full moon hikes, an adult ski clinic, and a biathlon are upcoming activities. Check our events page for details. With its active recreation program, extensive trail network, and active forest stewardship/tree harvesting program, HVNC is really not a wilderness. It is a place where people can enjoy nature and the aesthetics of a well-managed forest. Come see for yourself!
Barrie Brusila, with Mid-Maine Forestry, is a Forest Stewardship Council Certified Resource Manager and a Licensed Forester. She also volunteers on Midcoast Conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature Center Council and has been a leading voice for our sustainable and innovative forestry practices.
