ME’s SIC, Continuing Education Workshops

(Over 6500 workshop participants since 1999)

Into to BMPs

The intended audiences are Loggers, Foresters and Landowners with limited exposure to BMPs. The workshop is a full day program with half day inside introducing the principles behind BMPs followed by half day in the field demonstrating and applying principles of BMPs. The take home messages (BMP Principles) are; Control water flow, minimize exposed soil and to slow water down and spread it out. Other important themes include an emphasis on planning, wet weather risk management and division of responsibilities between loggers, foresters and landowners. The program is typically delivered by a two person, team teaching approach. Consistency is insured by annual train the trainer programs and an instructor’s guide.

Balancing Wildlife Considerations with Forest Productivity

The intended audiences are Logger, Foresters and Landowners with limited exposure to wildlife habitat information. The workshop intent is to introduce the audiences to information on; deer wintering areas, ME’s biomass retention guidelines, ME’s vernal pool guidelines, threatened and endangered species and general biodiversity principles. The workshop is intended to provide and introduction in these topics. The program will not get into the level of detail desired by specialist in anyone of these topics. The indoor discussion last typically three hours with another two hours in the field on exercises that elaborate on the previously introduced topics.

BMPs Level II

The intended audiences are loggers, foresters and landowners with basic BMP knowledge and experience. The workshop is an all day program with one hour inside reviewing BMP principles and the remainder of the day in the field examining pre-identified existing BMPs where workshop participants conduct evaluations on BMP implementation and effectiveness. The field exercise includes both forestry access roads and harvest’s operations. Depending on preference by training sponsors, emphasis on roads verses harvest is weighted accordingly. Building on the Level I BMP training, Level II emphasizes planning, a systematic approach to BMPs and wet weather risk management.

Harvesting Aesthetics

The intended audiences are loggers, foresters, and landowners seeking an introduction to visual factors influencing aesthetic perceptions. This is a full day program with a half day inside and the remainder in the field. The indoor session introduces the factors of aesthetics. In the field, participants examine various landscapes, and forest management areas with varying levels of public exposure. The program take home messages include; aesthetics can be effectively and economically integrated into operations if address initially during the planning stages. Risks assessments of public exposure to forestry activities are essential if resource professionals are to be effective in managing visual effects of forestry activities.

Intro to GPS

The intended audiences are loggers, foresters, and landowners seeking an introduction GPS technology. This is an all day program with an indoor session that introduces the basic operation and functions of GPS technology. Sporadically throughout the day there are outdoor hands-on exercises’ using the GPS units provided for each attendee. The program is intended to provide an overview of all the possible applications and provide attendees with the sense that the technology is within their reach should they desire to utilize it.

Intro to Harvest Planning

The intended audiences are loggers and foresters seeking a methodology to organize harvest activities from the planning phase through the maintenance phase following closeout. The indoor session focuses on take home messages that include; the necessity to appropriate responsibilities to individuals, benefits of check lists, the need for priority setting based on risk assessments and the value of accountability. All other SFI training topics can be incorporated efficiently through effective harvest planning. The field portion of the program is a hands-on exercise building a basic harvest plan.

Bridge mat construction

The intended audiences are loggers, foresters and landowners. This is a hands-on exercise on constructing two timber mats for utilization as temporary bridges in harvest operations. The intent is to demonstrate that the construction of mats is not difficult and achievable with few tools and a little time. In some workshops there are opportunities to demonstrate proper stream crossing protocols by taking the mats, once constructed, to an active harvest operation and installing them across a stream. BMP principles are reinforced including the necessity of risk management associated with severe weather events.

Certification in Maine

The intended audiences are loggers and foresters. This is roughly a two hour program intended to provide clarification on the multiple certification systems utilized by landowners, loggers, primary and secondary manufactures throughout the value chain. Additionally, there is a discussion on the history of certification in Maine and the global context of certified products from Maine.