Mr. Matthew Polstein has been a successful businessman in northern Maine for more than two decades. He and his family currently own and operate natural resource recreation companies in the Millinocket area and are well known for their entrepreneurial abilities, energy, and vision. When given the opportunity to purchase 1436 acres of forestland along the shores of Millinocket Lake they jumped on it. Their vision for this property is one that is not common; it is one that super-utilizes the forest. They see a forest which is managed in a sustainable manner for timber products, but also one which provides multiple non-timber benefits including forestry education, recreation, wildlife, native forest foods, and intrinsic values. Now, with the help of Shelterwood, it is time to put a longer-term plan into action; a plan which will assist Mr. Polstein in meeting his noble objectives.

In 1982, the Downeast Salmon Federation was founded by a group of local conservationists whom stated a mission "To conserve wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat, restore a viable sports fishery and protect other important river, scenic, recreational and ecological resources in eastern Maine". To date, the Federation has been highly successful in obtaining key forestland parcels adjacent to critical salmon habitats within the Narraguagus, Pleasant, and Machias River watersheds. Since obtaining fee ownership or conservation easements of more than 2000 acres along these watersheds, the Federation has been busy planning, implementing, and completing various projects to fulfill its stated mission, such as protection of access points, traditional fishing areas, camp sites, and preservation of archeological sites. The Forest discussed in this Plan is a large, contiguous ownership with a variety of ecological conditions. The westerly portion of the property lies along the main stem of the Narraguagus River, providing salmon habitat protection and opportunities for habitat enhancement techniques. Much of the forest is considered to be "interior" thereby providing additional opportunities for terrestrial habitat improvement, promotion of tree health and vigor, and the opportunity to protect and maintain a diverse yet productive riparian ecosystem.

Dr. Joe Nesin has been a successful veterinarian in central Maine for more than three decades. He is well known in the area for his conservation ethic and vision. When given the opportunity to purchase 1250 acres of forestland in his backyard he pounced on it. Inheriting the property from a history of short term timber liquidation objectives has left the land in a state of healing. It is now in no better hands than his. Dr. Nesin recognizes protection and conservation of the Trout Brook Forest is not only important as a property in itself, but is of equal valuable on the landscape scale. The ultimate goal is to restore the land to a natural condition so it may again someday provide white tail deer wintering habitat and will offer cool dark waters for spawning and rearing of young brook trout. He understands it will take decades for this to occur; that he may not live to see the plan to climax. But with proper management and care, he will begin moving the promise of Trout Brook Forest forward.

The Briggs family assumed ownership of the original, core 76-acre parcel in 1914 when Mr. James Ellis Briggs fell in love with the property while spending time fly fishing in nearby Grand Lake Stream. Mr. Briggs and his family consequently obtained abutting parcels to form the now expansive landscape-scale forest. In 1949, the family incorporated the ownership and officially formed Kaiowaza Inc. There are currently twenty-three (23) members of Kaiowaza, all blood descendants of Mr. Briggs. Since then, the property has been actively, albeit conservatively managed for timber productivity, for recreation, and aesthetics. It has been passively managed for wildlife habitat and water quality. The creation of this new forest management plan will provide a much more comprehensive history, review of supporting data, and discussion of pathways to move forward, not only with active forestry, but also with more active habitat and water management objectives.