Column: In Jackman, a working forest anchors a community’s vision

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 15, 2026

When the Hilton Family Forest went up for sale in 2024, uncertainty rippled through the valley, including among maple producers. Somerset County produces the overwhelming majority of Maine’s maple syrup, almost all of it on leased land. The Conservation Fund — a national land trust with offices in Maine — purchased the property. The goal was to keep the land forested and productive, while working with local leaders to develop a permanent solution that would allow the timber, recreation and maple industries to continue supporting the community in the future. Now, two years later, the forest continues to function as it has for decades. Timber is managed, sugarbush is tapped and the land remains open for hiking, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and ATV riding. ~ Tom Duffus, The Conservation Fund; Rick Petrie, town manager, Jackman, Maine