Maine’s Forests Face a New Threat from a Power Line Plan

A plan approved last November by Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) promises to protect 50, 000 acres of forest as a buffer for a new power line that will stretch from the Quebec border to central Maine. The plan says half of this area must be managed as “mature forest habitat” and will be held in a state conservation easement. The definition of “mature forest habitat” used by the DEP is alarmingly weak: a stand that reaches 50 feet in height, roughly 50 years old, qualifies. This cut‑off ignores the need for large trees that give animals places to nest or den, and it leaves out the complex layers of vegetation that many forest birds depend on. Because most of the land outside stream buffers is open to standard sustainable logging, trees that meet this low maturity threshold can be harvested as soon as they are 50 feet tall. The plan allows clear‑cutting of thousands of acres every decade, which means that the net gain in mature forest is likely to be zero.The situation worsens because the company that owns much of the surrounding land, Weyerhaeuser, can simply cut more heavily nearby to offset any restrictions inside the protected zone. Even if 50% of the conserved land is kept mature, overall forest health will not improve. Another flaw is that some stands may be cut before the 50% mature goal is met, extending the time to reach that target by about forty years. This delay reduces the ecological benefits the plan was supposed to provide. Environmental groups are expected to challenge the approval soon, and experts suggest several changes: (1) a stricter definition that requires a minimum number of large‑diameter trees; (2) limits on the size and spread of clear‑cut patches to mimic natural disturbances; and (3) a ban on cutting any stand that meets the revised maturity criteria until the 50% target is achieved. Only by adopting these adjustments can the plan truly protect Maine’s mature forests and preserve wildlife corridors as intended.