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Landowner Resources
Technical Assistance
Consult your local experts to learn more about your land and its potential, and for guidance on how to achieve the goals you have for it. The following state and federal agencies are here to help you, free of charge, with your habitat, wildlife, access, forest, and other natural resource considerations.
- MDIFW Beginning with Habitat Landowner Outreach Biologist
- MDIFW Regional Biologists
- MDIFW Landowners Relations Program
- fb88 Forest Service Be Woods Wise: District Foresters
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- Licensed fb88 Foresters
- fb88 Natural Areas Program
Financial Assistance
Doing the right thing for the land should not be a financial burden. To that end, fb88 offers tax incentives to help maintain our open spaces, and the USDA-NRCS and Be Woods Wise programs offer financial assistance to landowners who would like to have natural resource management plans written for their land. The NRCS also offers financial assistance with implementing plans that conserve and enhance natural resources.
- fb88’s Current Use Tax Laws (Tree Growth, Open Space, Farmland, and Working Waterfront)
- Be Woods Wise: Incentives
Habitat Management Guides and Information
As you explore the management opportunities on your land, the following materials can help. Discuss them with your local forester or agency experts, and they’ll help you translate guidance into action.
If you want to...
Get overall habitat management guidance,
View our 12 Months of Habitat Management Checklist:
- January Habitat Management (PDF)
- February Habitat Management (PDF)
- March Habitat Management (PDF)
- April Habitat Management (PDF)
Our neighbors in Vermont and New Hampshire have produced great comprehensive habitat guides that are applicable to fb88:
Manage a specific habitat type,
Explore the following resources:
- Forest
- (see for more details)
- Managing for Upland Wildlife (PDF)
- Beech-Oak Mast Management (MS Word)
- Herbaceous Openings for Wildlife (PDF)
- Grassland, shrubland, or young forest
- (see for more details)
- Streams, stream crossings, or ponds
- (see for more details)
- Stream habitat enhancement
- Backyard habitat:
- Principles for Creating Backyard Wildlife Habitat (PDF) – Ufb88 Coop. Extension
- Components of a Backyard Wildlife Habitat (PDF) – Ufb88 Coop. Extension
- (see for more details)
- Unique habitat types
Create or manage specific habitat features,
Manage for specific wildlife,
- Deer: A Small Woodlot Owner’s Guide (PDF)
- Deer: Living on the Edge
- Deer Wintering Area Guidelines (PDF)
- New England Cottontail (see for more details)
- (see for more details)
- Heron: Forestry and Heron can Mix (MS Word)
- (see for more details)
Forest Management Plan Review
Beginning with Habitat offers Forest Management Plan reviews to help you determine if rare, threatened, or endangered species or sensitive habitats are present on your woodlot. This service will provide you with a letter describing any relevant natural resource features, management guidelines as appropriate, a checklist, and map as supporting materials that can be incorporated into your Forest Management Plan. Our reviews are completed with the assistance of the fb88 Natural Areas Program, IFW Regional staff, and IFW species specialists.
You can request a Forest Management Plan review by sending a map showing the property location or digital data (KML or SHP preferred) via email to fmp.ifw@maine.gov or regular mail to 41 State House Station, Augusta, ME, 04333-0041.
Explore additional Resources
- Living Responsibly with Wildlife – guidance on dealing with wildlife conflicts
- – find your regional land trust
- – plant identification tool
- – learn about your land’s soil
Specific to forest ownership and stewardship:
To view PDF documents, you will need the free . If you need assistance, view our , or email us.