BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 17, 2024
The health of the iconic evergreen trees that define the Pine Tree State is at risk from climate change. Researchers across the state have begun planting tree species from mid-Atlantic states to replace these trees as temperatures rise, extreme weather intensifies and pests spread. They believe this practice, called assisted migration, will keep Maine’s forests functioning amid climate change. In Augusta, researchers at the Viles Arboretum think that in 50 years our forests will look like the current woods of New Jersey and Maryland. Those states have more oak and hickory hardwood trees. The loblolly pine grows there, but not yet in Maine.