6-16-2016

Long-term Vision & Roadmap for Maine’s Forest Sector Robert Wagner1, Aaron Weiskittel1, Patrick Strauch2, and Peter Triandafillou2 1 Center for Research on Sustainable Forests, University of Maine 2 Maine Forest Products Council

Scope of Work A consortium of forest industry leaders (led by the Maine Forest Products Council), the State of Maine (led by the Maine Forest Service), and the University of Maine (led by the Center for Research on Sustainable Forests) are working together to develop a long-term Vision & Roadmap for Maine’s Forest products sector. This consortium will help industry and government leaders work together to develop a common long-term vision for the sector by identifying the key opportunities that must be captured, key challenges that must be met, and key obstacles that must be overcome to develop greater economic prosperity in the forest products sector across the State. This effort will be accomplished using a 4-stage plan:

4‐Stage Plan:  A comprehensive 4-stage plan to develop a Vision & Roadmap for Maine’s forest sector will be implemented (See Figure 1): 1) Forest Industry Sub-sector Analysis - Maine’s forest economic sector is composed of a number of sub-sectors, including forest landowners, loggers, transportation, solid wood products mills, pulp & paper mills, bioenergy plants, as well as the corporate and financing structures that raise and direct investment capital in the global forest sector. Each sub-sector has a clear understanding of their aspirations, as well as the key opportunities, challenges, and obstacles that they face in advancing their businesses and sub-sector. This stage will provide a detailed assessment of the strengths, opportunities, challenges, and outcomes for the seven primary subsectors making up Maine’s forest-based economy. Following contact with each sub-sector, detailed interviews and engagement will be conducted with sub-sector gatekeepers and key sector participants. Participant responses will be compiled, analyzed, and shared with all of the primary sub-sectors for additional follow-up. A report will be provided that includes: (1) documentation of strengths, aspirations, opportunities, and outcomes for the seven primary subsectors; (2) list of action items for next steps with revised procedures based on experience with initial phase; and (3) an understanding/diagram of sub-sector perceptions of the strengths, opportunities, challenges, and outcomes for Maine’s forestry industry. This stage will be organized and led by a UMaine research team with expertise in a group facilitation. 2) Forest Products Market Analysis - Future opportunities for Maine’s forest sector will be determined by the availability of global and regional markets for wood-based products. This stage will involve conducting a comprehensive market analysis of capabilities and opportunities for Maine’s forest sector based on the products that can be delivered to these markets. This analysis would include surrounding states and Canadian provinces, as Maine’s forest sector is dependent upon wood supplies and wood processors across its borders. This stage will involve two phases. The first phase will assess past (