Bangor Infrastructure Committee reviews forest management plans for city properties

The Bangor Infrastructure Committee reviewed updates on the city's forest operations, including the selection of a local contractor for the Roland Perry City Forest and a new 10-year management plan for Essex Woods. City Solicitor David Szewczyk also provided a brief update on the public outreach strategy for the upcoming ADA sidewalk robot program.

Key points

• The city selected Prentice and Carlisle, a local commercial timber harvesting firm, to manage forest operations at the Roland Perry City Forest and the former gravel pit in Winterport.
• A new 10-year forest management plan for Essex Woods was presented, focusing on recreational safety, invasive species control, and addressing erosion issues related to a capped landfill.
• The plan for Essex Woods recommends no commercial timber harvesting for the next decade, except where necessary to promote forest health or public safety.
• Councilor Carolyn Fish questioned the presence of vents on the Essex Woods landfill, and staff explained that the site is being grandfathered in due to its age and current vegetation cover.
• The committee moved to accept the Essex Woods forest management plan as the governing document for the period from June 15, 2026, to June 15, 2036.

Next steps

• Conduct public outreach for the ADA sidewalk robot program, including social media posts, a "meet the robots" event with the library, and a dedicated website.
• Survey all nine parcels of Essex Woods to establish internal and external boundary lines.
• Implement a three to five year pruning cycle to maintain trail clearance in Essex Woods.
• Coordinate with the DEP to remediate safety hazards associated with the capped landfill in Essex Woods.

Read the full transcript