A $12 million gift to the University of Maine, in addition to being the largest the campus has ever received, offers the School of Forestry a rare opportunity to more aggressively move in new directions to coincide with the national emphasis on alternative energy and sustainable forestry. The school is already heavily involved in research into the use wood as a source of new types of fuel, for example. This donation will enable the university to move such efforts to a higher level with the prospect encouraging companies to locate here to build on that expertise.

The donation, from Bangor native George Houston, a member of the class of 1937, will be used primarily for scholarships, enabling the School of Forestry to recruit top students from Maine and beyond. A variety of scholarships, from full-tuition to study abroad assistance, will be offered as will support for research and teaching positions for students.

Assuming about $600,000 will be available from the fund each year, the school can support a significant number of new students throughout their UM careers. Investing in these students could pay large dividends to the university and the state, expanding the reach of the gift far beyond the Orono campus.

The university recently created the Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative with a mission of coupling work to reduce fossil fuel consumption with sustainable forest management. Researchers note that many products now made from petroleum can be made from wood, including fuel, plastics and composites.

One area that has received a lot of attention is the extraction of ethanol from wood fiber. So-called cellulosic ethanol, when used instead of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, has the potential to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As international demand for alternative fuels and products increases to meet climate change goals, demand for people with this expertise will also rise.

If Maine produces a pool of people with these skills, it is also likely that spin-off companies will locate here, spreading the benefit of Mr. Houston’s gift.

The school’s focus on multiple uses of Maine’s vast forest is another area that will benefit from this investment. For example, the emergence of carbon trading markets is likely to increase the value of timber stands as a place where emissions can be offset by the carbon stored in trees. Preserving woodlands as a place for recreation is an important aspect of the state’s ecotourism efforts.

The scholarship fund also fits well with a provision in the Senate energy bill that would provide $275 million over five years for biofuels and bioproducts research. The amendment, which UM researchers helped write, reflects the research initiative’s priorities, well positioning the university to be one of the demonstration facilities funded by the measure. It supports research into low-emissions fuels with an emphasis on local sources of material, such as Maine’s forests for ethanol. It also requires that such energy alternatives don’t negatively affect wildlife, air and water quality and regional economies.

Mr. Houston’s gift will allow the university to build on such a major research effort, while building expertise in Maine that will further the sustainable management of Maine’s forests while boosting its economy.