Highlights from the 2025 National Leadership Conference in Portland, Maine

The National Leadership Conference is held every year by the American Forest Foundation, the umbrella organization for the American Tree Farm System. It gathers program leaders, administrators, foresters, and landowners to connect and share their challenges, strategies, and successes. This year, Maine had the distinct privilege of being the host state.

Patty Cormier, the Maine State Forester and a longtime supporter of the Maine Tree Farm Program, opened the conference as the keynote speaker. With attendees from across the nation, she made sure that everyone, including attendees from New England, knew they were “From Away” and introduced them to some common Maine mannerisms.

Our program chair, Chandler Buie, delivered a welcome address, playfully showcasing a few of those Maine mannerisms Patty introduced as he warned attendees against getting too “stove up” in a downtown Portland brewery. He encouraged everyone to take the time to visit a local Tree Farm, highlighting the fact that “As you drink the Portland tap water during your visit, you can be proud to know that the land that protects that water source is a Tree Farm.”

The conference's first presentation was Brett Butler’s “Who Owns America’s Forests”, a summary of the 2018 National Woodland Owner Survey Report. The report focused on landowners with at least 10 acres, which includes about 3.7 million owners who together hold 253 million acres, making up 34 percent of the nation’s forests. Key takeaways from the report were that family forest owners want to enjoy the scenery, protect wildlife, preserve nature, and maintain their privacy. While some family forest owners practice management, many lack written plans, do not seek professional help, or fail to join assistance programs. This is an opportunity for state Tree Farm programs to connect landowners with resources that support the stewardship of the nation’s forests.

This year’s conference theme, "Organizing for Impact,” emphasized the importance of collaboration and community in forest conservation. During a plenary session, Maine’s Sebago Clean Waters collaborative presented their success story. This partnership, which includes the Loon Echo Land Trust, the Portland Water District, the Lakes Environmental Association, and other organizations, focuses on conserving the Sebago watershed. Their strategy is unique, and the partnerships are powerful. The Portland Water District possesses stable funding but often navigates a maze of regulations to implement projects. On the other hand, non-profits such as the Loon Echo Land Trust have the flexibility to make quick decisions, but they don't have the same level of resources as the Portland Water District. Their partnership allows them to combine their resources and expertise, ultimately advancing their shared mission of protecting the watershed’s health. 

Throughout the National Leadership Conference, general sessions focused on how state chapters can support, grow, and sustain their programs. The Maine Tree Farm Program gained several important insights from these sessions, including strategies for initiating planned giving campaigns, inspiration for various communication methods, and ideas for expanding our recognition programs. Stay tuned to see how we implement what we learned from this conference!