Document Type

Review

Publication Title

Maine Woodlands

Publisher

Maine Woodland Owners

Publication Date

Fall 11-2025

Publisher location

Augusta, Maine

Issue Number

11

Volume Number

50

Abstract/ Summary

This analysis reviews Maine's forest sustainability, providing a current and historical picture of the balance between net growth and harvest since the early 2000s, based on U.S. Forest Service FIA Evalidator data. The assessment, covering four five-year periods, reveals a significant overall surplus during recent periods. Total harvest recently dropped 22% to 4.7 million cords, while growth increased. Although the overall trend is positive, some species face sustainability challenges. Paper birch has been consistently overharvested, with harvest-to-growth ratios reaching 4.5. Sugar maple and cedar also present "red flags" due to periods where harvest exceeded growth. In contrast, species like red oak and white pine show large surpluses, with red oak growth nearly three times the harvest volume.

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publisher's version of the published document

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