Business in brief Bangor firm to receive forestry award

AUGUSTA – A Bangor timber company that owns nearly one million acres of Maine forest is scheduled to be honored today as the second recipient of the Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award.

The award, sponsored by Maine Department of Conservation and Maine Tree Foundation, is expected to be presented to Pingree Associates and its land-management subsidiary, Seven Islands Land Co., during a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Blaine House.

Pingree Associates, a family firm whose ownership of forest lands in Maine dates back to 1841, has contributed voluntarily toward efforts to conserve Maine’s wilderness.

Four years ago the company sold the development rights to most of its Maine land holdings to the New England Forestry Foundation for $28 million. The deal permanently protected more than 760,000 acres – an area larger than the state of Rhode Island – from development.

In 2004, the first year the stewardship award was presented, it was given to the man after whom it is named. Austin Wilkins, now 102 years old, served as Maine’s forestry commissioner or deputy commissioner under 13 governors and remained active in the forestry industry into his 90s.