Fair Low Impact Forestry Area

• 2005 Letter
• Guidelines
• Download LIF Area Application (PDF Format, 50Kb)

Once again, by the Pine Gate, forces for goodness, strength, longevity and right livelihood combine to provide a wide variety of educational and entertaining events, all centered in the Low Impact Forestry tent and nearby woodlot. This year's theme, "Trees, Sun, Soil and Water," connects personal forest management to local, regional and global ecosystem consciousness.

Low Impact foresters, chain sawyers, horse loggers and sawmill operators demonstrate their expertise all three days of the Fair, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Every hour on the hour a guided tour leaves from the kiosk alongside the road to the south parking lot (a two-minute walk from the Pine Gate), explaining the management plan for MOFGA's forest, showing the layout and functioning of a horse logging operation, harvesting trees and hauling logs to a small portable sawmill, which produces boards, sawdust and slabs for use around the Fairgrounds.

Meeting first at the tent inside the Fairgrounds, Barrie Brusila will introduce her popular program, Forestry for Kids, for inquisitive young minds and their parents. Participants will then go into nearby woods to explain simple and appropriate concepts of ecology, stewardship and awareness. We are lucky to have her for two days, Friday and Sunday at 11 a.m., so bring your kids.

Barrie is also speaking on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the tent. She has been working on her "Women and the Woods" program with University of Maine Cooperative Extension to encourage more women to consider forest-related careers. Males are welcome, too!

The Maine Forest Service, as always, provides useful, timely, comprehensive and occasionally humorous programs for Mainers who are interested in our forests. Tree pruning (Saturday at 2 and Sunday at noon), The Woods in Your Backyard (Saturday at 11 a.m with Kevin Doran), and an explanation of Landowner Assistance (Friday at noon with Patti Cormier) are the topics this year.

Paul Miller of the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM), no slouch at pruning forest trees, will take you into the woods at 3 p.m. on Friday to show what he knows for your benefit. On Sunday at 1 p.m. in the tent, he'll lead a discussion on Group Certification for Small Landowners. Certification of forest practices is rapidly becoming a hot topic in Maine; find out why.

The chainsaw guy, Pete Tracy, knows how to use this powerful tool safely and efficiently to put standing trees on the ground just where he wants them. Have you ever wondered how loggers fell trees? Find out when Pete, a Certified Logging Professional instructor, introduces this important topic from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the woods at the kiosk on Friday.

Andy Shultz and Harry Dwyer, members of The Forest Guild, will tell how to plan a forest harvest (2 p.m. on Friday in the tent) and will challenge you to consider the forest beyond the trees with his talk, "The Value of Beauty and Other Non-timber Assets in Your Forest" (Saturday at noon, tent).

Longtime forest activist, landowner, teacher and observer of natural systems Mel Ames will discuss "The Real Forest, Your Forest" on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the tent. His quiet manner belies a huge amount of information gathered during his long life in the Central Maine woods. Don't miss this chance to pick his mind.

Pat Maloney of Project Learning Tree will have information at the tent during the Fair, enticing teachers to consider the activities, studies and resources her organization can supply.

The Low Impact Forestry Area apologizes for giving you so many good choices, but that's what makes Common Ground unique: the heady concentration of knowledgeable, sharing people.

---Sam Brown

Dear Friends,

The Common Ground Country Fair will be taking place again this year for the 29th time! The fair dates this year are September 23, 24, and 25.

The Low Impact Forestry (LIF) area invites educational presentations and demonstrations that ultimately lead to better stewardship of the forest and utilization of the forest resources.

If you are interested in participating in the Low Impact Forestry Area of the Fair this year, please fill out the enclosed application and send it in to the Fair office by April 25th.

This year’s theme is “Trees, Sun, Soil, and Water”. Many of the fairgoers are novice woodland owners, undereducated about the possibilities of their forestland to provide essential environmental services. LIF wants to connect personal forest management to local, regional, and global ecosystems. How can your organization help promote such interconnections and consciousness?

Woodlot tours at the Fair last year were very successful, leading small groups of interested folks through the various stages of harvesting activities, and some pruning demonstrations too. Forestry For Kids attracted an enthusiatic group, so much so that we plan to move the location of this year’s version to a quieter spot and maybe do more than just one session for this age group.

Have a presentation you’d like to do but don’t need a booth for all three days? Fine, let us know and we will do our best to schedule you into our programs.

We want to emphasize simple concepts of management and illustrate simple harvesting technology. Talks in the main tent on the Fairgrounds will focus on educational topics for landowners, while woodlot tours and demos will be based in a smaller tent out in the forest.

Please remember the April 25th application deadline. The Forestry Committee will review booth applications and suggestions for presentations and demonstrations. We look forward to your ideas to make this fair's LIF area unique, useful, and memorable.

Sincerely,

Mark Albee, Sam Brown, & Peter Hagerty
For the MOFGA Forestry Committee

Low-Impact Forestry Area Guidelines

Coordinators: Sam Brown, Mark Albee, Peter Hagerty

Purpose: The Low-Impact Forestry Area is open to individuals, organizations and businesses promoting sustainable forestry practices and strengthening rural communities. The emphasis is on teaching and demonstrating low-impact forestry skills, strengthening rural economies and communities, and organization building and networking.

Goals: The goals of the Low-Impact Forestry Area are:

1. To promote forestry practices that are environmentally sound and sustainable.
2. To provide an opportunity for groups working toward sustainable forestry to present ideas and information.
3. To provide a forum for scheduled presentations for these groups.

Guidelines:

1. The Low-Impact Forestry area is an educational, not commercial, venue. Sales of goods and equipment are not permitted in the area.
2. Booth displays should be educational, conveying the group's message in an appropriate manner.
3. Organization-building activities such as mailing list sign-ups are permitted. Free literature may be distributed. Donations may be accepted but active fund-raising schemes are not acceptable.
4. Participants are divided into two categories: 1) those who are on hand primarily to promote their organization and its programs, although they may also engage in some educational activities; and 2) those who attend primarily to demonstrate or educate people in specific forestry skills, although they may also represent an organization.
5. There are no booth fees or stipends for those participating, except for those giving scheduled talks.
6. Exhibitors primarily promoting organizations will receive up to 9 complimentary passes (as needed) to the Fair/booth, but not the volunteer benefits of t-shirts and meal passes.
7. Exhibitors primarily engaged in educating and demonstrating will receive volunteer benefits of up to 3 t-shirts, up to 6 meal passes, plus up to 9 complimentary passes (as needed) to the Fair/booth.
8. The Area Coordinator shall determine into which category each exhibitor fits.
9. Area coordinators will consider applications from commercial services provided that: the business demonstrates a commitment to sustainable forestry practices; and the business has an established location in Maine.
10. In the event of space shortage, preference goes to those actively educating and/or demonstrating forestry skills.
11. All tables should be tended during all Fair hours all three days. The area coordinator will permit exceptions with good cause.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
Common Ground Country Fair
PO Box 170
Unity, ME 04988
Phone: 207-568-4142
Fax: 207-568-4141
Email: cgcf@mofga.org