Welcome to the Upper St. John River Organization

Helping to sustain our watershed and Acadian Forest

Over 70% of the industrial forest land in Maine has changed hands in the last decade, including the land formerly owned by Fraser Papers, the main employer in “The Valley” for the last 100 years. Gone is the tried-and-true traditional business model of pulp and paper in Maine, where the company owns enough land to sustainably provide raw material to make the finished product. Corporate ownership of pulp and paper mills has led to increased harvest intensity to provide shareholders with the rapid return on their investments that they demand. Maximum allowable harvest is typically pursued in corporate forestry to include not only main business tracks (softwood for mechanical pulp and paper, and to feed lumber mills) but also other products in other markets (for example tolerant hardwood to Asia). Current industrial forest management is tailored to satisfy demand by shareholders for rapid return on investment.

The worth of non-fiber-based forest values are currently being tested. The Maine Forest Products Council recently questioned the need of managing softwood on a longer rotation to support wintering deer, seemingly as this reduces short-term income generation. The “romance” of working in the field of forestry is becoming strained as proportionately less income from the forest is earned during harvest, and working in the woods often involves significant expense for equipment; and long days of hard work in all sorts of weather, biting flies, hornets, and potentially fatal working conditions. Definitions of “sustainable” forestry have become increasingly vague, compounded by the proprietary nature of private forest land inventory information and management strategies.

This is a key example of a serious problem with the state of Forest Management in Maine and New Brunswick. Companies are deciding not to sustain non-income generating (for the company) forest values such as wildlife habitat. In addition, regional sustainability of wood is not being considered, nor is maintenance of the natural forest types in our Acadian Forest.

Awareness of these issues and new standards for sustainable management of the Acadian Forest is sorely needed. To this end, the Upper St. John Valley Community Forest Project was established. Still ahead are goals for a cooperative to provide forest cruising, GIS-based forest planning, and harvesting services, while connecting local land owners who conduct sustainable management with customers who wish to purchase wood from sustainably managed forest land.

Producers of local finished products utilizing this sustainably-managed wood will be able to utilize the "brand" of the Upper St. John River Organization.