CFRU 50th Anniversary Event Page
Tuesday, October 13 –
Anniversary celebration @ New England Outdoor Center
We look forward to gathering with you at New England Outdoor Center for the majority of our anniversary events. Our program presentations, panels, and banquet dinner will feature a range of CFRU voices from the past and present.
| Time | Item | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. | Arrive at New England Outdoor Center | *Rooms are available for this event for the night of 10/13. Call 800-766-7238 and ask for the CFRU rate. |
| 11:00 – 12:00 p.m. | CFRU Business Meeting – *closed-door session | *For current dues-paying members only. All other guests are welcome beginning at 12:15 p.m. for lunch |
| 12:15 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch | – |
| 1:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Introducing the Anniversaries: jointly celebrating decades of cooperative long-term forest research Center for Research on Sustainable Forests – 20th Cooperative Forestry Research Unit – 50th | Presented by Aaron Weiskittel, Director, Center for Research on Sustainable Forests and, Regina Smith, Program Manager, Cooperative Forestry Research Unit |
| 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Panel #1: The Value of University – Industry Partnerships: why the CO-OP works and what comes next | Our members have defined and redefined our research structure over time as we navigate the advances in R&D we have made together. During this panel, we’ll ask members and trusted researchers alike: Is the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit’s current model the right one for the future? CFRU’s applied research program has defined itself on 4 core study areas for the last 50 years: silviculture, growth & yield, remote sensing, and wildlife. With the advent of digital forestry technologies (LiDAR, EFIs), how might the CFRU’s study areas evolve to meet our members’ future needs? |
| 2:30 – 2:45 p.m. | Break | – |
| 2:45 – 3:15 p.m. | Panel #2: Landscape-level Lookbacks: revisiting the shared forestry challenges and solutions that sustained a 50-year CO-OP industry partnership | For the past 50 years, the CFRU has shaped the evolution of forest practices in the state and advanced the principles of sustainable forest management. This panel will revisit CFRU’s contributions to our industry’s long-standing research questions and answers. From cornerstone thinning networks to landscape-level wildlife management research programs, the most productive results have come from investing in common complex questions that require our industry to buy into the long-term solution together. |
| 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. | Ice-breakers & group discussion: Common ground & future research directions, 2027 Request for Proposals | More information TBA. |
| 3:45 – 4:15 p.m. | Break | – |
| 4:15 – 5:00 p.m. | Happy hour, networking, silent auction | |
| 5:15 – 7:00 p.m. | Dinner & selected remarks |
Wednesday, October 14 –
Field tours – information to follow
Lodging information
New England Outdoor Center has a number of cabins on site for accommodations. Cabins have shared common spaces (bathroom, kitchette, living room) and private rooms. CFRU has secured a rate of $140 per person for the evening of October 13. Guests will need to call NEOC at 207.723.5438 to book at this rate. There are female, male, and co-ed cabins available – CFRU will keep a list of those staying the evening and group folks by organization and personal preference where possible. If you need a special accommodation, or have questions, please contact regina.smith@maine.edu.
New England Outdoor Center
200 Katahdin View Drive,
Millinocket, Maine 04462
www.neoc.com
207.723.5438
vacation@neoc.com
Silent Auction
The forestry world was heavily impacted when, on May 15, 2026, an explosion and fire at Robbins Lumber claimed multiple lives, injured others, and devastated the local economy of Searsmont. As part of CFRU’s gathering this October, we want to honor those who were impacted by this tragedy and do what this community does best: come together for each other.
If your organization would like to contribute a silent auction item, with proceeds benefiting the Searsmont Emergency Relief Fund, please contact leslee.noyes@maine.edu.