Monadnock State Park Master Plan For Management Strategies and Capital Improvements New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development Division of Parks and Recreation Issued April 1, 2003 Adopted July 9, 2003 Monadnock State Park Master Plan For Management Strategies and Capital Improvements Prepared for NH Department of Resources and Economic Development Division of Parks and Recreation Prepared by Thomas Kokx Associates With Tracey Petrozzi Issued April 1, 2003 Adopted July 9, 2003 Cover Photo by Donald Ramsey Mount Monadnock viewed across Perkins Pond Monadnock State Park Master Plan Foreword Through partnerships with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and the Town of Jaffrey, the State of New Hampshire manages the visitors to the parklands and conservation lands surrounding Mount Monadnock. The 1992 Monadnock Management Plan stated its goal was to “provide managed access to these unique highlands for recreational and educational experiences, while protecting these resources from the ravages of over use.” The 2003 updated Master Plan focuses on management strategies and facility improvements to address evolving visitor management issues surrounding increased usage of the mountain. The updated plan provides for the completion of a number of recommendations in the 1992 Plan and sets forth an action plan with an implementation schedule to achieve the desired outcome. A Monadnock Master Plan Steering Committee was established in the fall of 2000 to assist the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation in the master planning process. Along with other responsibilities, the Steering Committee worked with the Division to formulate strategies for park programs and facilities that would accommodate and better manage the intensity of use at Monadnock State Park. The stated goal was to “develop a management plan that will balance the needs for recreation, conservation, education and financial stability.” • Recreation includes outdoor experiences for people of all ages, people with disabilities, families, groups, and hikers in search of solitude. • Conservation includes protecting the natural and cultural resources of Mount Monadnock while promoting the use of these resources in an appropriate, ecologically sound manner. Resources include vegetation, wildlife, soils, water, trails and recreation facilities, sites of historical, geological or archaeological interest, scenic views, vistas and areas of high aesthetic value. • Education involves methods of deepening visitors’ awareness of Mount Monadnock’s geological past, its biological and zoological diversity, and the cultural, social and political aspects of its past. It also includes creating greater awareness of hiker responsibility for safety, etiquette, and proper trail use to protect the environment. • Financial stability involves recognizing that the Division of Parks and Recreation is a self-funded agency funded through fees collected at state parks, beaches and historic sites. After considering various management strategies, the Division and Steering Committee focused on one that sought to achieve these management goals by distributing vehicle parking and use to the various trailheads around Mount Monadnock, making modest improvements to parking at these trailheads, and installing “Iron Rangers” for voluntary fee collection. It suggests improvements in the infrastructure at Park Headquarters and looks favorably on separating family from youth group camping and relocating it to the Gilson Pond Area. It proposes a reduction and better management of overflow parking. By striving to reduce the number of users of Monadnock State Park on peak weekends while redistributing use around the mountain, this strategy aims to regulate use and preserve the quality of visitor’s experiences on the mountain. It also makes recommendation to improve trail maintenance, manage its natural and cultural resources, and to broaden the educational programs Monadnock State Park has to offer. The Plan will also assist the Division of Parks and Recreation in the negotiation of the lease renewals with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and the Town of Jaffrey for our continued management of their property. The Division of Parks and Recreation is committed to balance recreational opportunity, resource protection and the regional tourism efforts important to southwest New Hampshire. ii Acknowledgements The Division of Parks and Recreation would like to thank the following who helped in the development of this plan. The information gathered and shared in the steering committee was helpful in making the decisions presented in this plan. Ann Royce Carroll Carbonneau Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing NH Parks and Recreation Association the Town of Jaffrey) Eric Aldrich Fred Richardson NH Fish and Game Department Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing the Town of Jaffrey) Gretchen Zeigler Regional Tourism Dave Adams Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing Jeff Porter the Town of Troy) Southwest Region Planning Commission Donald Upton David Saladino Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing Southwest Region Planning Commission the Town of Troy) Amy Meyers Thomas Wright Landowner interests Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing the Town of Dublin) Allison McLean NH Division of Parks and Recreation Ed Germain Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing Johanna Lyons the Town of Dublin) NH Division of Parks and Recreation Dan Leary Ben Haubrich Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing NH Division of Parks and Recreation the Town of Fitzwilliam) Andrew Zboray Tom Parker NH Division of Parks and Recreation Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing the Town of Fitzwilliam) Diane Flint Hardy NH Division of Parks and Recreation James Bearce Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing Don Davis the Town of Marlborough) NH Division of Parks and Recreation Ernie Linders Lindsey Webb Monadnock Advisory Commission (representing NH Division of Parks and Recreation the Town of Marlborough) Ron Duddy Geoff Jones NH Division of Forests and Lands Society for the Protection of NH Forests Tom Mansfield William Elliot NH Department of Resources and Economic Monadnock Advisory Commission Development Pete Davis Honorable H. Charles Royce Town of Jaffrey NH House of Representatives Chuck Roth Josh Cline Town of Fitzwilliam Interpretive Planner Sheri St Laurent Bob Spoerl Monadnock Tourism Council NH Division of Parks and Recreation Meade Cadot Tom Mullen Environmental Education Southwest Regional Planning Commission iii Monadnock State Park Master Plan PROLOGUE Setting Rising 3,165 feet above sea level, the lone metamorphic schist peak known as Grand Monadnock towers above its neighbors. Shaped by glaciers that receded over 15 - 20,000 years ago, the exposed rocky terrain of this mountain offers the opportunity to observe first- hand the end result of mountain-building forces. Its summit, accentuated by rocky terrain, provides an unparalleled view that stretches across parts of all six New England states. Monadnock means “mountain standing alone.” Mount Monadnock is one of the most climbed mountains in the world and has been an inspiration for many since it was first climbed in the early 1700s. M’an – and – oc, meaning, “mountain standing alone”, proudly lives up to its Algonquin name. In the mid – 1800s, a Professor Davis in his monograph on the Physical Geography of Southern New England suggested that the “name of this mountain might well be adopted to represent all mountains of this type, prominent isolated hard rock remnants of a prolonged period of erosion.” This suggestion … received worldwide acceptance among geologists, and all such mountains are now referred to as “monadnocks.” Local residents and visitors from afar were not surprised when Mount Monadnock received the federal National Natural Landmark designation in 1987. The mountain and its setting, throughout their history, have been a focal point for the inspiration of artists, authors and poets, including Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain and Abbot Thayer. Time spent with the writings and paintings of these authors and artists can yield special insights into why this mountain has stood out among others in New England, and why it remains so much a part of people’s quality of life today. iv Monadnock State Park Master Plan History of Park and Its Development The background and history of Grand Monadnock is varied and rich. Significant amounts of information are provided in various references and articles written over time, and a considerable amount of information can be provided on the history of the park and its development. The 1992 Management Plan provided a general narration on the park that provides a good overview of background information for the master plan. The following narration comes from the 1992 Monadnock Management Plan, with a few modifications and additions. “The first recorded European ascent of Mount Monadnock was made in 1725 by a party of Massachusetts soldiers scouting for Indians. European settlement of the Monadnock region began in earnest in the 1750s. With the exception of a spruce forest on the summit, the mountain was significantly cleared of trees and pastured by the late 1700s. A fire around the year 1800 burned the remaining forest off the summit. The fire apparently burned for a couple of weeks, destroying most of the organic soil on the top of the mountain. It was a result of this fire that erosion began to expose the bedrock in