Some Maine landowners see a future in ecological forest management

Sustainable forestry, exemplary forestry. Foresters argue the pros and cons of each model, but the overall goal is the same: Timber harvests generate profits; woodlands remain healthy. Such approaches are more labor intensive and can be slower to produce income than traditional timbering practices. Even so, their earnings can be substantial — sometimes greater — and they tap into a natural, regenerative loop. The New England Forestry Foundation has developed a model it calls Exemplary Forestry, which strives to balance the conditions in individual forest tracts with those of the surrounding landscape, filling gaps in habitat needs for plants and wildlife while producing high-quality timber. The goal is to have a healthy mix of land uses, as well as a diversity of tree species and sizes.