A New Hampshire Town Forest Tally
Protecting a River at Risk
WINTER 2018–19
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: o to learn more and donate today. t o h P TABLE OF CONTENTS: WINTER 2018–2019, No. 296
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DEPARTMENTS 6 2 THE FORESTER’S PRISM An Everlasting Vision FEATURE 4 IN THE FIELD An Event-Filled Winter and Spring 6 Taking Stock of Town Forests 12 THE FOREST CLASSROOM An ambitious project to inventory every town-owned D
R Improving Trout Habitat on the Black Mountain Forest
O property in the state wrapped up this year, and the L
Y L I results are staggering. 14 ON OUR LAND M E
, One Man’s Quest to Visit Every Reservation; A River at Risk N
O S R
E 18NATURE’S VIEW D N
A Winter Tree ID
Y L I M
E 20 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
, Y
H A Photographer With a Sweet Tooth; 2018 Volunteer Work P A R By the Numbers G O T O
H 24 CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY P O
C Protecting Land in Wakefield E / N A
M 26 PUBLIC POLICY UPDATES K
N Northern Pass Update; Think Globally, Act Locally O M
Y R
R 28 PROJECT IN PROGRESS E J
) Old River, New Documentary T F E L
P
O A New Hampshire 30 THE MANY FACES OF CONSERVATION
T Town Forest Tally
M Protecting Forest Society Members Stephen and Patrice Rasche a River at Risk O R F
E
S On our cover: g I W
K WINTER 2018–19 In winter, Milford’s Tucker Brook Town Forest C y
O is a go-to destination for photographers seeking L
forestsociety.org C
( enchanting waterfalls. Photo by Ryan Smith. THE FORESTER’S PRISM
“I long for wildness….woods where the wood thrush forever sings,
CHAIR where the hours are early morning ones, and there is dew Deanna Howard, Etna VICE CHAIR on the grass, and the day is forever unproven…. Bill Tucker, Goffstown A New Hampshire everlasting and unfallen.” SECRETARY Amy McLaughlin, Exeter TREASURER — Henry David Thoreau — Andrew Smith, Twin Mountain PRESIDENT/FORESTER Jane A. Difley, Webster BOARD OF TRUSTEES Charlie Bridges, New Durham An Everlasting Vision John Brighton, Hanover Deb Buxton, Greenfield Bill Crangle, Plymouth Peter Fauver, North Conway uring the Forest Society’s 100th Claremont. At the time of Stephen Froling, Hancock Drew Kellner, Brookline anniversary in 2001, we published the report, there were Andy Lietz, Rye our vision for land protection 16,049 acres of town Nancy Martland, Sugar Hill D Karen Moran, Webster and forest stewardship for the state and forests and watershed Lorin Rydstrom, Hollis Janet Zeller, Concord called it New Hampshire Everlasting lands in the state. Addi- STAFF after a passage penned by Henry David tionally, a conference of EXECUTIVE Thoreau. We didn’t anticipate that we town officials met in Jane A. Difley, president/forester Maria Stewart, executive assistant would accomplish our vision alone. We Warner to inspect forestry FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION would work with and inspire other organ- activities there. Others were encouraged to Michelle Morse, human resources manager izations, communities, and state agencies follow with similar meetings. The idea Amy Nichols, finance specialist Tina Ripley, administrative assistant to achieve protection of the lands that then, as now, was not just to provide open Denise Vaillancourt, vice president of finance Harriette Yazzie-Whitcomb, receptionist keep New Hampshire, New Hampshire. space and watershed protection, but also MEMBERSHIP/DEVELOPMENT Notably, we proposed that every com- to engage citizens in forest management Juliette Clough, data processor Linda Dammann, development associate munity permanently protects 25 percent of and in the economic, environmental, and Diane Forbes, senior director for development its open space for town forests, parks, trails, recreational benefits such forests can have. Susanne Kibler-Hacker, vice president for development Allan Krygeris, senior technology specialist and drinking water. Our vision follows a In 1975, the legislature codified town Sara Krzyzaniak, data processor long tradition in the state of community forests, their acquisition, and oversight Margaret Liszka, director of membership Ann McCoy, development manager stewardship of forests and watersheds. In (RSA 31:110-113). Rich Montone, assistant vice president for development Meredith Reed O’Donnell, foundation relations manager the 1930 biennial report of the then There was foresight in this legislation; COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PROGRAMS Forestry Commission, an entire chapter townspeople were to oversee the forests David Anderson, senior director of education was devoted to town forest acquisitions and work with foresters and other natural Andy Crowley, land steward program coordinator Carrie Deegan, community engagement and volunteer manager in Nashua, Dunbarton, Brookline, and resource professionals to create management Emily Lord, digital outreach manager Jack Savage, vice president of communications/outreach Ryan Smith, communications manager POLICY/RESERVATION STEWARDSHIP Will Abbott, vice president of policy/reservation stewardship Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Frank Allen, building and grounds assistant A nonprofit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s Nik Berube, maintenance assistant most important landscapes and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources. Rita Carroll, tree farm administrator Basic annual membership fee is $40 and includes a subscription to Forest Notes. Rebecca Darman, reservation stewardship and policy coordinator Mike Farrington, property management assistant Executive Editor: Jack Savage Steven Junkin, field forester Editor: Ryan Smith Matt Leahy, public policy manager Nigel Manley, director of North Country property Design & Production: The Secret Agency Nathan Maser, property management assistant Printing: R.C. Brayshaw & Company, Inc. Carl Murphy, facilities manager Forest Notes is printed on elemental chlorine-free Sappi Flo paper with Carleen Quinn, retail and events manager 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. Sappi Flo is made from pulp purchased from Gabe Roxby, field forester Amanda St. Jean, program assistant suppliers who document sound environmental practices and sustainable forest management. Wendy Weisiger, managing forester Permission is required for reproduction of any part of this magazine. LAND PROTECTION Copyright 2019 SPNHF. US ISSN: 0015 7457. Abraham Ames, easement steward 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, N.H. 03301 | Phone: 603-224-9945 | Fax: 603-228-0423 Reagan Bissonnette, senior director of easement stewardship and counsel [email protected] | forestsociety.org Jess Charpentier, land protection specialist Connie Colton, land protection and stewardship coordinator The Forest Society proudly supports the following organizations: Naomi Houle, easement steward Brian Hotz, vice president of land conservation Tom Howe, senior director of land conservation Zach Pearo, easement steward Cosponsor Underwriter Member Matt Scaccia, easement steward plans and plan for sustainable harvests with the White Mountain National Forest, them and along the way, perhaps become and revenue. It was meant to be a com- state parks and forests, and the lands interested in stewarding these lands. munity endeavor. In a state that is nearly owned or stewarded by land trusts, man- As a new year begins, our vision can 85 percent forested, this gives citizens aging town land is a considerable venture only remain an everlasting one if we work a role not only in their community, but in the Granite State. together to steward what we cherish the also in one of the state’s most valuable As successful as this has been, there is most for us and generations to come. resources. always more that can be done. While The recent inventory of New Hamp- many town forests are permanently pro- shire’s town-owned lands (see “Taking Stock tected by conservation easements, some of Town Forests,” page 6) demonstrates the are not. And the Forest Society recognizes success of this notion. While each munici- its own obligations, working side by side pality’s ownership may seem insignificant, with communities, to entice more folks to Jane Difley is the president/forester of the Society the cumulative impact is impressive. Along visit New Hampshire’s forests to enjoy for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
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, forestsociety.com/2018slideshow forestsociety.com/howtreessurvive forestsociety.com/foragetotable R E I Z A
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G @Forest_Society A P Forest Notes E a future issue of . T I S O P P O ( Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 3 IN THE FIELD Winter–Spring 2019 Events
THE COTTRELLBALDWIN ENVIRONMENTAL LECTURE SERIES BRETZFELDER PARK FAMILY All presentations take place in the Henry I. Baldwin Environmental Center at the Caroline A. EDUCATIONAL SERIES Fox Research and Demonstration Forest in Hillsborough. For more information, email Dave For more information, visit Anderson at [email protected] or visit forestsociety.org/events. Cost: Free. therocks.org/calendar. Cost: Free. MARCH 19 | 78:30 P.M. FEBRUARY 20 | 78 P.M. Dragons and Damsels of New Hampshire To Bee or Not to Bee Welcome to the fascinating world of the insect order The Rocks, Bethlehem Odonata! You may be familiar with dragonflies and dam- Join certified master beekeeper Janice selflies, but what do you really know about these ancient Mercieri for an informative program insects? Dr. Pamela Hunt, avian conservation biologist on the plight of honeybees and how for the New Hampshire Audubon, will provide an it affects our food chain. Learn about overview of the order’s biology and ecology, from their what you can do to help make sure amazing lifecycle to their incredible diversity. She’ll also our bees and food supply remain highlight a few of New Hampshire's notable species vibrant and healthy. and talk about the “New Hampshire Dragonfly Survey,” a five-year volunteer project that documented the
FEBRUARY 27 | 78 P.M. distribution of these insects across the state. Moose, Marten, and More: MARCH 26 | 78:30 P.M. How a Changing Climate Might Affect Northern Wildlife The Original Forests of New Hampshire N
Charles Cogsbill, forest ecologist and co-author of The Changing Nature of the Maine O in Vermont S M A Bretzfelder Park, Bethlehem Woods, will provide a fascinating introduction to the forests of New Hampshire from I L L the emergence of the forests 12,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age to the time of I W
Join Doug Morin, a biologist for T
European arrival. Learn about the latest scientific research that helps explain how the E Vermont Fish and Wildlife, for an in- G D forests have changed over time to what we have today. Cogsbill will also discuss the I R
formative program on some of the B
role of key ecological forces, climate change, insects, disease, windstorms, and other Y E
region’s northern wildlife, including L agents of forest change. N moose, American marten, and boreal A M L birds. Morin will discuss the future of E G APRIL 2 | 78:30 P.M. I these iconic animals in the face of a N E
New Hampshire’s Loons N changing climate, land use patterns, R O
The Loon Preservation Committee was formed in 1975 with a mission to restore and H and other human impacts. T H
maintain a healthy population of loons throughout New Hampshire; to monitor the A R A
MARCH 6 | 78 P.M. health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality; and S ) P
to promote a greater understanding of loons and the larger natural world. Join Harry O Cruising New Hampshire History T
Vogel, senior biologist and executive director of the Loon Preservation Committee, to M O
Bretzfelder Park, Bethlehem R learn more about loon natural history, challenges facing loons, and the organization’s F E S Join a local expert for a night of New mission. I W K
Hampshire history. The state’s history C O L
is uniquely on display along its APRIL 9 | 78:30 P.M. C E
highways. New Hampshire roadside G A
More than Granite: An Introduction to New Hampshire’s Geology P S
historical markers commemorate I
New Hampshire’s “granite state” identity dates back to the early nineteenth century, H T significant events and individuals (
even before the first geological survey was authorized by the state legislature in 1839. N
from the first settlers arriving in 1623 A G
Although the nickname is well-deserved given the widespread occurrence of granite and E to the notable figures who helped E the early importance of granite quarries as local, then commercial, sources of building stone, D Y
define what New Hampshire is today. D
it fails to convey the true complexity of the geology that is found here. Join Frederick “Rick” N A ) Chormann, New Hampshire state geologist, to learn more about the state’s glaciated E G A landscape—and what lies beneath it. P E T I S O P P O (
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Taking Stock of Town Forests From Pittsburg to Nashua, New Hampshire Towns Own A Lot of Land. But How Much and Why Does It Matter? By Kelly Short H T I M S N
trio of organizations collaborated on a treasure hunt The project unearthed an extensive set of data that had never A Y R
across the Granite State over the last two years, search- been collected before: Communities own nearly 180,500 acres, Y H P
A A ing to discover how much forestland New Hampshire’s about 4 percent of New Hampshire forestland, and permanently R G towns and cities own, and to understand how these lands con- protected 119,640 acres of this land. The inventory also found O T O tribute to the state’s economy and environment. that 127,867 acres are managed with foresters or other natural H P O C
The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension resource professionals and 97,888 acres are covered by steward- E / N
(UNH Extension), the Northern Forest Center, and the New ship plans. A M K
Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions (NHACC) “The amount of town-owned land is exciting,” says Julie Renaud N O conducted the Town & Community Forests Project with the goal Evans, program director for the Northern Forest Center, “but it M Y R R
of helping communities recognize the value of their land and was a huge surprise that sixty-six percent of it is permanently E J ) T
encouraging them to protect more open space for environmental, protected. I think it shows the value that communities place on F E L
economical, and cultural benefits. conservation, and that we have good resources and tools in the M O R
state to help them do it. This is really something to celebrate.” F ( 6 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 The concept of protecting land from development and overuse to preserve its valuable natural resources dates back to 1710 when Newington (right) became the first town in America to set aside land for this purpose. Over the years, many towns have followed suit, including Randolph and its 10,000-acre community forest (left), created in 2001.
Online: See the complete set of town ownership data at https://nfcenter.org/inventory.
All this community-owned land—totaling about 10,000 acres Bennett, forestry state specialist for UNH Extension and one of more than all state-owned forests and parks combined—generates the project leaders, say there is an opportunity for towns statewide
H financial treasure as well. John Gunn, research assistant professor to do more once they see the many options for managing their T I
M of forest management at the New Hampshire Agricultural Exper- forestland. S
N
A iment Station and UNH Extension, compiled the survey data To collect the survey data, UNH Extension county foresters Y R
,
Y and calculated the economic benefit of the land. Using per-acre met with local officials—primarily conservation commissions but H P
A values from the North East State Foresters Association for the also planning boards, select boards, school districts, and others— R G
O forest products industry and recreational uses, Gunn estimates from 220 of New Hampshire’s 256 towns, cities, and unincorpo- T O
H the total economic benefits of community-owned land at $146 rated places. The survey counted all municipally owned property P O C
E million a year, comprising $54 million from recreational uses and greater than 10 acres that has no buildings and no plans for / N
A more than $92 million from forest-related industries such as development. “Before, all this information was held locally, but M K
N logging, milling, wood products manufacturing, the maple indus- now we know where the land is, and in some cases how it relates O M
try, and Christmas trees. to other important land in the state,” says Bennett. Y R R
E The inventory also researched actual harvest and revenue data The U.S. Forest Service funded the project with a $148,000 J
) T
F from community-owned land in Coos, Grafton, and Carroll grant, which UNH Extension, Northern Forest Center, and E L
M counties. “I’m glad to see the towns using professional foresters NHACC matched better than 1:1 with their time and resources. O R
F and generating revenues,” says Renaud Evans. Both she and Karen ( Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 7 Acres of Town-Owned Forests Percent of County in Town Ownership
Towns own a varying amount of land in New Hampshire, with Randolph, Freedom, and Errol owning the most.
Behind the Numbers RECREATION AND TOWNOWNED NUMBER FOREST SECTOR Results of the town-by-town survey vary widely. COUNTY ACREAGE OF PARCELS ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS Twenty-three communities reported owning 100 $/YEAR acres or fewer each, including Chatham, West- moreland, Jefferson, Campton, Windsor, and Belknap 6,905 81 $5,663,067 Andover. Randolph tops the list with 10,688 acres; Carroll 24,086 135 $19,753,892 Freedom is close behind with 10,644 acres; and Errol is third with 7,596 acres. Fifty-six com- Cheshire 13,877 129 $11,381,083 munities either reported no ownership or did not respond to the survey. Coos 25,945 28 $21,278,532 At the county level, the highest percentage of Grafton 6,877 85 $5,640,103 community-owned land is in Rockingham, Hills- borough, and Carroll counties, with the lowest in Hillsborough 37,170 397 $30,484,604 Y
Grafton and Coos. The percentage rankings were H P
Merrimack 21,355 310 $17,514,090 A based on total acres in each county, including all R G O public lands (see sidebar at right). T
Rockingham 26,358 350 $21,617,250 O H
The nature of the lands, whether they’re perma- P O C E nently protected and how they’re managed, have Strafford 9,945 126 $8,156,292 / N as many variations as a kaleidoscope. Many com- A M Sullivan 7,921 85 $6,496,329 K munities have designated official town forests, N O M
putting the property management into the hands Y
Grand Total 180,439 1,691 $147,985,241 R R E J 8 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 An angler casts a line into placid Trout Pond in the Freedom Town Forest. In 2001, Freedom residents joined together with several organizations to protect more than 2,500 acres of land for mixed-use purposes, including recreation and sustainable logging.
of a town forest committee or a conservation commission, though the designation does not guarantee permanent conser- vation. Others have worked with a land trust like the Forest Society or a state agency to add a conservation easement on the property, which permanently protects the land, even if the town someday sells the property. A third option is to create a community forest (see “Land Protection 101,” below). “One of our goals,” says Renaud Evans, “is to help towns understand the ways they can get the most out of the land they own through sustainable management. They can realize substantial benefits from both active forest management and permanent protection for natural resources and habitat.” Like any good treasure hunt, this one also had some surprises: Cornish found 36 acres the town hadn’t realized it owned. Stratham discovered about 20 acres in two lots and Hillsborough found management plans covering eight properties and 500 acres. “This is an amazing data set, and there’s so much we’ll be able to do with it—analysis, research, planning,” says UNH Extension Field Specialist Andy Fast, county forester for Belknap and Straf- ford counties who also assisted other counties with their research. “The process gave us the chance to do a lot of basic education, which was really important and rewarding,” he says. “For instance, some towns had goals of improving wildlife habitat, but they may not have realized that harvesting timber can be a tool for achieving those goals.” Fast cites Alton in Belknap County and Portsmouth in Rock- ingham County as examples. He says both communities are thinking about possible changes to how they manage some parcels because of what they learned through the survey. “We can
LAND PROTECTION 101
Communities have many options related to owning, managing, rights on a property to establish a conservation easement that and protecting land. Communities can own land for conservation will last forever, regardless of who owns the property. (Individuals can or other purposes without any special designation and without a establish conservation easements on private property as well.) management plan. Public ownership of this type does not guarantee Community forests are a relatively new conservation model that permanent protection of the land from development. supports a wide variety of community priorities and ensures that the New Hampshire statute 31:110 allows communities to vote to establish benefits from the land return to the community. Key elements of the a town forest. This is a legal designation that stipulates the forest must model are town ownership of the land, permanent protection of the be managed by either a town forest committee or a conservation property through a conservation easement, and citizen participation commission rather than a select board. However, voting to establish in property management decisions. Cambridge, Durham, Easton, Errol, Y H
P a town forest does not guarantee permanent protection of the land Freedom, Hampton Falls, Meredith, Milan, Strafford, and Randolph A R
G from development. have established community forests, as have many communities in O T
O other states. (Franconia, Landaff, and Sugar Hill helped establish the
H Conservation easements
P are legal transactions with another insti-
O Cooley-Jericho Community Forest in Easton.) The Northern Forest C
E tution, such as a land trust or a state agency, that provide permanent /
N Center worked with the Trust for Public Land and the Quebec-
A protection from development on most or all the property when there M
K Labrador Foundation to develop the model. View project profiles at
N are high conservation values to protect in the public interest. Com-
O nfcenter.org/commforests. M
munities can donate or sell (if they have a buyer) the development Y R R E J Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 9 Left: Meredith’s Page Pond and Forest was protected in 2009 for its cultural, economic, and recreational uses. Middle: Greater Goose Pond Forest in Keene, a town-owned property on which the Forest Society holds an easement, is a popular spot for walking, fishing, boating, and other outdoor activities.
help towns find ways to manage multiple objectives on a prop- heard resoundingly from conservation commissions that they erty, such as reducing the visual impact of harvesting, and even want to learn how to better engage community members in town help them change public perception about harvesting. In some forest management,” says Bennett. Commissions also requested cases, a harvest can create new wildlife habitat or create condi- help with forestry and wildlife management, recreational trails, tions that support rare or unique plant communities,” notes Fast. education, land protection, and financial issues. For the town of Farmington, the survey sparked a focus on forest Barbara Richter, executive director of NHACC, says the part- health that led to an educational session for the conservation nership between UNH Extension and NHACC will continue commission, select board, and public. It also launched some with advanced workshops in the spring and new written and broader discussions about property management. web-based information available in 2019–2020. Bennett and Fast say the survey itself was an excellent tool for “We hope to work with communities that are receptive to public reconnecting conservation commissions with their UNH Exten- involvement and move them further along the ‘best practices’ sion county forester. “Now that the foresters have sat with people spectrum,” says Richter. “Ideally, a ‘model community’ has an in each community to do the inventory, they have a better established group that takes responsibility for land management, G
understanding of who is charged with stewarding these public forestry, record keeping, and public engagement, and works N U O
lands,” says Bennett. closely with foresters and natural resource professionals. These Y N
Another gem turned up by the survey is insight into what con- best practices can help expand and protect town forests by A Y R
servation commissions need help doing. “Beyond the data, we advancing them toward the community forest model.” O R A E P H
Mapping the Treasure C A
PROJECT PARTNERS Z
John Gunn of UNH says he is intrigued by the fact that the Y H P
more populous counties have a higher percentage of town forest- A New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions R The G
land. “Somebody realized it was important to conserve that O T
is a nonprofit conservation organization that provides education O
land,” he notes. “It’s good to see from an ecological perspective.” H P
and assistance to New Hampshire’s local conservation commissions. O
The project is sharing mapped locations of town-owned land C E (nhacc.org) / N
with GRANIT, the state’s data-rich GIS mapping system housed at A M The Northern Forest Center is a regional innovation and investment K N O
partner creating rural vibrancy by connecting people, economy, M Y R
and the forested landscape. (northernforest.org) R E J ) T F
UNH Cooperative Extension strengthens people and communi- Learn more E L
Explore GRANIT’s extensive online mapping tools M
ties in New Hampshire by providing trusted knowledge, practical O R
and data at https://bit.ly/2Ft47T6. F education, and cooperative solutions. (extension.unh.edu) (
10 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 Right: Permanently protected with a Forest Society conservation easement in 2017, the Milan Community Forest is one of the newest town-owned properties in the state.
UNH, to make sure all 1,691 community-owned parcels are added to the database. The new data will allow towns, individuals, and “We have a good story to tell in terms of the organizations to see the lands they own in the context of adja- economic, ecological, and social benefits that cent community parcels. Will Abbott, Forest Society vice president of policy and reser- communities are realizing from their property.” vation stewardship, sees several ways the new data will be useful. “If there’s a town forest with hiking trails adjacent to a property we own, we might decide not to develop trails on our own prop- The real gold in this treasure hunt may be that the conserva- erty, or conversely, to create trails that link to the town’s trails,” tion commissioners are asking for help engaging citizens and he says. explaining the value of town forestland and management so they “It’s certainly a tool we’ll use in doing our own forest can build support for future acquisitions. management plans,” he notes. “We always look to see what other “Ultimately,” says Renaud Evans, “we want to support conserved lands are nearby and how that relates to or affects our increased community ownership of protected land. It can be an G
N own plans. It will help us see our properties in the larger landscape.” important part of a community’s economic base, and it can make U O
Y Gunn adds that when the parcels are mapped in GRANIT, he a town a more appealing place to live, with easy access to natural
N
A expects land managers will find enhanced value from seeing a places and amenities like trails.” Y R
,
O more complete picture of how these lands relate to conserved R A E state lands and important natural assets like drinking water. Kelly Short is communications director for the Northern Forest Center, P
H
C a member and past chair of the Canterbury Conservation Commis- A Z
,
Y What’s Ahead sion, and co-recipient of the Forest Society’s Conservationist of the Year H P
A The project’s research team presented its findings to conserva- award in 2005. R G
O tion advocates from across the state at the NHACC annual meet- T O
H ing in early November, and Gunn plans to post a data dashboard Learn More: P O
C of the results online. Map changes have already begun to appear E / N
A on GRANIT and are expected to be completed in the spring. • For general information about town and community forests M K Bennett says even though the project wrapped up in August, (e.g., benefits and establishment), email Barbara Richter at N O M
the outcomes will be continual as towns and organizations work NHACC ([email protected]) or Julie Renaud Evans at the Y R
R with the data. “We have a good story to tell in terms of the Northern Forest Center ([email protected]), or call E J
) T
F economic, ecological, and social benefits that communities are your county forester at 800-444-8978. E L realizing from their property,” she says. “Beyond dollars, there’s M O R
F the value of clean air and water, and other ecological services.” • For further information about the project, contact Karen Bennett (
at UNH Extension ([email protected]).
Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 11 THE FOREST CLASSROOM
Go Fish: Improving Brook Trout Habitat, One Log at a Time By Carrie Deegan
omething fishy happened last fall at the Forest Society’s Black Mountain SForest in Sutton. Dressed in waders and carrying tape measures and tablets, Kearsarge Regional High School (KRHS) students stood in a small stream measur- ing logs that had fallen across the water. It might not be obvious at first, but KRHS science teacher Emily Anderson and her students are assessing native brook trout habitat on one of the reservation’s unnamed streams. One student sloshes in the water and calls out a measurement to a classmate who records the data, takes a couple photos of the log, and verifies its location with a small red flag. Content with their findings, the team moves on to the next log. Before the fieldwork began, Anderson taught her class about brook trout and the habitats the fish need to thrive. They learned that brook trout seek out the cool, Students from Kearsarge Regional High School study and record stream data on the clean water of forested streams, and that Black Mountain Forest in Sutton. they require different habitat types within these streams at different ages, sizes, and times of year. The key to creating these with an electrified ring at the end. When cheers from the students. “It’s a monster!” habitats is trees—lots of them. Trees help submerged in water, the ring can deliver exclaimed one student. At 9 inches long, to shade the streams in the summer, keep- enough voltage to stun fish momentarily, even Magee was impressed. “That fish is ing the water cool and making trout so that they float to the surface where they likely 4 or 5 years old,” he notes. “Its pres- happy. When the older trees die, their are netted, weighed, and measured before ence in this location is a good indicator fallen trunks and branches get lodged in being released unharmed. By the end of that the stream’s ecosystem is healthy.” stream banks, creating in-stream structures the day, the students analyzed nearly 30 The class collaborated with Forest Soci- that trap sediment and organic material, fish in just 100 meters of stream, all of ety and New Hampshire Fish & Game staff produce upstream pools and cascades, and them native eastern brook trout. Most of to develop an assessment methodology scour plunge pools below. “People don’t the fish were less than a few inches in that quantifies physical characteristics of think about a fish living in the forest,” length, but one fish elicited shouts and the stream, including its width, length, mused one of Anderson’s students, “but this fish really does. It needs trees.” Earlier in the semester, Anderson’s DID YOU KNOW? students spent a day assisting New Hamp- Since 2015, the Mount Kearsarge Outdoor Classroom, an experiential learning program shire Fish & Game biologist John Magee developed by Kearsarge Regional High School and the Forest Society, has provided electrofishing in the stream study area. hands-on projects for students on the 1,294-acre Black Mountain Forest, which abuts the Electrofishing involves strapping on a large school’s campus. battery backpack that powers a 6-foot pole
12 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 Left: John Magee (right), a New Hampshire Fish & Game biologist, uses electrofishing equipment to collect native brook trout. Right: Students weigh and measure a brook trout before returning it to the water.
It takes some practice to recognize locations where the stream could benefit from additional structures, as well as where there are enough trees to create an installation without removing too many that the brook will be unshaded. Foresters also need to identify which trees will come down, and in what order and orientation. It’s physically and technically demanding work, but there’s an element of artistry to it as well. “We really have to let the forest dictate where the installations will go,” and depth of pools, riffles, and cascades; whole trees into and across the water. A says Colin Lawson, New England culvert
N the streambed’s substrate types; and the heavy-duty come-along called a griphoist project coordinator for Trout Unlimited. O S R
E location, orientation, and size of downed is used to drag felled trees into strategic ag- “If there aren’t enough trees close to the D N A
wood in the stream. After collecting the gregations, effectively creating man-made stream, or they aren’t well positioned, we Y L I data, Anderson’s students analyzed it log jams that will generate new pool and can’t create structures easily no matter M E
,
D using Geographic Information System cascade habitats for trout. how badly the stream could use it.” R O L
(GIS) software, and then synthesized the Managed forests like Black Mountain At a recommended 200 installations per Y L I
M results into a digital presentation to often lack older trees that, over time, top- linear mile of stream, Forest Society staff E
)
T understand the stream’s habitat potential ple over in a stream corridor, so artificially will be busy this year on the Black Moun- F E L for native brook trout. “This was an amaz- creating these in-stream structures is one tain Forest. When the work is complete, a M O R
F ing opportunity for these students,” says solution to improving trout habitat. This new group of Anderson’s students will
, E
G Anderson. “Many of them are interested fall, Forest Society staff spent a few days quantify the extent to which the trout A P
S
I in natural resource careers, and for this with Trout Unlimited project leaders learn- habitat has changed, and eventually, they H T (
; project they got to work with profession- ing how and where to create these “instal- may be able to identify a difference in the N O
S als, learn real field techniques, and collect lations” along a stream. “It’s a bit abundance, lengths, and weights of brook R E
D real data for a nonprofit organization.” counter-intuitive,” says Steve Junkin, a trout in the stream. With any luck, the N A
Y The Forest Society is especially inter- Forest Society field forester. “As foresters, future of the Black Mountain Forest will be L I M
E ested in the results of the study because we’re always taught that the best manage- even more fishy than it is today.
) E
G staff are planning to improve more trout ment practice is to leave an uncut buffer A P
E habitat in Black Mountain Forest this year. along streams, so it seems strange to just Carrie Deegan is volunteer and community T I S
O Enhancing trout habitat involves creating drop trees into the water. But it’s really engagement manager for the Forest Society. P P O
( additional in-stream structures by felling more technical than that.”
Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 13 ON OUR LAND
Dick hikes on a clear, brisk day in December 2018 at the Forest Society’s Moody Mountain Forest in Wolfeboro.
Man on a Mission: A Hiker’s Quest to Visit Every Forest Society Reservation
By Emily Lord
ick Widhu of Nashua has an ambi- Dick, 76, hasn’t always been a hiker. Visiting every reservation is different tious plan. He wants to be the A lifelong kayaker, bicyclist, and cross- from the hiking lists that he has com- Dfirst person to visit all 185 Forest country skier, Dick started hiking in 2008 pleted because there is more bushwhack- Society reservations, but his challenge is when he retired from the post office as a ing involved. While all Forest Society not as easy as it sounds. Some properties, rural letter carrier. He joined a hiking reservations are open to the public, many like Mount Major in Alton, are a piece of group led by his neighbor that hiked every lack features like trails and parking, and cake to find, have well-marked trails, and Wednesday year round, mostly in the are conserved for ecological reasons rather feature stunning scenery, while other White Mountains. By 2017, Dick summited than recreation. Dick actually prefers to properties are harder to locate unless you all sixty-five 4,000-foot mountains in Ver- travel off-trail, and he carries a topo- know what you’re looking for. It’s safe mont, New Hampshire, and Maine. He graphic map, compass, and GPS unit on to say that his endeavor is not for the faint went on to hike the 100 highest peaks in every visit. of heart. New England and also in New Hampshire.
14 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 returned to Henniker, this time trying Heald Tract the west end of Colby Hill Road. To his by Dick Widhu delight, the road looked passable. About a half mile in, he found a place to park and A bright December day, already ice started on his bike. Almost immediately, on Heald Pond, surface scratched the road became a rocky streambed, and with crazy curves. he was forced to push his bike. The tem- A duck bursts up as I approach, the flock perature was a sweltering 93 degrees. Since takes flight around the pond, and I regret he was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and pants their waste of energy on winter days. for bug protection, he began sweating pro- A smooth-trod runway leads to water’s edge; fusely. “The heat made me frequently stop a beaver, maybe otter, slides in here. to check my body to see whether it was safe to continue this insanity,” he notes. Along an upland path a gray bird lifts Before long, Dick looked for any indi- up softly, silent, and settles hidden there cation that he was on a Forest Society among the branches, safe and higher up property: blue blazes, metal tags, or the from me, the interloper, visitor iconic Forest Society signs. Nothing. unwelcome here. His map suggested that he was, in fact, in My crashing steps disturb the wildness, the Colby Hill Forest, so he took some bring disorder, out of place. Dick, who prefers to hike off trail using photographs, ate a snack, and guzzled The owl looks down with cool disdain. a map and compass, takes a bearing at some refreshing water before heading Moody Mountain Forest. back to the car, one reservation closer to A hill, quite steep, is next; the trail does not completing his list. switch back or condescend to give me rest. Dick appreciates the variety of environ- Dick plans to finish this summer. As I reach the top and there’s a cairn: ments the Forest Society preserves; in that this issue goes to press, he has visited 158 assorted stones in careful balance laid. no two properties are the same. Heald reservations. When asked what he plans to Descending north, a hemlock grove in shade. Tract is a favorite of his because of the do after he finishes, Dick says he wants On fallen needles, walking quiet, here property’s diverse landscape. Heald is a to volunteer on trail work days and the mountain laurel thrives in acid soil. huge 1,492-acre reservation in the towns explore some of the Forest Society’s prop- of Wilton, Temple, Mason, and Greenville erties in a little more depth. If anything, Between the trees, I spy a patch of blue: that features large active beaver ponds, he plans to keep moving, one foot in front Castor Pond. hemlock groves, and old farmsteads. Dick of the other. The beavers built their lodge with mud even wrote a poem about his most recent and new-cut visit to the property (see sidebar). Emily Lord is digital outreach manager for the branches, part on land. The quiet breaks, While he enjoys hiking with others and Forest Society. a downy woodpecker knocks from dying birch has learned a lot from his days hiking in across the frozen marsh. Atop a flooded groups, he is aware that bushwhacking is tree trunk, not everyone’s cup of tea. He mainly hikes resting high, a platform built of sticks: solo, though he is conscious to invite Go Online, Get Outside an osprey nest. friends on hikes when he knows they’ll Looking to start your own quest? have a good experience. Otherwise, they Check the Forest Society’s By now I’ve almost hiked a loop, come out might be shocked at how much time and Forest Reservation Challenge at upon an old woods road abandoned long effort it takes to visit certain properties. forestsociety.org/challenge for details. ago, now crowded, shaded by maple, oak, So far, the most difficult property for made firm by years of cart and Dick to find is the trail-less Colby Hill Forest Note: All Forest Society reservations wagon wheels in Henniker. In July 2018, he drove around are open to the public; however, those that crawled their way to this height of land. ) 2
X the town trying various deteriorated roads without detailed Reservation Guide The gray and weathered buildings (
D
R to no avail until he finally resolved to information may be difficult to locate sinking down, O L
Y come back another day. A month later, and access due to lack of signage now only grass where house and barn L I M
E with his mountain bike in tow, Dick and parking. once stood.
Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 15 ON OUR LAND
The River Rediscovered Documentary Puts New Spotlight on the Merrimack
By Jack Savage
“The farmhouse lingers, though averse urban development in New England were No one would know except for ancient maps to square overwhelming the natural world. Frost That such a brook ran water…” Y
With the new city street it has to wear laments the imbalance, and writes in the H P A
A number in. But what about the brook poem that as the city grew up around that Frost’s vision of a brook overlooked R G O
That held the house as in an elbow-crook?” farmhouse, caught my attention because some of us at T O H
— from “A Brook in the City” by Robert Frost the Forest Society have been spending a P O C E
“The brook was thrown fair amount of time on and around the / N I came across this Robert Frost poem, Deep in a sewer dungeon under stone Merrimack River this year and last. Like A M K
“A Brook in the City,” written nearly 100 In fetid darkness still to live and run— Frost’s brook in the city, the Merrimack for N O M
years ago in 1920. He penned it in a time And all for nothing it had ever done some—perhaps for most—is similarly for- Y R R E of increasing awareness that industry and Except forget to go in fear perhaps. gotten. To this end, the Forest Society is J
16 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 Learn more Turn to page 28 to learn more about the film and to help support the production.
working with videographer Jerry Monkman along the river and its tributaries are the on a documentary film about the river and natural filter and sponge for water; the its watershed, the health of which will be more we convert to pavement, the less critical to our future livelihood. healthy the river becomes. Once a transportation corridor itself, The Merrimack has been a focus area the Merrimack has been usurped by high- for the Forest Society since our beginning ways that flank its banks. Sequestered in in 1901. our climate-controlled cars and trucks, we Our first advocacy goal was the passage whiz along from Franklin to Concord to of the Weeks Act, which enabled the Manchester to Nashua, crisscrossing a establishment of eastern National Forests. nearly invisible body of water below. Do The Weeks Act cited protecting the “Navi- we remember from where it flows? Do we gability of navigable streams”—i.e., the know where all that water goes? Merrimack—as the source of Congress’s The river’s edge is even more devel- authority to acquire lands to protect a oped—and arguably more invisible—once watershed. The Weeks Act passed, the it bends east to help define our border White Mountain National Forest (the upper with Massachusetts. Lowell, Lawrence, reaches of the Merrimack River watershed) and Haverhill crowd its banks, where was established, because business and Route 495 entwines it like bittersweet conservation interests came together in around an oak before spilling into the Gulf recognition that we had common interest of Maine in Newburyport. in protecting a natural resource. A stretch of the Merrimack straddles the While the river may no longer power the We made a lot of progress improving forested and developed border of Boscawen textile mills that drove the urban develop- the water quality of the Merrimack since and Canterbury, N.H. ment of the nineteenth and early twentieth then. Today it is fishable and swimmable— centuries, it is still prominent in our econ- and I can attest that in many stretches, it omy. More than half a million households is remarkably beautiful. To keep it that and businesses rely on it for drinking way, for business and pleasure, we will water. More cities and towns are planning need to heed Robert Frost. for the time when they, too, will need to stick a straw into the river. We still gener- Jack Savage is vice president of communica- Y
H ate power thanks to the river, and the river tions and outreach for the Forest Society. P A
R powers a recreation economy. G O
T However, both the U.S. Forest Service O H P and American Rivers have listed the Merri- Online: O C E
/ mack among the topmost threatened Check out the trailer for the in-progress N A rivers in the United States, in large part documentary, The Merrimack: River at M K
N because of the predicted pace of develop- Risk, at forestsociety.org/merrimack- O M
Y ment in the watershed. The forested buffer river-risk. R R E J
Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 17 NATURE’S VIEW
Get Schooled in Barkology Winter provides the perfect opportunity to contemplate tree bark
By Dave Anderson
ne of the most reliable ways to tree. Adaptations, including smooth thickest plates of fire-resistant bark. North- identify trees year round, partic- surfaced or peeling strips of bark, make it ern hardwood trees, including beech, Oularly in winter, is by recognizing difficult for epiphytes—mosses, lichens, or birch, and maple, cannot survive where the intricate details of tree bark. Bark varies liverworts—to grow on trunks, thus mask- fire recurs because of their thin bark. These by species and its colors and textures are a ing the penetration of sunlight into the three hardwood species comprise the function of age and rate of growth. Young, inner bark. northern transition zone where bark color, fast-growing trees have smooth bark In southern New Hampshire, red oaks texture, and thickness represent adapta- analogous to the supple skin of youth and white pines prefer warm, dry, well- tions to a northern latitude where fire while old, slow-growing trees develop drained sites while white oaks and red disturbance is limited. craggier “facial” characteristics—wrinkles, pines, rife with lowbush blueberry in their So, this winter, grab a thermos of hot fine lines, crinkles, and crevices—that can understory, choose even drier south-facing chocolate, a warm jacket, and a tree ID make identifying a tree harder. sites. Thick, corky bark is one adaptation book and spend some time in your local Spend some time contemplating the that allows oaks and pines to survive fast- forest admiring the intricacies of tree bark bark of deciduous and coniferous trees moving ground fires, which occur in these and its many-faceted “faces.” and you’ll quickly notice the colors and drier regions. In fire-prone areas, includ- textures that make one species stand out ing the Ossipee Pine Barrens, black oak, Naturalist Dave Anderson is senior director of from the other. If you’re quiet, you might bear oak, and pitch pine boast some of the education for the Forest Society. even notice many of New Hampshire’s resident winter birds—jays, nuthatches, Learn More titmice, and chickadees—caching seeds in To find out more about tree bark, pick up Michael Wojtech’s Bark: A Field Guide the nooks and crannies of bark. You might to Trees of the Northeast (University Press of New England, 2011). also catch these birds gleaning tasty To learn more about tree adaptation, check out Peter J. Marchand’s North Woods: insects tucked beneath the tree’s armor. An Inside Look at the Nature of Forests in the Northeast (Appalachian Mountain Club Keep an eye out for the diminutive brown Books, 1987). creeper, whose preferred nesting habitat is in the large peeling plates of bark on BARK TRIVIA standing-dead white pine snags. How dark or light a tree’s bark is can 1. Typically thin, smooth, and light gray. People often carve initials in this tree’s bark. reveal which species is more or less 2. When young the bark is curly and golden colored. When very old, the bark appears like adapted to life in the northern climate. “burnt potato chip” flakes similar to the bark of black cherry or mature red spruce. The thin, light-colored bark of beech, aspen, and birch admits sunlight into the 3. This bark varies from light reddish brown when young to grayish brown in middle age. corky inner bark of twigs and stems where Light-colored lichens add splotches of color to the bark in middle age. photosynthesis takes place even in the 4. The diamond-shaped bark of this tree creates a netting pattern like a cantaloupe rind. absence of leaves, an important adaptation to surviving in the northern forest. Dark 5. Long-hanging plates give this tree’s bark a shredded appearance. When mature, the bark absorbs more sunlight, warming the bark is brown and has deeply furrowed ridges. trunk and radiating more heat. Too much 6. This bark is thin and often found with white streaks of aromatic pitch when young. temperature fluctuation from daytime The bark becomes thick and deeply ridged in mature and older stems. warming and re-freezing at night causes bark to crack, granting access for insects, 7. This bark often appears reddish brown and was used to tan leather. fungi, and bacteria to grow into the sap- 8. This tree is best known for its streaks of salmon pink between plates of bark. wood and cause permanent damage to the
18 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 N O S R E D N A
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A 1 2 3 D
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E Did You Know? R O
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Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 19 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Left: Kate Wilcox, a Forest Society land steward and a volunteer photographer, emerges with her camera in hand from one of Lost River’s caves. Right: Rustic and brimming with character, New England’s maple sugarhouses are one of Wilcox’s favorite subjects to photograph, including LaBounty’s sugarhouse in Lunenburg, Vt. Sweet Deal: A Forest Society Volunteer Shares Her Love of Photography and Maple-Sugaring Obsession
By Carrie Deegan
ost photographers have favorite One of Wilcox’s ongoing personal proj- Wilcox is also a long-time land steward subjects to photograph, and ects is photographing as many of New for the Forest Society’s Salmon Falls Reser- MKate Wilcox is no exception. England’s sugarhouses as she can—100 vation in Milton Mills, N.H., where she The Rochester, N.H., native enjoys taking and counting. She enjoys photographing spends hours wandering the reservation’s pictures of the natural world and telling the barns and shacks where the syrup woods, roads, and riverbanks. On the job, stories with her images. As one of the is made, but she gets a bigger kick out of she has discovered old farm plots with Forest Society’s volunteer photographers, capturing the sugarmakers at work. She cellar holes and wells, beautiful freshwater Wilcox takes photos of people on guided started the project to not only show the marshes lined with pitcher plants along hikes, workshops, volunteer gatherings, photographs of the sugarhouses to the the river, and bobcat and snowshoe hare and more. Her photographs genuinely public but also the sugarmakers them- tracks in winter. convey the energy and exhilaration of selves. “I realized the sugarmakers would Wilcox considers herself a lifelong people exploring the Forest Society’s reser- love to visit a number of other sugar- learner and is a self-professed “science vations and it’s a skillset the organization houses, but none of them have the time geek.” Working for the University of New is lucky to have. “Kate’s photos are won- during maple season.” Her photos are so Hampshire as a facilities dispatcher affords derful,” says Digital Outreach Manager popular that the North American Maple her the opportunity to take classes at Emily Lord. “Whenever she is attending Syrup Council asked her to present a the university free of charge. Currently, an event, I know we’ll have something slideshow of her work at their annual she’s taking courses in geographic infor- special to share.” meeting in October 2018. mation systems and dendrology, the study
20 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 of trees. “I just love to hang around with Sign up for people who know what they are talking about,” she says. “If you ask me to take photos at a workshop and I get to spend some time with the experts, I’ll go!” The Forest Explorer Forest Society looks forward to providing The Forest Society’s new outdoor recreation Wilcox with many more learning oppor- and activity e-newsletter. tunities down the road in exchange for her photographic storytelling talents. We understand why she loves to learn and photograph; we are science geeks, too!
Carrie Deegan is volunteer and community engagement manager for the Forest Society.
Learn More Check out a list of volunteer opportunities at forestsociety.org/volunteer. Visit forestsociety.org to sign up.
ADVENTURE
Boundless trails. Captivating tales. X O C L I W
E T A K
, N O S D R A H C I R
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F WINDOWS TO THE WILD E L
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O nhpbs.org P P O ( Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 21 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
2018 Volunteer Work By the Numbers
By Andy Crowley
I am humbled by the endless effort Forest Society land stewards and trail crew volunteers put forth this past year, especially considering the weather was uncooperative and we had a heavy backlog of projects to complete. Many volunteers love trail work and it shows—just look at the numbers! General trail work projects exceeded 870 volunteer hours this season with about half of those hours coming from Monadnock Trails Week. Our trail projects vary from cleaning water bars and drains to completely rerouting trails after a timber harvest. Volunteers also spent 420 hours cleaning up properties. Although not glamorous in any sense, these workdays draw many people. The sense of accomplishment and improvement is high on these types of projects. Last year, volunteers came out of Volunteers came from near and far to lend a hand, and some muscle, at last year’s hibernation to get parking areas and trail- Monadnock Trails Week. heads ready for spring. Other projects involved removing old and deteriorated buildings to improve the landscape. the Forest Society’s Conservation Center volunteer workdays in 2019. To sign up, Last but certainly not least are our in Concord. Other volunteers brought visit forestsociety.org/volunteer. more skill-intensive workshops and infra- their engineering skills along for bridge structure projects. Every year, volunteers building projects. I am proud of the Andy Crowley is land steward program coor- show up with their own tools and experi- work we accomplished this year and very dinator for the Forest Society. ence to create trail and property signs at much looking forward to many more
ACTIVITY VOLUNTEER HOURS
Infrastructure Cockermouth Bridge Build, Quarry Mountain Bridge Build, 96 Gap Mountain Kiosk Repair, Langenau Footbridge
Workshops 114 Sign Making, Tool Maintenance
Property Cleanup Lost River Ice Breaker Day, Earth Day at Mount Major, Grafton Pond, Merrimack 420 Floodplain (spring), Conservation Center (fall), Creek Farm (spring), Creek Farm (fall), Quarry Mountain Demolition, Yatsevitch Demolition, Gardner House (Hollis)
Trailwork Monadnock Trails Week, Andrew Brook Trail, Langenau Forest Re-Route, 870+ ) 2
Hutchins/Ambeau Trail, Gap Treadwork Day, Jones Forest Trail, Bockes–Mega Food X (
D R O
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114 Y L Buxton Forest–Simons Preserve, Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest I M E 22 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 The Forest Society thanks the following businesses for their generous support.
Summit Circle Partner (continued) Matching Gift Companies (continued) ($5,000 and up) The Music Mill CA, Inc. Matching Gifts Program BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC New Hampshire Conservation Real Estate Cadence Design Systems, Inc. Event Builders, LLC Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc. Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation, Inc. Merrimack County Savings Bank Precision Lumber, Inc. Dell Employee Giving Program Nathan Wechsler & Company R. M. Piper, Inc. ExxonMobil Foundation Onepath Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery FM Global Foundation Whalen Public and Media Relations, LLC Gartner, Inc. Colleague GE Foundation Trustees’ Circle ($250 to $499) Goldman, Sachs & Co. ($2,500 to $4,999) Ambit Engineering, Inc. Google, Inc. CIT BLAKTOP, Inc. Graham Holdings Company Meredith Village Savings Bank Bully Boy Distillers Grove Street Fiduciary, Inc. Northeast Delta Dental Cersosimo Lumber Co., Inc. Hewlett Packard Company Foundation Northland Forest Products, Inc. Cleveland, Waters and Bass, P.A. The Home Depot Foundation Matching Fuller’s Sugarhouse, LLC Gift Program President/Forester’s Circle Granite State Natural Foods Honeywell International, Inc. ($1,000 to $2,499) Inn on Golden Pond IBM Corporation Bensonwood & Unity Homes Kel-Log, Inc. Intel Corporation Chinburg Development, LLC Kozikowski Properties, LL Jefferies, LLC Lumbard & Kellner Lenk Orthodontics John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. Mackenzie North Holdings, LLC Limington Lumber Company JPMorgan Chase Foundation The Mulburn Inn Mason + Rich, P.A. Lincoln Financial Group Foundation NEMO Equipment, Inc. Meadowsend Timberlands Limited Lumina Foundation for Education New England Forest Products Mulligan Land & Timber Markem-Imaje Corporation New England Private Wealth Advisors New England Wood Pellet, Inc. MassMutual Ransmeier & Spellman, P.C. Pine Springs McKinsey & Company Rockywold-Deephaven Camps, Inc. Stewart Property Management Medtronic The Secret Agency Sunset Park Campground Merck Partnership for Giving Superior Nut Company, Inc. The Rossi Group, LLC Meredith Corporation Foundation Twin State Sand & Gravel Co., Inc. Microsoft Matching Gifts Program Steward Upton & Hatfield, LLP Motorola Solutions ($750 to $999) Whole Wealth Management MSD Capital EOS Research, Ltd. Matching Gift Companies National Grid Fly By Disc Golf The Norfolk & Dedham Group AARP Novartis Partner Aetna Foundation Oracle Corporation ($500 to $749) Aetna Giving Campaign Pfizer Foundation Arcomm Communications Corporation Allegro MicroSystems, LLC Premier, Inc. Bank of New Hampshire American International Group, Inc. Riverstone Resources, LLC Capitol Craftsman, LLC Ameriprise Financial Employee Gift SAP Software Solutions Colonial Woodworking, Inc. Matching Program Seaboard International Forest Products, LLC Devine, Millimet & Branch, P.A. Amica Companies Foundation Shell Oil Company Foundation Durgin and Crowell Lumber Co., Inc. Autodesk Foundation Textron Matching Gift Program E & S Insurance Services, L.L.C. Autodesk Foundation Employee Thomson Reuters Gary’s Chimney Services Engagement Fund TriPyramid Structures, Inc Half Moon Enterprises Automatic Data Processing, Inc. UnitedHealth Group Harvest Capital Management, Inc. BAE Systems Employee Community Fund, Inc. UNUM Matching Gifts Program Life Safety Fire Protection, Inc. Bank of America Verizon Foundation Lyme Timber Company Bose Corporation Waters Corporation
And many thanks to those businesses who give less than $250. The Forest Society…Where Conservation and Business Meet For information on business memberships, please contact Susanne Kibler-Hacker at 603-224-9945 or via email at [email protected]. CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY
Scenic pastureland along Route 153 in Wakefield makes up part of the diverse 226 acres recently conserved there by Nancy Spencer Smith.
Conserving a Long Legacy of Land Stewardship in Wakefield By Tom Howe
ancy Spencer Smith historically significant former tavern. created for its “agricultural, industrial, and recently cinched her From her back door, she can access her tourism heritage.” Nfamily’s long legacy of newly conserved 15-acre hayfield. Ventur- Her land has other diverse and worthy land stewardship in Wakefield ing beyond the field, she can explore features, including a small pasture, by donating a conservation woodlands making up the rest of this 180- forested wetlands, highly productive soils easement to the Forest Society acre block, the largest component of her for agriculture and forestry, and forest- on seven parcels encompassing recently protected land. lands providing opportunities for future 226 acres. Some of these lands have been This easement protects about 1.5 miles management. The New Hampshire in her family for centuries. of undeveloped road frontage, adding Wildlife Action Plan rates 43 percent of the Nancy grew up spending summers at substantially to the rural character and land as a priority for protection. There are her family’s place at the center of “Wake- agrarian heritage of the area. The Wakefield cultural and historical features as well, field Corners,” where Wakefield Road and Road frontage is part of a 14-mile-long, including a site where granite blocks were Province Lake Road (Route 153) join. state-designated Scenic and Cultural quarried by hand back in the 1800s. Her family’s home—now her home—is an Byway called the Branch River Valley Trail, On another part of the property, a set of
24 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 Consulting Nancy is a “hands-on” conservationist who’s made a difference Foresters from state to local levels.
parallel stone walls about 15 feet apart easement on some of this land. Another runs more than 500 feet between two public-spirited initiative involved her adjacent hayfields. This so-called “drift- purchase of a tract at the junction of way” helped early farmers move grazing Routes 16 and 153, where she subse- animals between farmstead and pasture, quently installed a farm stand now doing The Forest Society encourages landowners and is unusual for its length. brisk business at this strategic location. to consult with a licensed forester before Nancy is a “hands-on” conservationist Nancy’s the sort of go-getter every com- undertaking land management activities. The following are paid advertisers. who’s made a difference from state to local munity and conservation group could levels. Having generously supported the wish to have, and so the Forest Society Calhoun & Corwin Forestry, LLC Forest Society for years, she joined with oth- feels particularly grateful for her most Realize what you value the most in your forest. ers in 2000 to found the Moose Mountains recent, generous conservation easement Serving individual, municipal, state, non-government, and industry forest owners. Regional Greenways, a staffed land trust contribution. 560 Windy Road, Peterborough, NH 03458 • 603-562-5620
active in the Wakefield area, and she con- Email: [email protected] tinues to serve on its board of directors. Tom Howe is senior director of land conserva- Buying conservation tracts as opportuni- tion for the Forest Society. Meadowsend Consulting Company ties arose, Nancy completed her first Jeremy Turner NHLPF #318 — Central/Southern NH Email: [email protected] protection project four years later, securing Ryan Kilborn NHLPF #442 — Northern NH the future of the 129-acre Gage Hill Prop- Email: [email protected] erty, just west of Route 16. For that project, Online: A division of Meadowsend Timberlands Ltd. she pulled together a partnership Learn more about the Branch River Comprehensive forest and wildlife management, serving the conscientious New Hampshire landowner. comprising the Town of Wakefield, Moose Valley Trail at https://bit.ly/2LWjnHO. -NRCS-Tech Service Provider Mountains Regional Greenways, Southeast For more on the Moose Mountains P.O. Box 966, New London, NH 03257 Land Trust of New Hampshire, and Regional Greenways, visit 603-526-8686 Forest Society, the latter now holding an www.mmrg.info. www.mtlforests.com FORECO: Forest Resource Consultants Complete forest management services
S t Offering three licensed foresters, licensed land surveyor o n e h a P.O. Box 597, Rumney, NH 03266 • 603-786-9544 m R P.O. Box 161, Contoocook, NH 03229 • 603-746-4846 d Email: [email protected]
F&W Forestry Services Inc. Comprehensive forestry management and land Spencer Smith brokerage services. Moose Mountains Conservation Regional Easement 79 River Street, Suite 301 Greenways 226 acres C an Montpelier, VT 05602 • 802-233-8644 x 23 al Rd Martin Forestry Consulting, LLC ¬153 «¬16 « Offering complete forest management services E a including timber sales, cruises, and appraisals and s t Ga ge Hill Rd S wildlife habitat management. id e C R op
H d p Bro P.O. Box 89, New Hampton, NH 03256 • 603-744-9484 i o
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( k Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 25 PUBLIC POLICY UPDATES
Supreme Court Sets Schedule for Northern Pass Eversource briefs due February 4, opponents March 21
By Jack Savage
orthern Pass will need to file its Northern Pass had objected to the court terminus in Deerfield. It included 132 maximum 9,500-word brief out- using those same groupings, seeking to miles of overhead lines on towers up to Nlining its appeal to the Supreme limit legal opposition to its appeal. 160 feet high and 60 miles of buried trans- Court by February 4, 2019, per the sched- The court’s order did not include any mission lines, primarily along rural roads ule put out by the court in late December indication about how long it may take to in the White Mountains. 2018. Opponents, who contend that the render a final decision. Presumably, there Northern Pass appealed to the Supreme New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee will be an opportunity at some point after Court in August 2018 following the formal (SEC) made the correct decision to deny briefs are filed for short oral arguments written denial in July of a Motion for a Certificate of Site and Authority to before the court. Rehearing to the SEC. The seven-member Northern Pass, then have until March 21 The voluminous record of the SEC SEC subcommittee hearing the application to respond with their briefs. proceedings was delivered to the court (in unanimously denied a permit for the The December 20, 2018, order also digital form) on December 11, 2018. controversial transmission line at the end granted a joint motion by the Forest Soci- Given its size and the overall caseload of March 2018, citing the applicant’s fail- ety and other parties asking the high court before the court, it may well be a year ure to prove that the project would to use the same groupings for intervenors before a final decision is handed down. not unduly interfere with the orderly filing briefs that was used during the SEC. Northern Pass first came to the atten- development of the region. Importantly, this allows diverse opponents tion of the public in October 2010, and In its written orders, the SEC has ex- to make their own arguments against the has engendered overwhelming opposition plained and defended its decision-making appeal by Northern Pass rather than limit- for more than eight years. The appeal to process and concluded that the decision to ing them to a single 9,500-word brief. the state Supreme Court is the project’s deny Northern Pass was consistent with the In the SEC process, the more than 150 last glimmer of hope for going forward as law and its own administrative rules. intervenors were grouped by commonali- proposed. ties—municipalities in different areas Northern Pass was a proposal by Ever- Jack Savage is vice president of communications along the proposed 192-mile transmission source to partner with Hydro-Quebec and outreach for the Forest Society. line, for example. The Forest Society was a to build a transmission line from the stand-alone intervenor. Canadian border in Pittsburg, N.H., to a
Think Globally, Act Locally
By Matt Leahy
The forests, wetlands, and agricultural the biggest challenges facing governments conducted, 70 percent of Americans believe lands in our country could absorb the at all levels and on all issues. So the ques- climate change is definitely occurring and equivalent of all greenhouse gas emissions tion as it relates to the specific issue of 53 percent believe global warming is from U.S. vehicles, per a recently released climate change is how can public policy be mostly caused by humans. With numbers Nature Conservancy (TNC) study. That aligned to empower those who are unsure that high, one would think finding con- encouraging information should be good about their place in this debate? structive solutions to this challenge would news to the 53 percent of Americans who According to surveys the Yale Program be easy. Unfortunately, as we continue to feel helpless to do anything about global on Climate Change Communication and see, that is not the case. Instead, the search warming. That feeling of separation from George Mason University’s Center for for solutions too often becomes bogged the political process is undoubtedly one of Climate Change Communication have down in Congress or in state legislatures
26 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 across our country. Perhaps part of the those that would institute an economy- As the TNC study highlights, these reason is the small percentage of the pop- wide carbon tax. nature-based solutions directly impact the ulation who are completely dismissive of However, if we can shift the search for health and well-being of us all. Just as the science behind climate change and long-term answers to actions that resonate importantly, if presented as viable and strenuously fight any effort to address it. with those overwhelmed Americans, we proven answers, they can provide outlets But maybe there is another explanation can do far more to preserve the way of life for concerned citizens to act on those for this continued difficulty. It is, frankly, people in New Hampshire and elsewhere seemingly crushing problems like entirely understandable why 53 percent of cherish. For example, Americans love droughts, floods, or wildfires. If you are a Americans feel helpless to do anything the outdoors. A 2018 U.S. Department of member or supporter of a land trust or about global warming. Usually, the Commerce study noted that overall spend- conservation commission, or if you are a impacts from global change are presented ing on outdoor recreation hit $412 billion private landowner who has committed to in catastrophic terms: rising sea levels, in 2016. Maintaining a strong outdoor keeping your woodlands in an undevel- increased coastal flooding, more destructive recreation industry with its 4.5 million oped state, you are already acting to hurricanes, and severe droughts. Such stark jobs is directly linked to the protection of address these problems. The challenge predictions leave the public overwhelmed. the special natural areas which draw these before us is twofold: (1) show our neigh- Yes, they need to know the truth about outdoor enthusiasts. Likewise, Americans bors they also have the capacity to take-on what our future will look like, but how can expect the water they drink and the air this problem and (2) demonstrate to an individual possibly prevent a Category they breathe will be clean and safe. By taking policy makers that solutions already exist. 5 hurricane from destroying a coastal action to preserve natural landscapes, They are called our forests, our grasslands, community? Furthermore, the solutions which filter the amount of pollutants that and our undeveloped natural areas. sometimes sound either far too wonky— enter drinking water systems, and to pre- try explaining the operating mechanics of serve forests, which sequester the pollu- Matt Leahy is public policy manager for the the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative— tants that dirty the air, more local successes Forest Society. or are politically controversial, such as can lead to more long-term solutions.
Can you transform a house into a forest? Yes! With Assets to Acres Your Gift of Developed Real Estate Can Help Protect New Hampshire’s Special Places
Most people know that the Forest Society accepts donations of conservation land and conservation easements–but did you know that the Forest Society also accepts gifts of other real estate? Donations of houses, cottages, house lots and even woodlots that can be sold by the Forest Society generate funds that will be used to purchase important conservation lands and provide for the stewardship of our forest reservations and conservation easements. For more information on converting your “asset” into conserved “acres,” call Susanne Kibler-Hacker Ellen Kennelly donated this summer house in Dublin surrounded at 603-224-9945 or visit by 49 protected acres to the “Assets to Acres” program. forestsociety.org/A2A
Winter 2018–2019 FOREST NOTES | 27 PROJECT IN PROGRESS
Once used only for industrial purposes, the Merrimack has become a hot spot for paddlers and kayakers.
“The goal of the Clean Water Act of 1972 was simple, very simple! All the waterways in the state will be fishable and swimmable by 1982. We’re not quite there yet.”
— Ted Diers, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, August 2017
The Merrimack: River at Risk
housands of people drive over or recreation. The mills that were the indus- threatened watersheds in the nation? along the Merrimack River daily, try of the Merrimack Valley a century If we allow ourselves to indiscriminately Trushing to work, school, or play. ago now house offices and technology develop the shores of the river and its trib- Below the bridges, sometimes out of sight companies, and the river is no less essen- utaries, to replace forests with too many and often out of our modern minds, the tial to our livelihood than it was then. We parking lots and rooftops, the river will river flows in the shadow of our highways. cannot take it for granted. suffer. And so too will we. It provides us drinking water and electricity But did you know that the Merrimack But there is good news—it is not too late while supporting commerce, wildlife, and has been designated as one of the most to work towards permanently protecting
28 | FOREST NOTES Winter 2018–2019 In August 2018, the crew of The Merrimack: River at Risk interviewed New Hampshire residents in Concord (left) and Manchester (right).
critical lands in the watershed. To that conservation efforts within the watershed But we need your help today to com- end, the Forest Society is at work on a are key to protecting drinking water, plete the film. Please donate today to help documentary film called The Merrimack: wildlife habitat, and our way of life. At its us show how significant the Merrimack River at Risk, produced by New Hampshire- heart, this film will serve as an inspiring River and its surrounding landscapes are based videographer Jerry Monkman. call to action that offers realistic goals and and how people can speak up for and Slated for release in fall 2019, the docu- practical strategies for how people of all support this threatened resource. You can mentary will remind viewers, and educate ages can advocate for the protection of donate online or by sending in the form some for the first time, about just how this natural resource. below. Thank you! significant the river and its supporting watershed landscapes are to the health and Learn More: wellbeing of the flora, fauna, and people To donate and watch a trailer for the film, visit forestsociety.org/merrimackriverfilm. who rely on the river each day. The film For more information, contact Jack Savage at 603-224-9945 or at will pay particular attention to how land [email protected]. ) 2 X (
D R O L
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A Telephone: Email: R G O T O
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Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Y R
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E 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301 G A P
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( Diane Forbes at 603-224-9945 or email [email protected]. for your help! 4534T001 SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION Nonprofit OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS Organization US Postage Paid 54 Portsmouth Street Manchester, NH Concord, NH 03301-5400 Permit No. 0494 Address Service Requested
THE MANY FACES OF CONSERVATION
Stephen and Patrice Rasche Canterbury, N.H. Members since 1987
irst thing most mornings, I take the dogs for a “ walk in the nearby forest. There aren’t many Fthings I enjoy more than spending time in the woods with my dogs. And on days when we see a fox, bear, bobcat, or coyote it just makes life that much better. After living in New Hampshire for more than 30 years, Patrice and I still find ourselves saying to each other, ‘We are so lucky to live in such a beau- tiful place.’ But of course, it isn’t just luck that we live here. We moved here precisely because of the forests and mountains and lakes and rivers that New Hampshire offers. And it isn’t just luck that keeps New Hampshire beautiful. My morning walk takes me across land pro- tected by the Forest Society. When we walk up the hill to the orchard near the center of town, we are walking through land protected by the Forest Society. When we look at the view of Mount Kearsarge from the
Y center of town, we can thank the Forest Society for V E R
A protecting that land. When we canoe the Merrimack, K
L
A we pass riverbank that almost became a landfill. The
: O
T land is now owned by New Hampshire Fish and O H
P Game, and the Forest Society helped protect it and holds an easement on the property. When we bicycle MEMBERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE! around town, we go by wood lots that are protected by Stephen and Patrice are among the 10,000 members who helped the Forest Society easements. We also have the Forest Soci- Forest Society protect more than one million acres in New Hampshire. ety to thank for the White Mountain National Forest. Patrice and I joined the Forest Society not too long To join them, use the envelope in this issue or contact Margaret Liszka after moving to New Hampshire in 1986. We are at 603-224-9945. proud to be associated with them and grateful for the work they do.”