Spanning approximately thirty thousand acres in the northwest corner of Baxter State Park, the Scientific Forest Management Area (SFMA) was designated by Percival Baxter to promote the implementation of advanced forestry techniques. It serves as a demonstration site for students and professionals from around the world, showcasing the Park’s state-of-the-art forestry practices.

Our first speaker, Alec Giffen, former Maine Forest Service Director, served on the Baxter State Park Authority and is Maine’s foremost forestry and land management expert. Alec will share a presentation on the history of forestry in Maine when Baxter was acquiring land in the ‘20s and ‘30s and Percival Baxter’s perspective on the forestry practices of that time.

Next, we are honored to present Jensen Bissell, a legendary Baxter State Park figure who served the park for 30 years, first as the director of the SFMA and later as the Park’s Director. No one is more knowledgeable on the topic he will present: Baxter’s motivation to create a working forest within the Park, his vision for the forest, and what he hoped to create in the SFMA.

The topic will then turn to the present day as Alec Giffen discusses current issues in forestry in Maine: what’s going on at the State level and where he thinks we are headed.

Last but not least, we are joined by BSP staff members Nava Tabak, Natural Resources Director, and Shane Miller, Land Manager, who will present a view of what is happening in the SFMA now and in the future.

Registration is required.