RANGELEY – The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust and the town of Rangeley will host a forestry workshop for private landowners, foresters, town officials and land trust staff and members interested in integrating timber management and biodiversity. The workshop takes place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 10.

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

“Managed forests can provide multiple benefits in developing communities, including clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, wood for building homes and furniture and places to enjoy nature and the outdoors,” said Bryan. “Focus species forestry is an integrated way to achieve those goals.”

The workshop is based on Maine Audubon’s new guide “Focus Species Forestry,” which shows how to manage forest lands for the full range of Maine’s wildlife while providing other forest benefits such a 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, in so doing, prevent sprawl. Rangeley received a “Beginning with Habitat” presentation in December 2003.

The new forestry management guide is published by Maine Audubon in cooperation with the Maine Department of Conservation, the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine and the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine.

Workshop participants will receive a summary of the guide’s recommendations; copies of the guide will be available for purchase at the workshop.

For more information on “Focus Species Forestry,” call 781-2330 or visit www.maineaudubon.org.