REGION — Maine Woodland Owners will be hosting its annual Forestry Forum on January 21, 2021, and for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization’s largest indoor event of the year will be held completely online!

The in-person version of this annual event has drawn over 300 attendees in the past, and the expectation is that attendance of the online program could be similar. The program is open to the public and geared to woodland owners, forestry professionals, government officials, and conservationists.

The program will start with a brief member meeting at 8:00am and will be followed by a series of informative presentations throughout the day. The morning will offer presentations on wood markets, forestry management, the history of axes and toolmaking, and forest pest and disease updates. Credits from the Maine Board of Pesticides Control are available for those attending the pest and disease presentation.

The afternoon presentation,“What Small Woodland Owners Should Know About Carbon Markets,” starts at 1:00pm and will feature Senator Angus King who will provide an overview of the “Trillion Trees and Natural Carbon Storage Act”, followed by a representative from Maine’s Climate Council to discuss the role forests can play in meeting the state’s carbon reduction goals. These will be followed by an overview of the carbon market, current carbon offset projects in Maine, and companies who work in the carbon credits market.

In addition to hosting the all day program, Maine Woodland Owners is also holding an online auction with one-of-a-kind items including two sculptures created by wood carver Josh Landry. Landry was the creator of the sculpture that Stephen and Tabitha King commissioned for their home in Bangor. The auction will run from January 15 through January 21, just after the end of the Forestry Forum.

Maine Woodland Owners was formed in 1975 as an educational organization dedicated to providing knowledge and technical support for Maine’s small woodland owners. Their goal is to increase landowner engagement and long-term stewardship to ensure the health of Maine’s forests. Maine Woodland Owners is the only statewide organization supporting Maine’s 86,000 family woodland owners

The Forestry Forum will be held on the online conference platform Zoom. For more information about the event and how to attend, visit Maine Woodland Owners website, www.mainewoodlandowners.org, or contact Jennifer Hicks, Director of Communications and Outreach at jenn@mainewoodlandowners.org, (207) 626-0005.

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