AUGUSTA – The Maine Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) has been recognized for its commitment to Maine’s forests with the “Austin Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award”.

Governor Janet Mills, Commissioner Amanda Beal and Maine Forest Service Director Patty Cormier presented the award at a Blaine House ceremony on Oct. 23, 2019. The award is the foremost recognition for Maine individuals, groups, organizations or companies that stand above their peers to show a continuous commitment or single exemplary contribution to the culture, heritage and future of the Maine forest. The award was presented to Andrew Reed, MACD President and Carol Weymouth, MACD Executive Director.

“Our forests have always been – and will always be – at the core of Maine’s history and our future,” said Governor Mills. “Congratulations to the Maine Association of Conservation Districts on this well-deserved honor and on behalf of the people of Maine, thank you for all you do for our great state.”

The MACD represents the 16 Soil & Water Conservation Districts across the state, including Somerset County SWCD. Conservation Districts were created by Maine and other states as a response to the massive loss of topsoil in the “Dust Bowl” of the 1930’s. Locally-led soil and water conservation programs have been a cost-effective response to soil erosion, non-point source pollution of lakes, rivers and marine waters, and now, to the vital issue of mitigating climate change through better soil health practices and sustainable forest management.

At the award ceremony, Commissioner Beal noted that, as Maine addresses climate change, Conservation Districts will be essential partners.

Districts in Somerset, Piscataquis, Oxford and York Counties own or manage demonstration forests where the focus is on good forestry practices, public education and public recreation opportunities.

In Skowhegan, the Somerset SWCD manages the 300-acre Yankee Woodlot Demonstration Forest that highlights diverse habitat, production forestry and recreation. The parcel is owned by the State Bureau of Parks and Lands and provides a prime location for teaching and learning. Current initiatives underway at the Yankee Woodlot include trail improvements with the Maine Conservation Corps, interpretive signage to explore management actions, and installation of Picture Posts as part of a national project to document environmental change over time.

“The Yankee Woodlot in Skowhegan is an example of how the District works closely with the Maine Forest Service, Bureau of Parks and Lands, Maine Woodland Owners and University of Maine Cooperative Extension to provide examples of different forest stewardship practices through on-the-ground implementation and a variety of workshops annually,” says Joseph Dembeck, Somerset SWCD Executive Director.

In addition to managing demonstration forests, for several years all 16 Districts have worked in partnership with the Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry to increase public awareness of invasive forest pests. They have offered education and outreach programs on forest pest identification, the dangers of transporting firewood, and methods for woodlot owners to protect their trees. Districts in Somerset, Kennebec, Knox-Lincoln and Waldo now work with the Maine Natural Areas Program to help landowners identify, map and control invasive plant species on their property.

AUSTIN WILKINS

The namesake of the award, Austin Wilkins, pioneered the development of the Maine Forest Service and led the fight against the devastating forest fires of 1947. The fires that scorched the landscape in Bar Harbor and southern Maine’s York County prompted Mr. Wilkins to develop policies to reduce the chances that such conflagrations could occur again. He was instrumental in the establishment of a forest fire compact that called for the six New England states, New York, New Brunswick and Quebec to provide mutual help in battling fires. He joined the Maine Forest Service in 1928 and was appointed commissioner 30 years later by Governor Edmund Muskie. Mr. Wilkins retired in 1972 after serving under 13 governors as a commissioner or a deputy commissioner. Governor John Baldacci called Mr. Wilkins a “'true leader and one of the forestry greats of Maine” and praised “his quiet and thorough approach and his eloquent speaking.” Mr. Wilkins was the author of “Ten Million Acres of Timber,” a history of the Maine forestry district, as well as a book about the Civilian Conservation Corps. He remained active in forestry matters well into his 90s. He died in 2005 at the age of 102.