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In this issue

  • Executive Director's Note
  • Brookfield's response to DEP's Shawmut dam decision
  • Dana Connors: Shawmut Dam's relicensing is key to region's economic vitality
  • Sponsors needed for candidate breakfast events!
  • Golf tournament results
  • MFPC Deputy Director visits Robbins Lumber
  • SFI Maine Approved Wood Measurements training day
  • Annual meeting auction items needed
  • UMaine School of Forest Resources survey
  • Sunday hunting lawsuit update
  • MFPC comments to LUPC

Before we dive into the business of the day, I’d first like to take a moment to thank our members and sponsors for their outpouring of support at our annual golf tournament. Even though the weather didn’t fully cooperate, everyone had a great time and it was certainly nice to see so many friendly faces. For those who missed it, the results of the tournament are below.


On a more serious note, Congressman Golden’s bill, H.R. 6707, “Advancing Equity for Wabanaki Nations Act”, has advanced to the Senate attached to two unrelated bills - the Interior Appropriations Bill and the National Defense Authorization Act - despite the grave concerns of the administration and the Council


While the Council remains committed to working with the Tribes to advance equity and solve problems as they arise, we view this bill as a striking departure from the settlement that was agreed upon more than 40 years ago. Should it become law, we are confident that it would cause significant chaos and uncertainty for our industry, eventually enabling a patchwork of environmental laws and regulations across the state that would be unmanageable. 


The Council has been in close contact with the federal delegation on this issue, and we will continue to provide our expertise and perspective during the Senate process with the goal of eliminating H.R. 6707 from the unrelated vehicles to which it has been attached. 


Also of note, the Maine DEP denied the water quality certification renewal for Shawmut dam in Skowhegan “without prejudice.” The Department issued this press release announcing their decision, in which they invited Brookfield to reapply following federal evaluation. Brookfield’s response to the Department’s draft decision is included below. 


There has also been movement on the Sunday hunting lawsuit (update provided below), and the Council submitted a comment to the LUPC in response to the draft Moosehead Region Planning Package. LUPC is expected to vote on the final package during its September meeting. 


Finally, the Council is working on a number of upcoming events. With the annual meeting just around the corner, we are in the process of finalizing award recipients now. We will send a special notice out as soon as we have finalized those decisions. We are also seeking raffle donations (details below). Please RSVP now in order to secure your spot at this two-day event in Bethel. We are also in the process of planning our fall candidate breakfast series with five locations around the state. If you or your company would like to sponsor an event, please let us know! 


That’s all for now. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any concerns or questions. I hope to see you all at our annual meeting next month!


Best,


Pat Strauch

MFPC Executive Director

Brookfield Response to DEP

Dana Connors: Shawmut Dam's relicensing is key to region's economic vitality

Current geopolitical and global economic conditions are resulting in Maine’s businesses and residents feeling the pinch. From the war in Ukraine to continued supply chain disruptions associated with pandemic lockdowns and re-openings, the events of recent months have presented unique challenges to continuing Maine’s economic growth story and to efforts to foster a more equitable and inclusive economy throughout our state. With so much uncertainty stemming from events outside the control of state officials and policymakers, now is not the time for self-inflicted economic harm.


Unfortunately, however, the state’s consideration of the continued operations of the Shawmut Dam in Fairfield suggests such self-imposed consequences are in play...


View the full column here.


Sponsors needed for candidate breakfasts!

With the fall election quickly approaching, it is now time to begin planning for our 2022 Candidate Breakfast forums. These events, which take place at various locations around the state, provide an opportunity for Maine Forest Council Members to meet local candidates for state house and senate around the state. Meetings will include breakfast, quick stump speeches from candidates and an opportunity for members to ask questions and educate candidates about the forest products industry. 


We are in the process of finalizing the schedule now, but are looking to host events late September through mid-October in New Gloucester, Jay, Bangor, Fort Kent and Calais. 


If you or your company are interested in sponsoring an event, please reach out to Sue McCarthy at [email protected] for details.

Thank you, sponsors and golfers!


On July 14, Maine Forest Products Council held its annual golf tournament at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course. This sold-out event was a great success. The weather held out for 15 holes, followed by a BBQ lunch at the clubhouse. 

Sue has planned many successful tournaments during her time with the Council, but she really outdid herself this year. The results of the tournament are below. Please join us in thanking our sponsors and golfers for another great event.

MFPC Deputy Director visits Robbins Lumber



On Friday, July 22 MFPC member Jim Robbins, Sr. brought Krysta West, our Deputy Director, on a tour of Robbins Lumber in Searsmont. Thanks to Jim for being such a gracious host.

If you would like to host either Krysta or Pat at your facility this summer to learn more about your operation, please email Krysta at [email protected].

SFI Maine Approved Wood Measurements training day


The Approved Wood Measurements training, sponsored by the University of Maine and the SFI implementation committee, was offered on July 21st and 22nd. This program was initiated in 2018 by Robin Avery who retired from the University of Maine as their University Forest Operations Manager. Without this type of training, anyone wishing to become a licensed scaler in Maine would be required to apprentice under a licensed scaler for two years before being eligible to take a test to get their license. By attending this training, the apprenticeship requirements are reduced to six months. This is particularly important in today’s tight labor market.


The two-day program starts at the university forest’s workshop with presentations on regulations, basic wood measurement concepts, quarantine considerations and wood characteristics that considered defects and deductions.


The second day features a tour of O&R Lumbra Hardwood’s mill in Milo, along with grading exercises led by Ben Lumbra and Stephen Tudor of Columbia Forest Products. As has been the case since 2018, the program was again oversubscribed, which speaks to the demand. The University of Maine and ME's SIC intends to offer the training in the spring and fall of 2023, and beyond as demand dictates.  

Auction items needed for MFPC Annual Meeting!


Auctioneers Jimmy Robbins and Peter Triandaffilou need your help!


Please consider donating an item towards our auction being held on September 19th at the MFPC Annual Meeting at Sunday River during the evening banquet.  We have both a live auction and a silent auction.  


Items that have sold well in the past include: plane rides, camp rentals, boat rides, concert tickets, chainsaws, LL Bean items, bag chairs, fishing knives, carvings, maple syrup, golf passes, goodie baskets, wine baskets, company clothing and tickets to sporting events. If you or your company are able to donate items, please be in touch with Sue McCarthy at [email protected].

Urgent! UMaine Alumni & Friends of Forest Resources need to participate in this survey 


Deadline is August 15


UMaine’s School of Forest Resources (SFR) is one of 12 units in The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture (NSFA).  NSFA is evaluating options for a new name. As a part of this process, the dean’s office has been working with a task force composed of faculty, staff and students to solicit direct input from all of the college's schools and departments. The dean's office is also working with a research agency that specializes in higher education called VisionPoint. VisionPoint has conducted market research and held focus groups with alumni, donors, and leaders in industries connected to our work. 


Now, the dean’s office would like to hear directly from more of our current students, alumni, and friends. This eight-minute online survey is designed to assess perceptions of and name considerations for UMaine’s College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture. We will keep the survey open until August 15, unless we receive the maximum amount of responses prior to that date. 


SFR’s enrollment is only 10% of the NSFA enrollment; we need as many people to respond to the survey as possible to make sure SFR’s perspective is well represented.


Please take the eight-minute online survey now or as soon as you can.

Sunday Hunting lawsuit update


On June 10, AG Aaron Frey, on behalf of Commissioner Judy Camuso, filed a motion to dismiss to the Superior Court in the case against Maine's Sunday Hunting ban, Virginia Parker and Joel Parker v. Judy Camuso, on the grounds of failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, with incorporated memorandum of law.


Her reasoning includes:


  • To harvest does not mean to hunt. The final two versions of the bill removed references to hunting all together.


  • The authors of the amendment emphasized on multiple occasions that the amendment would "not invalidate any hunting or fishing laws or regulations currently on the books'' and, "It must be made clear once more that [the proposed amendment] will not change, repeal, preempt or nullify any laws or regulations, local, state or federal, currently on the books” (Sen. Hickman). Representative Faulkingham also made it clear that the amendment was not intended to alter existing laws. He said, "Keep in mind Constitutional amendments are there to protect our rights, not provide them."


  • The amendment's text, legislative history and legislative intent dictate that the amendment does not apply to Sunday hunting.


  • The amendment provides individuals with the right to produce their own food, it does not require the government or anyone else to provide it.


  • Because wildlife is collectively owned by the people of Maine, the Department has the unquestioned authority to 'conserve, protect and regulate its wildlife.'


Click here to view the full motion.

MFPC comments to LUPC regarding Draft Moosehead Regional Planning Package


On July 13, Maine Forest Products Council submitted a comment to the LUPC regarding the Moosehead Regional Planning Package. Our comment can be viewed here on pages 6&7.


According to the August 3 memo to the LUPC, Commissioners and staff will discuss feedback and next steps at the August 10 meeting, and a final package will be presented during the September Commission meeting. 

RSVP now for Maine Forest Product Council’s Biggest Event of the Year!

MFPC annual meeting.png

What: 62nd MFPC Annual Meeting 

Where: Sunday River Ski Resort, Grand Summit Hotel, 97 Summit Rd, Newry

When: September 18th (evening) and 19th (all day)

 

The Maine Forest Products Council invites you to attend our 62nd annual membership meeting at the beautiful Grand Summit Hotel in Newry, Maine. This event will start with a BBQ Sunday evening at 6 o’clock. Monday, we will get down to business bright and early with a breakfast at the hotel followed by our annual membership meeting and presentations on a number of topics including forest carbon, the Spruce Budworm, transportation issues and more. To register, return this form, to Sue McCarthy at [email protected]. If you have any questions, call 622-9288 or send her an email.

About MFPC

Since 1961, the Maine Forest Products Council has been the voice of Maine's forest economy. MFPC's members are landowners, loggers, truckers, paper mills, tree farmers, foresters, lumber processors and the owners of more than 8 million acres of commercial forestland, but they are also bankers, lawyers and insurance executives. The Council represents members at the Maine Legislature throughout the state, in Washington D.C. and the U.S.


Patrick Strauch, Executive Director

Krysta West, Deputy Director

Pat SiroisSFI Coordinator

Sue McCarthy, Office Manager

207-622-9288, www.maineforest.org

Address: 535 Civic Center Drive, Augusta, Maine 04330

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