Piscataquis County SWCD Honors Peter Kliem, 2009 Cooperator of the Year
Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District & Maine Forest Service will publically recognize Peter Kliem as the 2009 Cooperator of the Year at its Annual Tour and Luncheon. This event will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2009, 10am – 1:30pm at Harfords Point, Greenville. Mr. Kliem is being honored for implementing many conservation and multiple use practices on his forestland, Black Forest Unit #1 and Black Forest Unit #2, including erosion and pollution control practices to protect the lake. Some of these practices include:
- Forestry aesthetics
- Wildlife habitat improvements
- Crop tree release & pruning
- Selective planting for future wildlife mast producing trees
- Oak trees
- Chestnut trees
- Black Walnut trees
- Tree shelter usage
- Preservation of vernal pools
- Wood & water conservation
- Properly built roads
- Forest trails and landing development
- Seeding of trails
- Multi-use trail systems on steep grades
- Allowance of public access
- Cost share
Mr. Kliem came to America as a teenager, but it was not until the early 60’s when he and his family purchased the first piece of land and built the family cottage on Harfords Point. It was also here at Harfords Point that Mr. Kliem met his neighbor and forestry mentor, the late John Sinclair. He fondly recalls that Mr. Sinclair had a great influence on his decisions and plans to keep his forestland healthy, diverse and open for others to appreciate. Though Mr. Kliem spent most of his life working in technology (chemistry, physics and biology), he remembered the intensively managed spruce forests of Germany threaded with many enjoyable walking trails. He wanted to create that “feel†here in Maine’s mixed-wood forests. Since then several small parcels of land have been acquired to establish the present “Black Forest Unit #1†and “Black Forest Unit #2.†The Kliem family plans to manage the land as a long-term quality forest by encouraging the re-growth of a selectively mixed forest. They also have plans to enhance the current trail system and overlooks by building more trails, to support timber harvesting and recreation, and strategically placing benches.
The tribute will begin with a tour of Black Forest Units # 1 & 2 guided by Forester Gary Morse, Owner Peter Kliem and Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Soil Conservationist Leslie Nelson. Following the tour we will host a luncheon in Mr. Kliem’s honor. Luncheon speaker William H. Livingston, Associate Professor, School of Forest Resources, will discuss “Changing Climate, Changing Forests†and observations on how climate change and invasive pests are affecting Maine’s Forests. For more information and pre-registration, please contact: Shelia Richard, Project Manager Piscataquis County SWCD, Phone: 564-2321, ext. 3 or download the registration form.