Project Profile

North Maine Woods IFM Project

The painter looks up from her easel and back to the lake. A flash of movement momentarily breaks the still setting, as an enormous horned figure steps into the frame. The moose sends a succession of ripples through the water as it searches for a hearty breakfast. The remote beauty of Maine’s North Woods has inspired generations of artists, like writer Henry David Thoreau. Its solitude invites a calm respite, time to slow down enough to notice the detail in the landscape. This solace could be lost, as the pressures of logging and development weigh heavy on the area. 

Currently the largest undeveloped forest in the Northeastern United States, the northern woods of Maine are changing. The North Maine Woods Forestry Project is located on over 86,000 acres of mixed hardwood and conifer forest, which protects a diverse suite of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, moose and Canada lynx. Significant bodies of water within project boundaries include Baker Lake — breeding habitat for the Common Loon — and the St. John River. The project ensures long-term sustainable management of the forests, and aims to guarantee long-term continuance of all environmental benefits provided by the preservation of the forestland.

With steady, strong demand for pulp and paper production in the area, the forest could otherwise undergo significant commercial timber harvesting. However, with the project in place, management decisions focus on sustainable forest growth with regular, uneven-aged harvests and a significant improvement in the carbon storage and conservation value. All North Maine Woods forestland is certified by third-party Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

CO-BENEFITS:

Environmental:

By committing to maintain forest CO2 stocks through sustainable forest management, the project will provide significant climate benefits through carbon sequestration.  The project is expected to generate more than 3 million tons CO2e emission reductions over the first crediting period of 20 years.

Social / Health:

The North Maine Woods provide water quality protection, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities for the public.

Economic:

The project owner enrolled all acres in the carbon program, hoping that carbon credit pricing could outcompete pulp markets, prioritizing carbon and long-lived wood products over faster-rotation pulpwood management.

3Degrees + carbon offsets

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