News

How did you come to be a forester?

I grew up with my dad working as a consulting forester, though I’ll admit I didn’t fully understand what he did at the time. I knew he worked in the woods every day and seemed genuinely happy. When I was in high school and deciding on a career, I thought, “Well, my dad’s happy and gets to be outside—forestry sounds good.” So, I went to the University of Maine to study forestry. It turned out to be the best-uninformed decision I’ve ever made. Not only do I enjoy the work, but there’s plenty of it available. It was a leap of faith that worked out wonderfully. I’m currently a District Forester with the Maine Forest Service. 

What do District Foresters do?

My role involves serving as a resource for anyone interacting with Maine’s forests. This includes walking properties with landowners to help them understand their forest and how it can meet their objectives, working with loggers to clarify timber harvesting regulations, and conducting programming in schools. However, as part of my role, I cannot perform tasks that private foresters are paid for, such as writing management plans or overseeing timber harvests. This policy ensures my recommendations remain unbiased since I have nothing to gain or lose from what landowners choose to do with their property.

How has partnering with the High Peaks Alliance helped you expand your network in the region?

When I look at the distribution of work that I’m doing, the more I can get up north, the more I want to. I started 2025 thinking about how I could get more involvement and engagement in the northern parts of my district, and that was part of why I reached out to the High Peaks Alliance. That worked out great because you helped me make connections with some other new partners in the area that I might not have known to reach out to on my own. That’s been my goal for the year. I want to get more involved and active in not just Franklin County in general, but especially the northern parts. 

Are there challenges that landowners are facing that they share with you?

I would say the challenges are fairly similar across the region. Many of the things that people struggle with are the same over and over. For example, less-than-ideal wood markets sometimes make good forest management challenging. The balancing act of trying to manage a single piece of land to meet a lot of different objectives can sometimes be a challenge, too. 

I’ve noticed that in-town and in more southern areas where I work one of the biggest issues is invasive plants. The farther north and west I go, the less of a concern that seems to be. I hope that that stays that way for a long time.

What tools do you utilize to get people without a forestry background to understand forestry management?

The woods walk is the best tool that I have, and that’s great because the most fun part of my job is when I get to walk with someone on their property. People tend to learn better in real life. It’s so much better when I can point at two different trees and say those trees are growing the way that they are because of XYZ. To sit on a webinar or to read something is just not as effective as when you can look at something in the real world and see real examples of how things change over time.

It’s like the forest or the inhabitants of the forest play right into what I’m trying to say sometimes. A bird will fly out of a snag tree just as I’m telling people how great those are for wildlife. 

Is there a forestry myth that you would like to shine a light on?

I constantly hear about boundary line trees. People will say, “Oh, you can harvest every other one”. That is not true. That’s not true at all. I would love for that to go away. Both landowners own an equal interest in every single tree on a boundary line. Unless you have explicit permission from your neighbor, you can remove that tree, please don’t cut it down. 

How do you address the concerns of people who are hesitant about cutting trees? 

The notion that cutting trees is always bad for the forest is a myth. A well-managed forest is a healthy forest. Much like a garden, if you’re trying to grow carrots and you’re not taking out every other one, you’re going to end up with an entire crop of spindly, unhealthy carrots. 

The garden you’re growing them in can only support so many. When they’re grown too tightly, they’re not vigorous and they’re more prone to pest or disease outbreaks.  Forests are the same way. 

My favorite analogy to make is that forest management, especially timber harvesting, is a lot like surgery. You would be choosy about who you work with and who you’d allow to cut into your body. Usually, if you’re having surgery, there’s a reason for it. It looks kind of messy and scary, not only while it’s happening, but immediately afterwards, and it takes a little while to heal. But usually, if you’ve done everything right, in the long term, it does a lot of benefit, and if you’ve done it for a good reason, you’re healthier as a result.

Event details:

• June 11, 2025: Shiloh Pond Community Forest (Kingfield)  
• August 13, 2025: Saddleback Spur of the Fly Rod Crosby Trail (Dallas Plantation)  
• October 8, 2025: Perham Stream Birding Trail (East Madrid)  

These walks are perfect for nature enthusiasts, landowners, and families looking to deepen their connection to the forest. Participants will gain valuable skills in tree identification, learn about the benefits of active forest management, and discover resources available for landowners through the Maine Forest Service.

The events are free, but space is limited! For more information, contact Julie at [email protected].