Forestry students aid policy development for Maine’s Local Wood WORKS initiative
Local Wood WORKS (LWW) is a new initiative designed to promote sustainable timber harvesting and forest products around Maine. LWW’s mission is to advance forest-based local economies and support the long-term conservation and sustainability of Maine’s woodlands.
Students in SFR 446: Forest Resource Policy are working with LWW partners and consultant Harold Burnett of Winthrop-based Two Trees Forestry to study existing local wood initiatives with the goal of learning from other efforts and applying successful lessons in Maine.
“Students learn best when they apply classroom principles to real-world examples,” says Rob Lilieholm, the E.L. Giddings professor of forest policy at the University of Maine who teaches the course. “In this case, we can provide a lot of horsepower to compile and review LWW initiatives in the U.S. and abroad. Working with LWW will give students an opportunity to contribute to policy development right here in Maine.”
LWW partners include the Kennebec Land Trust, Maine Forest Service, GrowSmart Maine, Coastal Enterprises Inc., and Maine Coast Heritage Trust.