NORTHERN WOODLANDS • Autumn 2021
With forested tendrils that wind through more than 8,500 square miles, the Penobscot watershed is New England’s second largest river system. Conservation groups and foresters agree that logging can coexist within this rebounding ecosystem, so long as certain measures are taken to maintain water quality and wildlife habitat. Such measures can include building sturdy road-stream crossings to limit sediment erosion into waterways, and maintaining wide enough harvest buffers alongside riverbanks to keep shorelines shady and water temperatures cool and habitable. These are the types of practices that the Penobscot Nation’s forest manager worked into management plans for the 50,000 acres of timberlands the tribe manages in the watershed. The number one goal is to preserve and protect water quality.