Nominee warns of a sustainability gap in harvest rules, urges cedar and winter-yard protections

During questioning, Steve Young framed sustainability as the primary criterion for long-term forest health and local wood economies. "At the most elemental thing that I see is sustaining your fuel production or your lumber production," he said, and he argued management should maintain long-term yield.

Young offered specific figures during his answer: "Currently, the, most stringent regulations are you can't cut more than 40% of trees 6 inches and greater every 10 years. The problem is it only grows 26% every 10 years." He told the committee that northern white cedar is slow-growing, of high habitat value, and that protecting cedar in wetlands and deer wintering areas preserves connectivity and cover. Committee members asked follow-ups about habitat designation and local conservation areas; Young recommended targeting protections for deer yards and cedar stands in northern Maine.