STATE — Maine Woodland Owners has announced that it will again offer its popular chainsaw training workshops at locations throughout the state this spring and summer. This hands-on beginner-level training provides instruction on saw handling and maintenance, protective equipment, firewood cutting, and tree felling.

Participants must have safety gear (some gear will be available to borrow), a lunch, and a folding chair. Instructed by Jack Houz, a certified logging professional trainer with significant experience with chainsaws and training others to safely handle a chainsaw, all workshops are open to the public, and registration for each workshop is $50 per person. The workshop is not a full Certified Logging Professional training.

The first workshop will be held at Whitney Memorial Forest in Gray on Saturday, May 31, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Other workshop dates and locations include Wiesendanger Wildlife Protection Area in Winthrop on Friday, June 13; Williamsburg Forest in Williamsburg on Saturday, June 28 (co-sponsored with Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District); Meadowbrook Forest in Surry on Friday, July 25 (co-sponsored with Blue Hill Heritage Trust); and Clifford Woods in Farmington on Friday, August 15. Space is limited and classes fill up quickly.

Established in 1975, Maine Woodland Owners is a non-profit organization that promotes stewardship of Maine’s small woodland resources by supporting good forest management and advocating for Maine’s small woodland owners. For more information and to register for a workshop, contact Jenn Hicks, Director of Communications and Outreach, or visit www.mainewoodlandowners.org/chainsaw-training