Josiah and Kathleen Pierce of Baldwin have been chosen as the 2007 National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year.

The award recognizes outstanding forest management on privately owned woodlands. The Pierces were chosen as the nation’s best among 87,000 family forest owners in the American Tree Farm System.

The Pierces own about 2,000 acres. Some 360 acres have been in the Pierce family since 1785. Over the years, the family grew and spread across the world. But the Pierces maintained a strong connection to Baldwin, with many of them returning to spend summers at the homestead.

The Pierce lands have been certified as a Tree Farm since 1961. Since the 1980s, the family has worked with forester Rene Noel Jr. of Southern Maine Forestry Services. Their management plan – which is updated every 10 years and addresses forest sustainability, soil and water conservation, wildlife habitat and recreation – is focused on growing white pine and red oak, two long-lived and high-value native species.

Beyond timber, the Pierce lands also provide abundant wildlife habitat and a place for others to enjoy the outdoors. The family has even set aside a small island in the Saco River for canoeists and campers.

The American Tree Farm System, a program of the American Forest Foundation, promotes sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to private forest landowners. About 27 million acres are enrolled in the program, which was founded in 1941.