Forestry Program Covers Habitat for Species

The Topsham Conservation Committee, Brunswick Conservation Commission, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust and Friends of Merrymeeting Bay will host a forestry workshop at 6 p.m. April 4 at the Topsham Public Library.

Led by Robert Bryan, licensed forester and Maine Audubon forest ecologist, the workshop will review how land owners and foresters can improve or maintain wildlife habitat on their land while managing the land for recreation, timber or other personal goals.

The workshop is based on Maine Audubon’s new guide, “Focus Species Forestry,” which shows how to manage forest lands for all of Maine’s wildlife while simultaneously providing other forest benefits such as wood, clean water, clean air and recreation. Focus species forestry aims to help foresters and landowners develop management plans that support the goals of Beginning with Habitat, an award-winning collaborative program that helps communities plan growth to protect natural areas and prevent sprawl. Workshop participants will receive a summary of the guide’s recommendations and copies of the guide will be available for purchase.

Useful for small woodlands and large tracts of timberland, focus species forestry is based on the fact that many species inhabit similar forest types and have overlapping habitat requirements.

“On a typical woodlot, by focusing on the habitat requirements of a small number of species, landowners can provide habitat for a wide range of species with similar needs,” Bryan said.

For example, the American marten, red-breasted nuthatch, spruce grouse and black-backed woodpecker require different food and cover, but are all found in medium-age and mature spruce-fir and mixed spruce-fir-hardwood forests. The marten, because it has the largest home range of this group, is the focus species. By managing habitat for the marten, landowners and foresters will also create benefits for species with similar habitat needs and smaller territories.

For more information on the Topsham Conservation Committee, visit www.topshammaine.com. For information on Maine Audubon, visit www.maineaudubon.org. To learn more about Focus Species Forestry, call 781-2330.