PROTECTING THE LAKE SOLITUDE TRAILHEAD Forest Notes NEW HAMPSHIRE’S CONSERVATION MAGAZINE Connected by the Places We Love Photo Essay: Paws and Peaks WINTER 2015–16 forestsociety.org TABLE OF CONTENTS: WINTER 2015–2016, No. 284 20 36 DEPARTMENTS 2 THE FORESTER’S PRISM 14 3 THE WOODPILE 20 THE FOREST CLASSROOM & IN THE FIELD Outreach on Mt. Major; upcoming events FEATURES 24 CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES 4 Places Can Connect Us – Landowners work with the Forest Society to conserve land in Easton and Goffstown; a Lakes Region reservation grows Yankee Magazine Editor Mel Allen shares the inspiring stories by 150 acres. of people who share a steadfast allegiance to the land— an allegiance that has no price. 30 PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE – The Forest Society’s lawsuit against Northern Pass 14 Four Paws and an Explorer’s Heart – A preview of bills and issues coming up in the 2016 A photographic tribute to a short-legged dog who inspired N.H. Legislature. her owners to keep climbing. 32 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT. 33 WOODS WISE When visitors to our reservations become stewardship partners, we win and so does the land. 34 NATURE’S VIEW How old is that tree? Coring puts an end to the wondering but not the wonderment. PROTECTING THE LAKE SOLITUDE TRAILHEAD Forest Notes NEW HAMPSHIRE’S CONSERVATION MAGAZINE 36 PROJECTS IN PROGRESS Connected by the Places We Love An opportunity to protect the trailhead for the path Photo Essay: Paws and Peaks to Lake Solitude in Newbury. On our cover: A wagon ride at the Forest Society’s Rocks Estate in WINTER 2015–16 Bethlehem is one way to enjoy the winter season. Photo by Matt Kalinowski. forestsociety.org THE FORESTER’S PRISM This column is excerpted from Jane’s address to members at the annual meeting on Sept. 26. To read the entire speech, please see forestsociety.org/blog-post/speaking-forests. Forest Sounds CHAIR William Webb, Holderness here’s an odd perception that a And for some of us, VICE CHAIR forest left to do what it does—that is, the sound of the forest Deanna Howard, Etna to grow trees, take up carbon, filter crescendos when a ma- SECRETARY T Andy Lietz, Rye water and be home to wildlife—is nonethe- ture tree is harvested, TREASURER less “empty.” One developer has asked me, landing with that Bill McCarten, Lancaster PRESIDENT/FORESTER “Why do you care if we put towers and satisfying “whump” Jane A. Difley, Webster powerlines through that forest? There’s on the forest floor. A BOARD OF TRUSTEES nothing there!” well-felled tree is full of Charlie Bridges, New Durham John Brighton, Hanover Never tell a forester that it’s okay to frag- meaning for us—it is warmth from our Margo Connors, Sugar Hill Stephen Froling, Hancock ment a working forest because “there’s woodstove, a sturdy home, a favorite chair, Karl Heafield, New Boston nothing there.” the paper in our book and even the light Amy McLaughlin, Exeter Jack Middleton, Freedom The Forest Society speaks up for the that lets us read it. Or, if you must, the power Rebecca Oreskes, Milan forests to such developers in large part Barbara Russell, New Boston for your Kindle. Lorin Rydstrom, Hollis because, like most conservationists, we feel It can be difficult to hear the forest in Merle Schotanus, Grantham Andrew Smith, Littleton that the forests speak to us. places where there are more people than William H. Smith, Center Harbor Granted, we may each hear something trees. Where machines and TVs and mobile STAFF a little different. For some of us, a forest devices define our world. In large halls EXECUTIVE Jane A. Difley, president/forester speaks when it reverberates with the sounds where people argue over building the next Maria Stewart, executive assistant of children at play, exploring, climbing, big box store, the next parking lot, the next FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION Rebecca Darman, receptionist laughing. The sounds of wonderment. powerline. In these places, the forest some- Michelle Morse, human resources specialist Others hear the forest in the nearly- times needs help. The Forest Society will Amy Nichols, finance specialist Tina Ripley, administrative assistant silent footfalls of a hiker along a trodden keep speaking up, but it cannot be a solo— Denise Vaillancourt, vice president of finance path, in tandem with the pant of a faithful our forests need a choir like you to sing MEMBERSHIP/DEVELOPMENT Linda Dammann, development assistant dog. Some of us hear the forest in the dee- their praises. Heidi DeWitt, data processor dee-dee of a chickadee, the squeak-and- Let forests be forests. Diane Forbes, senior director for development Susanne Kibler-Hacker, vice president of development scrunch of a chipmunk scurrying through Allan Krygeris, senior technology specialist Sara Krzyzaniak, data processor the leaves, the drum of a ruffed grouse. Margaret Liszka, director of membership With a little imagination, we can hear Ann McCoy, development specialist Barbara Pacelli, development specialist the forest speak when we turn on the tap in Martha Twombly, capital campaign specialist our kitchen to draw a glass of cool, clean Jane Difley is the president/forester of the Society COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PROGRAMS David Anderson, director of education and volunteers water or draw in a deep breath of clean air. for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Brenda Charpentier, communications manager Carrie Deegan, land steward program specialist Jack Savage, vice president of communications/outreach POLICY/RESERVATION STEWARDSHIP Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Will Abbott, vice president of policy/reservation stewardship A non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes Frank Allen, building and grounds assistant and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources. Basic annual membership fee is $40 and Clare Brown, volunteer coordinator includes a subscription to Forest Notes. Rita Carroll, reservation stewardship and policy coordinator George Frame, senior director of forestry Executive Editor: Jack Savage Steven Junkin, field forester Editor: Brenda Charpentier Matt Leahy, public policy manager Design & Production: The Secret Agency Nigel Manley, director of North Country property Carleen Quinn, retail and events manager Printing: TDS Printing Gabe Roxby, field forester Forest Notes is published four times a year and printed on elemental chlorine-free Sappi Flo paper with Jason Teaster, property manager 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. Sappi Flo is made from pulp purchased from suppliers Wendy Weisiger, lead forester who document sound environmental practices and sustainable forest management. LAND PROTECTION Reagan Bissonnette, director of easement stewardship Permission is required for reproduction of any part of this magazine. Connie Colton, administrative assistant Copyright 2015 SPNHF. US ISSN: 0015 7457. April Costa, easement steward Paul Gagnon, easement steward 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301 | Phone: (603) 224-9945 | Fax: (603) 228-0423 Leah Hart, easement steward E-mail: [email protected] | Internet: www.forestsociety.org Brian Hotz, vice president of land conservation The Forest Society proudly supports the following organizations: Tom Howe, senior director of land conservation Lauren Kras, easement steward Karen Rose, land protection department administrator Ryan Young, strategic projects manager Cosponsor Underwriter Member THE WOODPILE—NEWS NOT SO NEATLY STACKED Forest Society Welcomes New Board Members of Squamscott Community Commons, as a member of the Three new members have joined the Forest Society’s Board of Piscataqua Regional Advisory Board for the New Hampshire Trustees for three-year terms: John Brighton of Hanover, Amy Charitable Foundation and as an ambassador for the American McLaughlin of Exeter and Merle Schotanus of Grantham. They Independence Museum in Exeter. She is a co-founder and past replace retiring board members William “Tuck” Tucker and Pam board chair of the Exeter Area Conservancy. Hall. At the annual meeting Sept. 26, members approved several Amy graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1997 board role changes. Officers are William Webb, chair; Deanna with a B.A in Business Management and Health Management Policy. Howard, vice chair; Andy Lietz, secretary; Bill McCarten, treasurer; Merle Schotanus is a retired fruit grower; and Jane Difley, president/forester. a former N.H. state representative who served for John Brighton is majority owner and president of a New Hamp- seven terms, and a 25-year U.S. Army paratrooper shire-based fire protection company. His family who achieved the rank of czolonel before retiring owns an old hill farm in Sullivan County, where from the service in 1974. He then moved to he became involved with the Forest Society during Grantham with his wife, Helen, and developed land conservation projects in the area. and operated Sugar Springs Farm for 21 years. He Merle Schotanus John was the catalyst behind the conservation holds BA and MA degrees in Political Science of the Farnsworth Hill Forest Reservation and the from Ripon College and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, abutting MacNeil Family Forest in Washington. John Brighton respectively, and is a graduate of the National War College in In 2014, the Forest Society named him the Con- Washington, D.C. servationist of the Year in recognition of those efforts. John and Merle is a returning board member, having served from 1994 to his wife Susan live in Hanover. 2000. He has been a conservation leader in New Hampshire Amy McLaughlin currently works with her for more than three decades, recognized as the Forest Society’s husband as the controller in a business they Conservationist of the Year in 2004, a New England Outstanding started in 2012, Fluid Equipment Solutions of New Tree Farmer and N.H. Tree Farmer of the Year in 1978, a N.H. England, LLC, a commercial HVAC equipment Timberland Owners Association Outstanding Legislator in 1992 engineering sales company serving New England.