Cassidy Timberlands Forestry Project

Additionality

The Anew–Cassidy Forestry project encompasses 193,247 acres of northern hardwood and Acadian forest types in Maine, spanning the central and northern counties of Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset. The property is owned by Cassidy Timberlands LLC (Cassidy), a family-owned business for over a century, and has been purchased gradually over this time. As a large private industrial landowner, Cassidy's income has historically been dependent on timber products. The company's long-term priority is to secure sustainable financial returns while preserving the land as a multi-generational legacy.

Cassidy has long emphasized sustainable forestry practices yet has had to balance financial needs with environmental stewardship. Historically, its forest management strategy focused on maximizing returns from timber harvesting over the long term, generally through annual harvests which roughly matched forest growth. Over time, this has resulted in stocking levels attractive for harvest and created a robust inventory of high value timber products, achieved through silvicultural prescriptions favoring long-lived species.

Instead of continuing with this harvest-dependent strategy, Cassidy is now embracing a more balanced approach. The Anew-Cassidy project will reduce the rate of timber harvest below historic levels, resulting in increased forest carbon stocks compared to historical management while maintaining the property's long-term sustainability objectives. This project ensures that the forest's carbon sequestration potential is prioritized as a financial asset, replacing some of the financial return previously generated from timber harvesting. By lowering harvest rates, the project represents a significant shift in management practices, further ensuring that forest health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability are central to Cassidy's vision for the future. The commitment to reduce harvest levels is a key component of this project, reflecting Cassidy's dedication to exceeding industry standards and contributing meaningfully to climate change mitigation.

Our key goals encompass providing a secure long-term financial investment while preserving the property as an inter-generational legacy. The carbon project will relieve pressure to maximize forest revenues, allowing us to focus on holistic land management. Our primary motivation is driven by the desire to expand the diversity of forest products derived from our land. Through sustainable timber harvesting methods, we strive to maintain the integrity and health of our forests, fostering optimal growth while simultaneously sequestering carbon. Our overarching goal is to ensure the longevity of the Cassidy timberlands for future generations, while actively contributing to environmental preservation and the fight against climate change.
— Sara Woodman, Cassidy Timberlands LLC Manager

Baseline Description

The baseline scenario models reductions in carbon stocking across the property under a management strategy that is consistent with Cassidy's financial goals in the absence of carbon revenue, regional practices by industrial timber managers, and state-level best management practice (BMP) requirements. The land is unencumbered by easements or protective instruments which would administratively restrict harvesting, and Cassidy has managed the land consistently and at its own discretion for timber revenue. There is substantial mill capacity to meet the baseline's supply. A forest carbon project on Cassidy ownership prevents significant volumes from being harvested, allowing the forest to maintain its current stocking and continue to sequester meaningful levels of carbon into the future.

Regional Harvest Activities

A conservative baseline scenario considers not only what a landowner could do, but what a landowner plausibly would do in the absence of the harvest limitations associated with a carbon project. In the following map, Anew demonstrates actual recent harvests in the project area's region. This data speaks to the strength of local timber markets and common management practices on forested properties of comparable size and ownership type—an integral piece to inform the accuracy and viability of assumptions in the baseline scenario.

Harvest Comparison‍

All harvests/forest losses larger than 5 acres that happened between 2001 and 2022 within a 60 mile radius from the project area are depicted in orange, showing the very real pressures on forests in the area. The carbon project ensures sustainable management on the project area for 40 years, twice as long as the period depicted above.

Hansen, M. C et al. "High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change." Science 342 (15 November 2013 & updates): 850–53.

Regional Mill Map

A strong understanding of local forest products infrastructure is key to building a realistic and conservative baseline scenario. To carry out harvests modeled in the baseline, a forest property must be within a feasible travel distance to active processing facilities. This map presents mills that are drivable from the project area along with their relative processing capacity, delineating a framework for a current or future landowner to move timber in the absence of the carbon project, thereby providing a critical piece of direct evidence to the credibility and additionality of the carbon credits resulting from the project's activities.

Area Regional Mill Capacity

The calculated mill capacity is 38.76 million green tons within 120 mi of the project boundary, which represents ample capacity for the baseline to be absorbed.

Ecological Highlight

The Anew-Cassidy project encompasses a network of pristine hydrological resources including streams, ponds, and lakes that are vital to the region's biodiversity. These waterways support a variety of important aquatic species with high conservation value, including wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and the endangered Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Notably, the project area is home to critical habitats for the Gulf of Maine population of Atlantic salmon and includes extensive wild brook trout Priority Conservation Area streams.

Among the project's most treasured ecological features are heritage ponds, which support naturally occurring, unstocked populations of native eastern brook trout. These ponds are part of Maine's unique ecological legacy, as the state harbors more than 95% of the remaining intact wild brook trout lake and pond populations in the eastern United States, elevating the conservation importance of the area and safeguarding these rare and valuable species.

By reducing the intensity of timber harvesting, the Anew–Cassidy Forestry Project provides enhanced protection for these aquatic ecosystems. The lighter-touch approach will help minimize risks such as sediment runoff, soil compaction, and changes to stream temperature—factors that can severely impact aquatic life and water quality. In doing so, the project helps preserve these fragile watersheds and bolsters the region's reputation as a uniquely remote wilderness, offering exceptional recreational opportunities and safeguarding some of the most beautiful and ecologically significant landscapes in the Northeast.