Fall 2011, the Public Is Expecting Northern Pass to Unveil a “New” Route from the Canadian Border in Pittsburg to Groveton
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Northern Pass Power Play Signs of Autumn Saving the Pine Barrens AUTUMN 2011 US $4.95 1 3 > 0 74470 25172 9 forestsociety.org Anyone can give advice about investing. We suggest investing in advice. Like many of our friends in the Granite State, Cambridge Trust Company of New Hampshire values preservation and growth. Since 1890, Cambridge Trust has provided its clients with thoughtful, comprehensive investment management services. At Cambridge Trust, we understand that managing your wealth means more than simply managing your assets. Todd D. Mayo, President sTODDMAYO CAMBRIDGETRUSTCOM TABLE OF CONTENTS: AUTUMN 2011, No. 268 22 26 DEPARTMENTS 8 2 WOODPILE News not so neatly stacked FEATURES 3 THE FORESTER’S PRISM Forests are still the answer 4 Saving New Hampshire’s Pine Barrens By Jeffrey Lougee 15 IN THE FIELD Featured art exhibit Pine barrens were once common in some areas of the state, but today this ecosystem is one of New Hampshire’s rarest 16 CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES natural communities. Crotched Mountain conservation; Washington woodlot protected; Historic Chichester homestead preserved; and more 8 Power Play 22 HEARD ON THE TRAIL By Jack Savage Friends conserved 476 acres in Bradford; Forest Society invites An opposition view of where the Northern Pass proposal stands. comments for LTA accreditation; conservation alliance supports Monadnock conservation effort 12 Agricultural Ethos Alive in Londonderry By Joyce El Kouarti 24 PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE Insight into the values that led one landowner to decline FFinal federal spending package impact on conservation programs; LCHIP latest; Cannon Mountain control a million dollar offer. 26 NATURE’S VIEW BY DAVE ANDERSON Signs of Autumn 28 PROJECTS IN PROGRESS Protect a New Hampshire Icon–Mount Monadnock On our cover: This photo, titled “Birch Log Cascade”, was taken by New Hampshire photographer Steve Seron. THE WOODPILE — NEWS NOT SO NEATLY STACKED Forest Notes 50 Years Ago “In a tribute to Governor Frank West Rollins, the Forestry and Recreation commission CHAIR Carolyn Benthien, Goffstown has redesignated Mt. Kearsarge VICE CHAIR State Park on the southern Holderness William Webb, slope of the imposing moun- SECRETARY Midge Eliassen, Sunapee tain as Rollins State Park,” TREASURER wrote G. Henry Crawford in Leonard “Hunt” Dowse, Hancock the fall 1961 edition of Forest PRESIDENT/FORESTER Jane A. Difley, Webster Notes. Crawford chronicled BOARD OF TRUSTEES the history of the Forest Soci- Malin Clyde, Durham Katharine Eneguess, Jaffrey Earlier this year, Elizabeth Rollins Mauran, great granddaughter ety’s protection of lands on Pamela Hall, Portsmouth of Forest Society founder Governor Frank West Rollins, donated Mt. Kearsarge, starting with Deanna Howard, Etna William McCarten, Lancaster a portrait of the Governor that now hangs in the lobby of the 500 acres in Warner acquired Amy Meyers, Jaffrey Conservation Center. Photo by Jack Savage. Jack Middleton, Freedom in 1918 as a memorial to Howard Moffett, Canterbury Rollins, who was a founder of the Forest Society. Those and additional lands were William H. Smith, Moultonborough Hank Swan, Lyme subsequently deeded to the state by the Forest Society. Stephen Taylor, Meriden Bill Tucker, Goffstown Patricia Vasbinder, Concord Don Wharton, Landaff By the Numbers Little Harbor Loop Trail STAFF The Forest Society’s annual at Creek Farm EXECUTIVE Jane A. Difley, president/forester report for FY2011 is available After more than a year Karen Rose, executive assistant online by visiting www.forest- of planning, volunteers FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION Martha Booth, receptionist society.org (click on the built a new 1.5-mile walk- Michelle Morse, human resources specialist Tina Ripley, administrative assistant ‘About Us’ tab and look for ing trail that connects the Leslie Thompson, finance specialist ‘Annual Reports’). Included Forest Society’s Creek Farm Denise Vaillancourt, vice president, finance are financial statements and Reservation, the state’s Tomas Syllia and Charlie Wheeler MEMBERSHIP/DEVELOPMENT Nancy Ford Huckins, membership specialist IRS Form 990. If you’d prefer Wentworth Coolidge His- were among more than 30 volun- Susanne Kibler-Hacker, vice president, development teers who helped build the new Allan Krygeris, technology specialist to receive a printed copy by toric Site, and City of Margaret Liszka, director, membership mail, just give Denise Vaillan- Portsmouth conservation Little Harbor Loop Trail this fall. Ann McCoy, membership coordinator Photo by Peter Britz. Meredith Reed O’Donnell, development associate court, VP for Finance, a call at land along waterfront in Martha Twombly, development specialist 603-224-9945, and she’ll be Portsmouth. For directions to Creek Farm and a map of COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PROGRAMS David Anderson, director, education and volunteers happy to have one sent to you. the trail, visit the Forest Society’s online guide to our Carrie Deegan, land steward coordinator lands at www.forestsociety.org/ogol. Joyce El Kouarti, communications director Jack Savage, vice president, communications/outreach POLICY/LAND MANAGEMENT Will Abbott, vice president, policy/land management Frank Allen, building and grounds Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Clare Brown, The Rocks A non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes land management and policy assistant Rita Carroll, and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources. Basic annual membership fee is $35 and George Frame, senior director of forestry Nigel Manley, director, north country property includes a subscription to Forest Notes. Carleen Quinn, The Rocks Editor: Jack Savage Jason Teaster, property manager Managing Editor: Joyce El Kouarti Wendy Weisiger, field forester Chris Wells, senior director for strategic projects—policy Design & Production: The Secret Agency LAND PROTECTION Printing: TDS Printing Joslin Bennett, easement steward Forest Notes is published four times a year and printed on elemental chlorine-free Sappi Flo paper with Chris Borg, land protection specialist 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. Sappi Flo is made from pulp purchased from suppliers Paul Doscher, vice president, land conservation who document sound environmental practices and sustainable forest management. Paul Gagnon, easement steward Brian Hotz, senior director for strategic projects—land protection Permission is required for reproduction of any part of this magazine. Tom Howe, senior director, land conservation Copyright 2011 SPNHF. US ISSN: 0015 7457. Lori Johnson, land protection assistant/data base manager Michael Speltz, land protection specialist 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301 | Phone: (603) 224-9945 | Fax: (603) 228-0423 Daniel Sundquist, director, land conservation planning E-mail: [email protected] | Internet: www.forestsociety.org Ryan Young, director, easement stewardship The Forest Society proudly supports the following organizations: Cosponsor Underwriter Member THE FORESTER’S PRISM Forests Are Still the Answer President/Forester Jane Difley delivered the following address at the Forest Society’s 110th Annual Meeting in September, at which the centennial of the Weeks Act was celebrated. can’t help but wonder if John Wingate we have done with the place. We, as the it is the duty of our generation to ensure that Weeks imagined what the White collective stewards of “our” national forest, our forests are still here 100 years from now. I Mountains might look like today. have allowed it to restore itself nicely. We It is our duty to protect them from the What did Philip Ayres and Ellen McRoberts continue to add to it. Yes, every so often we leviathan of encroaching sprawl that Mason, Allan Chamberlain, and Gov. argue a bit amongst ourselves about reno- threatens to swallow the Granite State Rollins, or even President Taft, who signed vating the kitchen or which windows south to north, bite by two-acre bite. And the Weeks Act, think the National Forest should have curtains, but in the end we it is our duty to defend our forests from they made possible would look like 100 find ways to agree because we stay true to those corporate interests who threaten to years later? the ethic of the well-managed forest. We drape even our long-protected hillsides Did they envision the Kancamaugus understand that forestry begets land with high voltage transmission lines north Highway? Large swaths of “capital W” conservation, and that land conservation to south, tower by tawdry tower. Wilderness? Could they have imagined needs sustainable forestry. On the occasion of the Forest Society’s the advances in forestry and our deeper And what of 100 years from now? Look- centennial 10 years ago, we launched New understanding of environmental science? ing ahead, our generation faces what seem Hampshire Everlasting, a vision that calls How about forseeing North Conway and to be monumental questions about the for the protection of an additional one Lincoln as tourist destinations? Could they natural world and our own reliance upon it. million acres of forests and farms over a have imagined the interstate highways and What might the specter of climate change quarter century. Our generation still has cars that enable more than six million people bring? Could invasive species and pests the opportunity to finish making that a to visit the White Mountains each year? radically alter our forest health and reality. We’ve made admirable progress — Could they have foreseen snowmobiles or composition? Will we overwhelm our 30 percent of New Hampshire’s landscape mechanized logging or spring skiing in White Hills with too many people loving is now conserved, much of it as working Tuckerman’s Ravine? them too much? How do we preserve the forest. And though America has changed I might suggest that the giants of diverse and wondrous array of wildlife since 2001, I believe that ten years ago we prescience who made the Weeks Act law in our woods and waters? Can our forest were right, just as John Wingate Weeks was could not have envisioned all that has products industry remain competitive in right 100 years ago. Protecting New Hamp- changed and transpired since 1911.