MAINE

 Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District – Project # 222

The PCSWCD began in 1944 and is a leader in agriculture, forestry, and other natural resource education, providing assistance and coordination of resources and information to promote practices that maintain their way of life.

The project involved planting 3,510 seedlings of Northern Red Oak, Bur Oak, and American Chestnut in the Demonstration Forest Woodlot and the Bailey Hill Woodlot in Williamsburg Township.  The district owns two deed parcels totaling 288 acres.  The planting was on 4 acres at approximately 675 trees per acre, protected by tree guards.  The plan was for a 70% survival rate.

 These demonstration woodlots were to encourage the local community to be involved in the establishment and management of our hardwood and other natural resources. The district also wanted to promote species composition that would prove viable during climate changes.

Partners in the project included the Maine Forest Service, the Maine Chapter of the American Chestnut Society.  Assisting with the hand planting of the seedlings were teenagers of the Lifejackets Program of the Charlotte White Center, which trains teenagers in outdoor wilderness skills to achieve Junior Maine Guide Certification.