The 932-acre James Family Forest was acquired by GLLT in 2022 thanks to the strong conservation ethic and generosity of the James Family and grant support from numerous organizations. The forest features expansive areas of upland forest and is also rich in aquatic resources. Dominant forest types include Oak-Pine-Hardwood, Hemlock-Hardwood, and Pine-Hardwood at various stages of stand development. The property contains the entire shoreline of the 20-acre Dan Charles Pond, many acres of wetland, and approximately 2.5 miles of frontage along the Kezar River. In addition, numerous small streams traverse the land and several vernal pools provide valuable breeding habitat for amphibians. The property also features a multi-use trail network and a recently constructed hiking trail to the summit of Patterson Hill.

This property is also part of a research project being conducted across land trust properties in western Maine and eastern New Hampshire which aims to assess outcomes of different adaptive management strategies under future climate scenarios. The project, led by Will Durkin, a master’s student in the Field Naturalist Program at the University of Vermont, will utilize a process-based forestry model to simulate forest dynamics and development over the next 77 years under different climatic and adaptive forest management scenarios. To do this, the model uses stand-specific forest inventory information, soil characteristics, and projected climate data through the year 2100. This model will be used to evaluate three management scenarios: 1) No-management; 2) Resilience (selection harvest methods to promote diversity in structure, age, and composition); and 3) Transition (irregular shelterwood harvest methods in combination with enrichment of climate-adaptive species).