Why We Oppose Northern Pass Black Mountain Protected SPRING 2011 US $4.95 11> 074470 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: WINTER/SPRING 2011, N o. 266 13 15 DEPARTMENTS 2 THE FORESTER’S PRISM 8 Why we oppose Northern Pass 12 IN THE FIELD Art exhibits, wildflower festivals, and more FEATURES 14 CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORIES Black Mountain victory; farmland in Warner and Nashua conserved; 4 Better Forestry for Better Forests North Country lands safeguarded through conservation easements; By Roger Amsden critical corner of Great Bay protected; and conserved acreage around Updated guidelines for Good Forestry in the Granite State Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest grows aim to improve management of forestlands 22 PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE 8 John Brooks: A Collaboration with Nature Forest Society calls for withdrawl of Northern Pass proposal; offending foresters pay the price of violations By Michelle Pennington A retrospective study of a native New Hampshire artist. 26 NATURE’S VIEW BY DAVE ANDERSON AND ESTHER COWLES Barking up the wrong tree; my brief romance with a porcupine 28 PROJECTS IN PROGRESS Help the Forest Society fight Northern Pass On our cover: One of the many streams and cascades on the recently protected Black Mountain. Photo by Jerry and Marcy Monkman, EcoPhotography. THE FORESTER’S PRISM Why We Oppose the Northern Pass or 110 years the Society for the drawbacks or down - CHAIR Carolyn Benthien, Goffstown Protection of New Hampshire Forests sides. There is no VICE CHAIR has advocated the wise use and “perfect” source of Stephens Fowler, Hanover F protection of our natural resources. Early in energy. Every pro - SECRETARY Midge Eliassen, Sunapee our history, the Forest Society led a national posal must be evalu - TREASURER campaign that ultimately resulted in the ated on its merits, Leonard “Hunt” Dowse , Hancock passage of the Weeks Act (a century ago this and the impacts PRESIDENT/FORESTER Jane A. Difley, Webster year) and the creation of the White Moun - taken seriously. BOARD OF TRUSTEES tain National Forest. We helped create the In the case of the Phil Bryce, Deering Malin Clyde, Durham state parks at Franconia Notch, Mount current Northern Pass proposal, we find Jon Dawson, Deering Monadnock, Mount Kearsarge, and Mount that the downsides far outweigh any Katharine Eneguess, Jaffrey Pamela Hall , Portsmouth Sunapee, and we established the first potential positives. Our conclusions are these: Deanna Howard, Etna Amy Meyers, Jaffrey conservation easement program in the state. Jack Middleton, Freedom When the Northern Pass high voltage We must defend conservation lands. Howard Moffett, Canterbury Hank Swan, Lyme DC power line project was first presented, This proposal for the largest-ever power line Stephen Taylor, Meriden we listened to its proponents and carefully in New Hampshire would cross and have Bill Tucker , Goffstown Patricia Vasbinder , Concord considered their arguments. We thought - detrimental impacts on thousands of acres William Webb, Holderness Don Wharton, Landaff fully analyzed the pros and cons of the of protected conservation lands. Some of STAFF project as it is proposed. As an organization these are lands owned by the Forest Society EXECUTIVE that has modeled the use of renewable and many are private lands on which the Jane A. Difley, president/forester Karen Rose, executive assistant energy systems at our headquarters in Forest Society holds permanent conserva - FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION Concord and advocated energy conservation tion easements. We have both an ethical Martha Booth, receptionist Michelle Morse, accounting clerk and sustainable energy policies, we are aware and legal obligation to defend these lands, Tina Ripley, administrative assistant of the benefits of the use of renewable held in public trust, from unnecessary Leslie Thompson, human resources and finance specialist Denise Vaillancourt, vice president, finance hydropower. We have supported policies to commercial development and degradation. MEMBERSHIP/DEVELOPMENT promote the use of New Hampshire’s own Tabitha Chenoweth, data processor Nancy Ford Huckins, membership specialist renewable energy sources, especially those We must protect New Hampshire’s Susanne Kibler-Hacker, vice president, development that use sustainable forestry to generate scenic values. Allan Krygeris, technology specialist Margaret Liszka, director, membership energy from biomass. The permanent protection of “places with Ann McCoy, membership coordinator But we are not naïve enough to think special scenic beauty” has been part of our Meredith Reed O’Donnell, development associate Martha Twombly , development specialist that just because a power source is based mission since 1901. Our work is partly COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PROGRAMS in renewable energy that it doesn’t have responsible for the scenic landscapes that David Anderson, director, education and volunteers Carrie Deegan, land steward coordinator Joyce El Kouarti, communications director Jack Savage, vice president, communications/outreach POLICY/LAND MANAGEMENT Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Will Abbott, vice president, policy/land management A non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes building and grounds Frank Allen, and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources. Basic annual membership fee is $35 and Ryan Bouchard, The Rocks Clare Brown, The Rocks includes a subscription to Forest Notes . Rita Carroll , land management and policy assistant Editor: Jack Savage George Frame , senior director of forestry Managing Editor: Joyce El Kouarti Nigel Manley, director, north country property Carleen Quinn , The Rocks Design & Production: The Secret Agency Jason Teaster, property manager Printing: TDS Printing Wendy Weisiger, field forester Forest Notes is published four times a year and printed on elemental chlorine-free Sappi Flo paper with Chris Wells, senior director for strategic projects—policy 10 percent post-consumer recycled content. Sappi Flo is made from pulp purchased from suppliers LAND PROTECTION who document sound environmental practices and sustainable forest management. Joslin Bennett, easement steward Paul Doscher, vice president, land conservation Permission is required for reproduction of any part of this magazine. Paul Gagnon, easement steward Copyright 2011 SPNHF. US ISSN: 0015 7457. Brian Hotz, senior director for strategic projects—land protection Tom Howe, senior director, land conservation 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301 | Phone: (603) 224-9945 | Fax: (603) 228-0423 Lori Johnson, land protection assistant/data base manager E-mail: [email protected] | Internet: www.forestsociety.org Michael Speltz, land protection specialist The Forest Society proudly supports the following organizations: Daniel Sundquist, director, land conservation planning Ryan Young, director, easement stewardship Cosponsor Underwriter Member The existing transmission line crossing the Forest Society’s Rocks Estate in Bethlehem is only 40 feet high. However, the towers proposed by Northern Pass could be more than double this height — between 90 and 135 feet. Photo by Nigel Manley. It has become evident in the last few months that few people in New Hampshire support this proposal. At Town Meeting, at the seven Department of Energy hearings regarding the Environmental Impact Study, and through the responses from our own attract millions of tourists to our state every We must fight for the New Hampshire mailing to landowners, people have year and make tourism our second-largest advantage. opposed the project overwhelmingly. Even industry providing tens of thousands of There is no clear long-term public benefit so, there is no vote. jobs. The route chosen for the Northern to New Hampshire from the Northern In late March, we called on Northeast Pass will degrade this foundation resource Pass project. As of today the power will be Utilities, PSNH, NStar, and Hydro-Quebec and compromise the quality of life we leave exported to southern New England. No to withdraw the current Northern Pass to future generations. existing fossil fuel plant is slated for elimi - proposal and go back to the drawing board. nation as the result of Northern Pass, so our There may be reason and a way to bring We must safeguard our forests. air quality will not significantly improve. hydro-power from Canada to the New The power line corridor and 90- to 135-foot- We will host a 180-mile scar on the land - England market, but planting more than tall towers will permanently alter the scape and reap few real benefits. 1,000 towers across the New Hampshire lands they cross, fragmenting forests, We understand that some of our friends landscape is not a reasonable alternative. disrupting wildlife habitat, and disfiguring may disagree with us. There are those who Assuming that the energy companies communities. believe that for the goal of reducing green - are not ready to listen, we will continue house gas emissions, we must pursue every pushing for alternatives. Our energy future We