Penobscot Experimental Forest: resources, administration, and mission

Abstract

The Penobscot Experimental Forest (PEF) was established more than 60 years ago as a result of private forest landowners' interest in supporting forest research in Maine. In 1950, nine pulp and paper and land-holding companies pooled resources and purchased almost 4,000 acres of land in east-central Maine. The property was named the Penobscot Experimental Forest and was leased to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service for 99 years to provide a location for long-term forest management research in a mixed northern conifer forest. The PEF is large enough to encompass a variety of stand, site, and soil conditions. From the very beginning, its proximity to the University of Maine has fostered a close working relationship among U.S. Forest Service and university researchers. In 1994, the landowners donated the PEF to the University of Maine Foundation. The deed and subsequent memorandum of understanding outlined the mission of the PEF, its management, and its governance as a joint venture by the U.S. Forest Service, the University of Maine, and the University of Maine Foundation. Today the PEF supports a broadened research mission; provides scholarships for students at the University's School of Forest Resources; and exemplifies the benefits of a lasting, shared commitment to long-term silvicultural and ecosystem research, education, and outreach.

Parent Publication

• Penobscot Experimental Forest: 60 years of research and demonstration in Maine, 1950-2010

Citation

Kimball, Alan J. 2014. Penobscot Experimental Forest: resources, administration, and mission. In: Kenefic, Laura S.; Brissette, John C., comps. Penobscot Experimental Forest: 60 years of research and demonstration in Maine, 1950-2010. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-123. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 21-30.