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Bangor staff unveil Essex Woods forest plan; residents press for public input
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Summary
Forestry technician Sophie Cameron presented draft forest-management plans for Essex, Prentice and Brownwoods, emphasizing habitat protection and pest monitoring; a local forester urged earlier public review and staff agreed to schedule a community meeting and to share a draft beforehand.
SOPHIE CAMERON, forestry technician, presented draft forest-management plans for Essex Woods, Prentice Woods and Brownwoods and said the primary objectives are to “provide recreational opportunities first and foremost for the citizens of Bangor” and to maintain these parcels as forested properties while improving tree quality and monitoring pests such as red pine scale and emerald ash borer.
The plans, Cameron said, include steps to protect vernal pools and wildlife habitat, remove invasive plants in red-pine plantations, and coordinate spring field visits with partners including Maine Audubon and the Maine Forest Service to document bird and amphibian resources. Cameron said the forestry division and Parks & Recreation are developing a native-tree nursery and exploring volunteer partnerships, including with Wabanaki groups and university partners.
During public comment, licensed forester Alan Hunter said he and other regular users of Prentice Woods were concerned that stakeholder input had been insufficient and that some trees already bore cut marks before broader review. "Stakeholder input is critical," Hunter said, urging the city to include users and neighbors early in the process.
Parks staff responded that draft plans exist and are currently under internal review; they said the plans will be brought to the Tree Board and the infrastructure committee and that staff will hold a separate community meeting to gather public input. The chair said a tentative meeting date is the first Thursday in March and that printed copies of the draft will be made available at the meeting and posted on the Parks & Recreation website when permitted. The transcript does not record a formal vote on the plans.
The presentation emphasized that the plans are intended to be proactive — to identify pest risk and hazards (including standing trees rated as unsafe) and to preserve recreational uses such as trails, while following state and federal best-management practices. Staff said the red-pine areas are being managed to reduce single-species vulnerability to pests and that licensed applicators would perform any targeted herbicide stump treatments to prevent resprouting.
Next steps, as stated in the meeting, are for staff to finalize the draft, share it with Maine Audubon and the Maine Forest Service for technical review, make the draft available to the public where allowed, and hold one or more stakeholder meetings before any plan is formally adopted.
