NAPLES – New England Forestry Foundation has signed its first contract in a new initiative that will help protect some of the oldest forests in Maine while exploring long-term conservation options.
The contract protects 23 acres of forestland in Naples owned by Chaplin Logging, INC., a 39-year-old logging company. The protected trees are approximately 150 years old and are especially valuable for their exceptional ability to capture and store carbon – an important benefit in the fight against climate change. This project marks the launch of NEFF’s new effort to conserve Late Successional Old Growth forests across Maine. LSOG forests can store up to five times more carbon than the average forest in the state.
NEFF worked closely with the Chaplin family to develop a 10‑year contract protecting the LSOG trees, which were originally slated for harvest this year. This agreement creates a critical window of time to pursue permanent conservation. The project also supports sustainable forestry practices on other portions of the property to improve species diversity, help maintain carbon storage, and continue timber production.
“Chaplin Logging is committed to providing the highest quality wood products to Mainers — but we are also committed to protecting the environment,” said Caleb Chaplin, owner of Chaplin Logging, INC. “We have an opportunity to help conserve these vital forests while also improving the species diversity and timber value on our land through harvesting diseased trees. We’re excited to be part of this important initiative.”
In addition to the protected acreage, Chaplin Logging owns 69 acres of forest that include a significant number of diseased beech trees. As part of the agreement, NEFF is covering 70% of the costs associated with improving forest health and productivity in this area by creating conditions that allow more valuable, disease‑resistant trees to regenerate and grow.
This project by NEFF is made possible through a $4.3 million grant from the U.S. Forest Service. The initiative was launched in late 2024 after the discovery of 191,000 acres of these rare and valuable forests. Most of these forests were on privately-owned land in northern Maine. That context makes this first contract particularly significant.
“It is so unusual and special to find LSOG forest in southern Maine, because this region is influenced to a far greater extent by its agricultural history than northern Maine,” said Brian Milakovsky, NEFF senior forester. “Most of the landscape here was cleared at one point, and if it wasn’t, it was heavily logged. But this area has almost unaltered natural conditions. Signing the first LSOG landowner marks an important step toward protecting some of Maine’s oldest forests while still allowing sustainable forestry to support the local economy.”
This NEFF initiative offers multiple benefits: protecting rare and valuable ecosystems, buying time for permanent conservation, and allowing NEFF to work with landowners to support healthier, more productive forests elsewhere. NEFF anticipates signing additional contracts with landowners later this spring.
Wood products remain an essential part of society, so the unique approach in this program to protect rare LSOG forests while improving the health and productivity in other forests is an exciting part of NEFF’s sustainable forestry practices. NEFF’s long‑term goal is to gradually shift harvesting pressure away from these vulnerable old forests and toward younger, responsibly managed forests with fast‑growing sawtimber. This approach protects Maine’s most at‑risk forests while allowing forestry to continue playing a vital role in the region’s economy.
Through the application of its core expertise in conserving forestlands and advancing Exemplary Forestry, the New England Forestry Foundation helps the people of New England to sustain their way of life, protect forest wildlife habitat and ecosystem services, and mitigate and adapt to climate change. In partnership with landowners, New England Forestry Foundation has conserved more than 1.2 million acres of forest since its founding in 1944, and owns and manages more than 150 Community Forests across the region. For more information, visit www.newenglandforestry.org.