By CNLT’s Stewardship Coordinator Josh Ferris.
The coast of Maine is expected to get warmer and somewhat wetter in the coming decades, continuing the existing trend. While we can expect to receive more precipitation overall, there will be less snow and more prolonged summer droughts. We also can expect more intense storms and consequently more erosion.
Sea level in Bar Harbor has increased 8 inches since 1950. The Maine Climate Council has recommended that the State of Maine manage for 1.5 feet of relative sea level rise (SLR) by 2050 and 4 feet by 2100.
Crabtree Neck is at the southern edge of the New-England-Acadian Forest, which is a transitional forest composed of northern boreal and southern temperate tree species. Because Crabtree Neck is located at the southern margin of this forest type, impacts from climate change are readily apparent.
Warmer winters and drier summers increase stress on boreal tree species such as spruce, fir and white birch. Temperate species such as white pine, red oak and maple will fare better. We are already seeing the effects in our forests as spruce, fir and cedar are dying and hardwoods are taking over.
CNLT has an opportunity to help the forest transition by thinning forests of less-climate resilient species (especially areas of balsam fir) and favoring the growth of more climate-resilient species such as pine, maple and oak. Through this work in our forests, CNLT can improve the health of the forest and also improve wildlife habitat by opening up the forest canopy, encouraging understory plants, and generally increasing the diversity of habitat provided.
Hardwood forests store approximately 4 times the carbon as spruce-fir forest, so we have the added benefit of increasing carbon sequestration in our forests.
Sea level rise and increased coastal erosion will change the conditions of our shore properties, especially the trestle on our Old Pond Railway Trail. CNLT is working with our partner conservation organizations (Frenchman Bay Conservancy and Maine Coast Heritage Trust) to address sea level rise, the migration of marshes to higher elevations along the shoreline, and to provide for long-term access to the coast.
