Comment on Tree harvesting on Swan Island gets underway

RICHMOND — A massive timber harvesting operation now underway on Swan Island is expected to remove hundreds of fallen trees from the wildlife management area at the head of Merrymeeting Bay in the Kennebec River. It may be the largest timber-clearing operation on the island since it was acquired by the state more than seven decades ago. The widespread blow-down is the result of the powerful windstorm that swept through Maine at the end of October, knocking out power to more than 500,000 people statewide and countless trees. The salvage operation in Richmond, starting this week and running through May, is expected to delay the annual opening day on the island until June 1, although educational programs scheduled for May and June still are expected to take place. John Pratte, wildlife biologist for the state Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and Swan Island manager, said he had been expecting to spend the winter planning a cutting operation on the island to diversify habitat for woodcock, grouse and songbirds. Instead, Pratte planned the salvage operation that expected to remove an estimated 1 million board feet of wood from the island, which is part of the Steve Powell Wildlife Management Area, over the next five weeks. “This is more than we were planning on harvesting initially,” Pratte said, but when the project is done, the result is not expected to be drastically different from the expected timber harvest project. Had Pratte and the department developed detailed cutting plans over the winter, they would have met with logging contractors about what would be needed to make the project feasible to do. “One of the most expensive parts of doing timber management on the island is the barging costs.