Timber co. probed on habitat management
The state is looking into whether a northern Maine timber company violated an agreement to preserve timberlands as wildlife habitat.
A report by a state biologist has prompted Gov. John Baldacci to look into whether Gardner Land Co. harvested timber on land it agreed to preserve as deer wintering habitat as part of a land swap with the state, according to reports from the Kennebec Journal and Bangor Daily News. In 2006, Gardner Land Co. gave the state more than 6,000 acres for Baxter State Park in exchange for 7,250 acres of state-owned timberland, and the company also received 14,000 acres of private land. Sen. David Trahan, D-Waldoboro, an original stakeholder in the deal, and Sportsman's Alliance of Maine Director George Smith last week called for an investigation after a state biologist's report found that logging activities have left many former deer wintering habitats with insufficient shelter.
Baldacci's Deputy Chief of Staff David Farmer told the Daily News the governor has requested a report from the Departments of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Conservation regarding harvesting on the land. But Tom Gardner, vice president of Gardner Land Co., said the company harvested on the areas with supervision from state biologists and that logging crews had left plenty of winter shelter areas.
Go to the article from the Bangor Daily News >>
Go to the article from the Kennebec Journal >>
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