Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
Visit The Rocks this holiday season for cut-your-own balsam and Fraser Christmas trees, handmade wreaths, and locally made presents from our gift shop.
OPEN DAILY
NOVEMBER 29–DECEMBER 15
10 A.M.–4 P.M. (FIELDS CLOSE AT 3 P.M.)
The gift shop will remain open daily through December 21.
THE ROCKS, BETHLEHEM
FORESTSOCIETY.ORG/CHRISTMAS
CHAIR
Drew Kellner, Brookline VI CE CHAIR
Peter Fauver, North Conway SECRETARY
Allyson Hicks, Concord
TREASURER
Jason Hicks, Meredith
PRESID E NT
Jack Savage, Middleton
B OARD O F TRUSTEES
Susan Arnold, Strafford
Philip Bryce, Deering
Deb Buxton, Greenfield
George Epstein, Silver Lake
Don Floyd, Concord
Jameson French, Portsmouth
Patricia Losik, Rye
Nancy Martland, Sugar Hill
Amy Reagle Meyers, Jaffrey
Michael Morison, Peterborough
Elizabeth Salas, Weare
Bill “ Tuck” Tucker, Goffstown
Tom Wagner, Campton
Janet Zeller, Concord
STAFF
Ben Aldrich, Field Forester
Frank Allen, Building and Grounds Assistant
Sarah AlSamaraee, Stewardship & Forestry Administrative Coordinator
Dave Anderson, Senior Director of Education
Brie Belisle, Regional Stewardship Manager
Anna Berry, Director of Communications and Digital Outreach
Nik Berube, Maintenance Assistant
Naomi Brattlof, Director of Easement Stewardship
Rita Carroll, Tree Farm Administrator
Tony Cheek, Vice President for Finance
Connie Colton, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator
Linda Dammann, Development Assistant
Carrie Deegan, Vice President for Recreation Management and Public Engagement
Leah Hart, Land Conservation Project Manager
Stacie Hernandez, Land Conservation Project Manager
Brian Hotz, Vice President for Land Conservation
Steve Junkin, Field Forester
Susanne Kibler-Hacker, Senior Philanthropy Advisor
Allan Krygeris, Senior Technolog y Specialist
Matt Leahy, Public Policy Director
Margaret Liszka, Membership Director
Nigel Manley, Senior Outreach Manager, The Rocks
Ann McCoy, Development Manager
Stephanie Milender, Human Resource Director
Michelle Morse, Finance Specialist
Carl Murphy, Facilities Manager
Sophie Oehler, Communications Coordinator
Cara Pearson, Membership Specialist
John Plummer, Regional Stewardship Manager
Meredith Reed O Donnell, Foundation Relations Manager
Tina Ripley, Administrative Coordinator
Jack Savage, President
Matt Scaccia, Recreation and Community Relations Manager
Ryan Smith, Communications Manager
Maria Stewart, Senior Executive Assistant
Dylan Summers, Stewardship Projects Manager
Laurel Swope-Brush, Land Steward & Volunteer Programs Coordinator
Lauren Thomas, Administrative Assistant, The Rocks
Anne Truslow, Vice President for Development
Wendy Weisiger, Managing Forester
Harriette Yazzie-Whitcomb, Administrative Assistant
Defending Our Multiuse Lands
The Forest Society was founded in 1 9 0 1 t o a d v a n c e t h e e s t a b l i s hm e n t o f n a t i o n a l f o r e s t s e a s t o f the Mississippi River, specifically in the W h i t e M o u n t
f N e w H a m p s h i r e With a broad range of stakeholders, the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) was established in 1918 Today, it comp r i s e s s o m e 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 d i v e r s e a c r e s , a n environmental success story of historical proportion
A m o n g t h e r e a s o n s f o r t h a t s u c c e s s has been a commitment to the federally owned forest being a “land of many uses.”
T
t i p l e watersheds that produce the clean air and water we rely on. Scenery and recreational use drive our tourism industry and foster a greater appreciation for keeping forests a s f o r e s t s H u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f acres are set aside as road-less areas and wilderness. In other parts of the forest, timber har vests produce wood products we use in our homes and businesses and c r e a t e h a b i t a t d i v e r s i t y f o r w i l d l i f e B y keeping so many acres as forest, we are sequestering and storing carbon, which is helpful in mitigating climate-changing carbon emissions we cannot avoid.
Earlier this year, an out-of-state group seeking to stop har vesting on national forests sued the WMNF over two proposed
harvest operations Simply put, this group would elevate their own preferred use of the national forest over others.
The Forest Society, in concert with eight other conservation groups, filed an amicus brief in support of the WMNF, the U.S. Forest Ser vice’s established forest management plan, and the proposed harvests (You can learn more at forestsociety.org/ wmnf24 ) We feel strongly that carefully considered silviculture allows landowners, including the national forest, to achieve multiple long-term goals while enhancing resilience. Tying the hands of federal forest managers, who follow a planning process that involves ample public input, is simply irresponsible
We can celebrate how deeply people c a r e
But we should not let those who do not
understand the broad public support for a multiuse national forest, the people’s forest, undo our greatest success.
Jack Savage is the president of the Forest Society He can be reached by email at jsavage@forestsociety.org.
Celebrating New Hampshire’s All Person Trails
From the Great Bay to Manchester to the Capital City, the Something Wild team explores all there is to offer for ever yone on these special trails. forestsociety.org/allpersontrails
“ The New Hampshire chapter of @lgbtoutdoors came together for our biggest single event to date at Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves in Woodstock Special thanks to the @forestsociety and @lezhangseacoast for helping connect our organizations. It was a per fect fall day to negotiate 1,000 stairs and explore multiple boulder caves at this truly gorgeous natural treasure! “ @cherie hikes and @lgbtoutdoors
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
A nonprofit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its renewable natural resources
Basic annual membership fee is $45 and includes a subscription to Forest Notes
Editor: Ryan Smith
Design & Production: The Secret Agency
Printing: R.C. Brayshaw & Company, Inc.
Forest Notes is printed on elemental chlorine-free Sappi Flo paper with 10 percent post-consumer recycled content Sappi Flo is made from pulp purchased from suppliers who document sound environmental practices and sustainable forest management.
Permission is required for reproduction of any part of this magazine
Copyright 2024 SPNHF US ISSN: 0015 7457
54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, N H 03301 | Phone: 603-224-9945 | Fax: 603-228-0423
info@forestsociety org | forestsociety org
The Forest Society proudly supports the following organizations:
H
ide -And- Go
-Seed: Forest Societ y Volunteers Take Par t in Statewide Effor t to Save Seeds
This fall, in partnership with the New H a m p s h i r e S t a t e F o r e s t N u r s e r y a n d University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Forest Society volunteer land stewards joined a pilot program called “Seed Seekers,” which trains participants to identify and collect native seeds. After the training, volunteers hit the ground running collecting buckets, bags, and boxes full of seeds that will help support the diversity and quality of the trees and shrubs raised at the nurser y. Established in 1910 by authority of the New Hampshire Forestry Commission on a small parcel of land in Pembroke, the nurser y was originally c r e a t e d t o r a i s e w h i t e p i n e s e e d l i n g s , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t o f Natural and Cultural Resources At the time, much of the forested land in the state was cutover, burned, or otherwise affected a n d r e q u i r e d r e f o r e s t a t i o n o r a n o t h e r form of improvement. Now, the nursery grows more than 50 different native bareroot seedling species for wildlife food and cover, site reclamation, erosion control, reforestation, hedgerows, and Christmas tree growing stock.
Land stewards also help nurser y staff by alerting them when they discover a certain species is dropping seeds or where a s p e c i e s , s u c h a s s h a g b a r k h i c k o r y o r white oak, is flourishing. “We targeted o u r s t e w a r d s f o r t h i s p a r t i c u l a r p r o ject because they hold a lot of pride and connection to the forests they steward,” Land Steward & Volunteer Coordinator Laurel Swope-Brush says. “Having a better understanding of the landscape can result in someone more comfortable and confident going out in search of trees and seeds at various times of the year.” As someone who spends a lot of time with the land stewards throughout the year, she sees
potential in the program and what Forest Society volunteers can offer. “As we work through this pilot project, we are learning ways to help support the overall process and provide a better volunteer experience, and we hope to open up the opportunity to a wider audience in the future.”
R ally in R hode Island
In late September, Forest Society staff attended Rally 2024, the Land Trust Alliance’s national land conservation conference, in Providence, RI The event featured sessions on land acquisition, easement stewardship, and fee land management, among other topics
New Hampshire State Forest Nursery Manager Billy Kunelius gives Forest Society volunteers a tour of the nursery in Boscawen
Billy Kunelius explains the nursery’s seed cleaning process to volunteers
A Spirited Award for Sarapas
In October, Leonard “Lee” Sarapas was presented with the 2024 Volunteer Service Award at the Spirit of NH Awards held at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.
A c t i v e , k n o w l e d g e a b l e , a n d h u m b l e , Sarapas has ser ved as the land steward for the Lamprey River Forest in Epping since 2018 and the Jennings Forest in New Durham since 2023. In this role, he sets a high standard for regularly and thoroughly monitoring his assigned properties and submits clear and useful monitoring reports detailing his observations “Lee has brought a wealth of knowledge to his position,” says Land Steward & Volunteer Coordinator Laurel Swope-Brush “So much so that we use his reports as examples to train incoming land stewards ”
Beyond his monitoring duties, Sarapas h a s g u i d e d t
C e n t e r, a s s i s t e d w i t h C h r i s t m a s t r e e planting at The Rocks, and has participated
in the sign making workshop, the Invasive Plant Response Team, Monadnock Trails Week, nearly ever y staff-led workday in 2023, and, more recently, joined the Seed Seekers program in partnership with the New Hampshire State Forest Nursery “Lee
get-to-work attitude, and a deep passion f o r t h e m i s s i o n
t h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y, ” Swope-Brush notes “And for these and many more reasons we’re extremely proud of him being recognized with this year’s Volunteer Service Award ”
Consulting Foresters
The Forest Society encourages landowners to consult with a licensed forester before under taking land management activities. The following are paid adver tisers.
Calhoun & Cor win Forestr y, LLC
Realize what you value the most in your forest. Ser ving individual, municipal, state, non-government, and industr y forest owners
41 Pine St , Peterborough, NH 03458 • 603-562-5620
Email: swiftcor win@gmail.com
Full Circle Forestr y, LLC
Ehrhard Frost, NHLPF #103, Thetford Center, V T 802-785-4749 • efrost fcf@gmail com
Eric Radlof, NHLPF #447, Antrim, NH 603-321-3482 • eradlof.fcf@gmail.com
Jeffrey Snitkin, NHLPF #452, Newbur y, NH 802-310-0292 • jsnitkin fcf@gmail com
Benjamin Vicere, NHLPF #453, Springfield, V T 802-779-7021 • bvicere fcf@gmail com
We specialize in creative, ecological approaches to forest management that are designed to provide longterm economic and intangible benefits to landowners and their forests FCF par tners are licensed foresters, NRCS Technical Ser vice Providers, pesticide applicators, and Tree Farm Inspectors.
752 Rt 103A Newbur y, NH 03255 • 802-310-0292
Mar tin Forestr y Consulting, LLC
Offering complete forest management services, including timber sales, cruises, appraisals, and wildlife habitat management. Ask us about recreation trail planning, construction, Brontosaurus mowing, and forestr y excavation ser vices
P O Box 89, New Hampton, NH 03256 • 603-744-9484
Email: mar tinforestr y@gmail.com
Meadowsend Consulting Company
Quality Consulting Forestr y with Integrity Guaranteed
Jeremy Turner, NHLPF #318 – Southern NH jturner@meadowsendco.com
Matthias Nevins, NHLPF #518 – Central NH mnevins@meadowsendco com
Ryan Kilborn, NHLPF #442 – Nor thern NH rkilborn@meadowsendco com
Vast range of quality land management ser vices
Connect with us for a free site consultation! meadowsendco com • 603 526 8686
Licensed foresters should address inquiries about advertising to Anne Truslow by calling 603-224-9945 or emailing atruslow@forestsociety.org.
& Mac Photography
G arnet H ill Rocks The Rocks
T h i s s u m m e r, t h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y h o s t e d c l o t h i n g , b e d d i n g , a n d h o m e décor company Garnet Hill at The Rocks for their 2024-25 holiday catalog photo
s h o o t F o u n d e d i n 1 9 7 6 , G a r n e t H i l l focused the campaign on traditions that staff members have created at The Rocks over the years. Garnet Hill also launched a R o c k s - i n s p i r e d C h r i s t m a s Tr e e F a r m
Collection The multi-day shoot included many models, stylists, photographers, and staff who enjoyed exploring and crafting c r e a t i v e s c e n e s f r o m t h e p r o p e r t y ’s inspiring landscape and buildings
“ T h e R o c k s e m b o d i e s t h e s p i r i t o f the season and has a special meaning to all of us it’s the perfect backdrop for a G a r n e t H i l l C h r i s t
we recreated their photos, experiences, and traditions to share our holiday story with you.” Garnet Hill has supported the Forest Society in other ways, including
from customers who supported the Forest Society during checkout online.
featuring visits to many popular spots in the North Country Their travel itinerary highlights the warmth and charm of the area and includes a visit to The Rocks w
A page from Garnet Hill’s digital catalog that was shot on location at The Rocks.
holidays in New England and you can do it all in 24-ish hours. Visit forstsociety. org/garnet-hill-rocks for more details
The Garnet Hill creative team hard at work on their holiday catalog photo shoot in July.
Projec t SEE Visits The Floodplain
N e a r l y 3 0 0 s t u d e n t s a n d t e a c h e r s
visited the Forest Society’s Merrimack River Outdoor Education & Conservation Area in October as part of the Concord School District’s Project SEE “habitats hikes ”
A total of 236 second grade students from 14 classes (along with 14 teachers, 14 assistants, and 27 adult chaperones) took part in the field trip. Project SEE, based at White Farm on Clinton Street in Concord is a school district–funded environmental e d u c a t i o n p
Stephanie Bowser, Madeline Champlin, and Hillary Chapman
T h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y ’s
floodplain offers unique opportunities to obser ve four different habitats associated with forest, wetland, open field, and river habitats According to Hilar y Chapman, C
p
This fall, Concord second graders got outside to learn more about wildlife habitat in and around the Merrimack River as part of the school district’s environmental education program. Leave No Trace, reading a map, identifying t
forest soil vs river soil and making close obser vations of the habitat for evidence
their families.”
Puzzle Word Key
Champlin ( William H. Champlin, Jr. Forest, Rochester)
CreekFarm (Creek Farm, Portsmouth)
Dame (Dame Forest–Sweet Trail, Durham)
Lamprey (Lamprey River Forest, Epping)
PowderMajors (Powder Major's Forest Madbur y, Durham and Lee)
BuxtonSimons (Buxton-Simons Forest, Weare)
Merrimack (Merrimack River Outdoor Education & Conser vation Area, Concord)
Monson (Monson Center, Hollis and Milford)
Ashuelot (Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest, Lempster)
Gap (Gap Mountain Reser vation, Jaffrey and Troy)
HealdTract (Heald Tract, Wilton)
Hedgehog (Hedgehog Mountain, Deering)
HighBlue (High Blue, Walpole)
HighFive (High Five, Deering)
MadameSherri (Madame Sherri Forest, Chester field)
McCabe (McCabe Forest, Antrim)
Monadnock (Mount Monadnock, Dublin)
Welch ( Welch Family Farm and Forest, Hancock)
AndrewBrook (Andrew Brook Forest, Newbur y)
More than 200 people took part in the 5th annual 5 Hikes Challenge this fall on Forest Society properties across the state We celebrated the theme of “We all belong outdoors!” by offering free, guided hikes with affinity groups and holding a community gear swap to help ensure everyone feels welcome in the woods. This year, the top five locations selected by participants were Lamprey River Forest in Epping; Creek Farm in Portsmouth; Powder Major’s Forest in Madbury, Lee, and Durham; The Rocks in Bethlehem; and Hedgehog Mountain in Deering. Thanks so much for participating. We’ll see you next year!
BlackMountain (Black Mountain Forest, Sutton)
Hay (Hay Reser vation, Newbur y)
Langenau (Langenau Forest, Wilmot)
Cockermouth (Cockermouth Forest, Groton and Hebron)
CooperCedar (Cooper Cedar Woods, New Durham)
EagleCliff (Eagle Cliff Forest, Sandwich)
HighWatch (High Watch Preser ve, Effingham and Freedom)
Moody (Moody Mountain, Wolfeboro)
Moose (Moose Mountains, Brookfieldand Middleton)
Morse (Evelyn H & Albert D Morse Sr Preser ve, Alton)
Major (Mount Major, Alton)
Weeks ( Weeks Forest, Gilford)
Ammonoosuc (Ammonoosuc River Forest, Bethlehem)
DavidDana (David Dana Forest, Dalton)
Bretzfelder (Bretzfelder Park, Bethlehem
LostRiver (Lost River Reser vation, North Woodstock)
Peabody (Peabody Forest, Shelburne)
BaldCap (Bald Cap Peak Forest, Shelburne)
TheRocks ( The Rocks, Bethlehem)
Major Upgrade: A Sustainable Reroute of Mount Major’s Main Trail
Story by Anna Berry and Kelly Whalen; Interview by Carrie Deegan
On S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , t h e F o r e s t
S o c i e t y c e l e b r a t e d t h e c o m p l etion of an ambitious 3-monthlong trail project to greatly improve the s u s t a i n a b i l i t y o f M o u n t M a j o r ’s M a i n Trail The event included a ribbon cutt i n g c e r e m o n y h o n o r i n g t h e p a r t n e r s , donors, trail builders, Forest Society staff, and others who contributed to the proje c t E x e c u t i v e C o u n c i l o r J o e K e n n e y, Alton Town Administrator Ryan Heath, and Alton Town Executive Assistant Stacy Bailey attended and participated in a tour of the new trail.
Since purchasing and protecting 950 acres of land on and surrounding Mount M a j o r i n 2 0 1 4 , t h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y h a s worked to make the popular hiking destination not only safer and more welcoming but more sustainable and beneficial to the environment “This trail project might be short in longitudinal distance but it’s huge in terms of the positive impact it’s made,” Forest Society President Jack Savage says. “ A s a n e c o n o m i c d r i v e r f o r t h e L a k e s Region, Mount Major’s trails needed to be more sustainable to meet the demands of the thousands of visitors the mountain has every year.” Currently, the Forest Society has raised more than $300,000 toward its goal of $325,000 thanks to grant s u p p o r t f r o m t h e N H R e c r e a t i o n Tr a i l s Program, the Bafflin Foundation, the VF Foundation, the Fields Pond Foundation, Meredith Village Savings Bank, and gifts from more than 100 individuals.
T h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y t e a m e d u p w i t h E r i n A m a d o n , o w n e r o f To w n 4 Tr a i l Ser vices LLC, and Jed Talbot, owner of OBP Trailworks, to construct the sustainable trail, which replaced nearly a third of a mile of the existing Main Trail. As a result of more than 480 million footfalls annually in an area with steep grades and
Left: Erin Amadon is all smiles while working on a new sustainable section of the Main Trail at Mount Major.
Right: The new sustainable trail at Mount Major winds through a lush hardwood forest home to many car-sized boulders.
suboptimal soil, the lower section of the t r a i l h a d s e v e r e l y e r o d e d . F o r d e c a d e s , heavy rain events would transport soil off the trail into streams and eventually into Lake Winnipesaukee. By restoring the Main Trail with places for water to slow down and deposit fine sediments before continuing into other water bodies, this section of trail should be free of the major erosion issues the trail has seen in the past, Amadon notes
Amadon founded Town 4 Trail Services LLC (T4TS), a trail planning, construct i o n ,
Troy, Maine, in 2017. In fall 2024, Vice President for Recreation Management and Public Engagement Carrie Deegan caught up with her to learn more about what it takes to operate a professional trail building company and how the industr y has changed over the years
Carrie Deegan: There aren’t many womanowned trail building companies in New England. How did you get star ted? E
school I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career, but I knew I liked being outside A forester I shadowed for a day
s
Student Conser vation Association (SCA) o r Ve r m o n t Yo
C
p s (VYCC), so I joined the VYCC in my junior year of high school and spent eight weeks working on trails in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom I fell in love with it, and from that point on I knew exactly what I was going to do. I didn’t really grasp the larger concepts around trail work at the time, but I was working with great people, I was outside, and I was working physically hard every day
I also took some time during college to do a month-long SCA New Hampshire Parks Americorps program at Bear Brook State Park, teaching environmental education half the year and trail work the rest of the time. That was also a phenomenal program I still have great friends from that program more than 24 years later.
CD: How did you decide to star t your own trail construc tion company?
EA: There were a lot of years in between t h o s e f o r m a t i v e e x p e r i e n c e s i n h i g h school and starting Town 4 Trail Services I worked for the Green Mountain Club in Vermont on their Long Trail Patrol and on many SCA crews in college When I graduated from Unity College, it was in D e c e m b e r, s o t h e r e w e r e n ’t m a n y t r a i l crew opportunities at that time of year. I figured I’d just get a regular job at a local grocer y store until spring, but a friend from SCA let me know about a project going on in North Carolina with a professional trail building company as a private contractor and I was like, “I don’t have any idea what this is, but if you say trail work, I’m there.” So, I drove to North Carolina and spent the winter working with Frederica Lashley of The Unturned Stone LLC rebuilding a trail around Pilot Mountain State Park. We had helicopter support and used a lot of rigging to build stone staircases and walls Trail builder Peter Jensen of Vermont joined for a twoweek stint, and we built a wall together As he was leaving, he said he had this idea where he’d have business partners and go after contracts to do trail work, and I said I was in. That was the start of Peter Jensen & Associates in 2005 We had some really big projects, including some of the first accessible trails in New England: John Dillon State Park in the Adirondacks and Crotched Mountain in Greenfield, N.H. I was a part of his group for about 12 years before I decided I’d like to be a little closer to home and start my own company.
C D : Yo u wo r k e d o n t r a i l p r o j e c t s i n re m o te a re a s o f N ew E n g l a n d, Al a s k a , and Patagonia. What's the lifest yle like working on projec ts in remote areas?
EA: Being a professional trail builder can be challenging. It’s not for everyone. I think there is a certain age group that tends to draw toward it, and for those who stick with
Us!
it, they learn to embrace the lifestyle and the experience of just being out there away from the “noise” of the rest of the world
I think you also have to have a strong sense of self and trust in your relationships since you are away from home so often And that takes time I’ve been married 15 years, together for 20, and it took some time to figure out how to make it all work, including a lot of trust and organ i z a t i o n . Te c h n o l o g y h e l p s , t o o ! Wi t h satellite phones, I can text my family from basically everywhere, so they know everything is good.
CD: What is the best and worst par t of being a pro trail builder?
EA: Sometimes the most challenging part can be pushing for what you know will be the best end solution for a project As a professional trail builder, I hold myself to a high standard and always want to provide a top quality, sustainable product, but sometimes what clients ask for isn’t the best solution It’s a process that can be a little uncomfortable to negotiate with clients, but it’s a good process and it needs to happen I’m not going to try to pull one over on anyone. I’m really providing the best options possible for the land, for the budget, for the client, and for the user. I also get that someone who hasn’t known me very long may not know that about me
On the flip side, I think one of the best parts about trail building is watching people hike up a new trail that you j u s t fi n i s h e d I l o v e h e a r i n g t h e c o mments I think there is a natural hesitation whenever we change the alignment on someone’s favorite trail to be more sust a i n a b l e , b u t w h a t a p r o f e s s i o n a l t r a i l builder is able to do is create that sustainable access to the environment while still making it feel like you’re just going for a stroll in the woods We all relax when we visit a forest. I don’t want anyone to lose that feeling, and I work hard to keep it that way when I build my trails
CD: Why is sustainabilit y of recreation i n f ra s t r u c t u re s o i m p o r t a n t n ow, a n d how can professional trail builders assist?
EA: We’ve seen a huge increase in the amount of use on our trail systems in recent years, and at the same time we’re experiencing more higher volume rain events With these changes, we see a lot more erosion and damage to the environment. If we can provide folks with a sustainable path to and through the environment, we’re ultimately protecting the resource as well as being economically and ecologically responsible Thankfully, techniques for trail building have evolved significantly over the years, and we can see that clearly in New England. All our trails here were originally built straight up the mountain We’re now starting to see more sustainably designed trails, meaning the trail corridors are cut across the slopes versus going straight up the hillside.
C D : W h a t a d v i c e w o u l d y o u g i v e a young person who wants to get into trail construc tion?
EA: When the Professional Trailbuilders Association first started there were not many companies involved, but now we have more than 130 trail companies from the U S , Canada, and even Australia The industr y is growing, and there is a lot more interest in trail building as a profession There are also more women in the industry. We’re still not where I think the numbers should be on that front, but we are gaining and that’s great to see.
Part of what’s important to me is helping to teach the next generation about the professional trail world and trail building in general I would encourage them to join a crew for a couple of seasons. Find either an area you want to live in, people you want to work with, or a project you want to work on and jump right into it and embrace the lifestyle knowing you can make a living as a trail builder. There are a lot of us out there that really want to support the next generation
To donate to the Mount Major Main Trail projec t, visit forestsociety.org/major trailwork.
Beautiful Skies Over Monadnock
By Laurel Swope-Brush
Th e F o r e s t S o c i e t y a n d N e w Hampshire State Parks are thankful for the more than 45 volunteers and staff that participated in the 18th A n n u a l M o n a d n o c k Tr a i l s We e k f r o m September 5–9. The cool temperatures and clear skies offered ideal conditions to conduct structural improvements on some of Mount Monadnock’s and Gap Mountain’s popular hiking trails
At the historic site of the Halfway House Hotel, a crew maintained the quarter-acre o p e n i n g w h e r e t h e h o t e l o n c e s t o o d , revived the car ving in a nearby boulder commemorating the site, and opened the w e s t - l o o k i n g v i e w s h e d . F u r t h e r u p t h e trail from the Halfway House site, on the White Arrow Trail, crews worked all five days on rehabilitating a failing stone water bar, installing a new stone water bar with six steps, and stabilizing an additional 20 feet of trail The west side of the mountain is known for always being wet, even during dry spells, so these improvements were vital to this well-loved trail
Another large project a half-mile in on the Dublin Trail had crews finishing a rock staircase. Workers installed six large stone steps and a stone water bar to divert water and maintain the integrity of the steps On the Parker Trail, crews replaced wooden trail structures that stabilized the treadway and minimized erosion with new spruce logs, which had been peeled and stored on site by New Hampshire State Parks Three additional steps and a new water bar were also added All told, the group m o v e d n e a r l y 5 t o n s o f r o c k a n d s o i l during the project! And then on the first part of the Marlborough Trail, a small crew cleared 16 water bars of silt and debris to preser ve the performance of the existing structures. This type of maintenance is vital to increasing the longevity of all the water diversion structures established on the mountain.
A Monadnock Trails Week trail crew responsible for maintaining habitat and improving the viewshed on the north peak of Gap Mountain takes a break for a group photo
Over at Gap Mountain, crews wheeled load after load of gravel to resurface a quarter mile of trail, add a 20-foot section of turnpike, and construct drainage features, all to more clearly define the trail and improve the tread through a consistently muddy section. Groups also worked on
Gap Mountain’s two summits to recover viewsheds and maintain open habitats for blueberries and early successional species so they can continue to thrive.
U p g r a d e s t o t h i s y e a r ’s t r a i l s w e e k included the addition of women-only and LGBTQ affinity crews. By the end of the
right: Volunteers team
Bottom: Hiel Lindquist makes one of many wheelbarrow trips during Gap Mountain’s South Trail improvement project.
event, 47 volunteers had contributed approximately 644 hours. And 12 Forest Society staff and temporary crew leaders spent more than 300 hours leading and supporting their efforts. A lot of important work was completed and many memories were made, as noted by one volunteer who said, “It wasn’t only a fun time for me as a new volunteer, but a terrific showcase for what the Forest Society is all about ”
Laurel Swope-Brush is the land steward and volunteer coordinator for the Forest Society.
S H O U T O U T!
Thank you to this year ’s Monadnock Trails Week sponsors: D ublin Tap Ro om and M onadno ck Pap er M ills.
Top left: Mary Shain is all smiles while she loosens rock with a rockbar on Mount Monadnock’s muddy White Arrow Trail.
Top
up to move a large rock on the Dublin Trail as part of a staircase construction project.
Food for Thought
A farmer-philosopher’s mission to increase regional food security
By Dave Anderson
At Applecroft Farm in Dunbarton, N.H., Bill and Heather Wardwell have a deep reverence for trees and a passion for teaching people about the need for increased food security in New England. They are adamant that more people in the future will need to know how to grow their own food, and Bill’s near obsession for cultivating his own has led him to amass an astonishing collection of trees—dozens of species and hundreds of varieties growing in tight, seemingly unkempt plantings.
Clockwise from top left: Some of the trees and shrubs growing at Applecroft Farm include Cornelian-cherry dogwood, goumi, quince, and Carolina allspice.
Bill insists that for those of us with enough land to produce more than we can consume, there is opportunity. But even people with a quarter-acre lot can grow enough food to sustain themselves.
On their six-acre farm, the Wardwells are making extraordinary efforts to grow a food forest of woody perennial fruit and nut trees from all over the world Their hilltop site is suited to growing fruit trees due to the excellent cold air drainage that protects delicate blossoms from late spring frosts, which typically devastate fruit trees growing in colder pockets and valleys
Bill raises familiar and exotic varieties of raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears, plums, and peaches Nut trees include red and white oaks, blight-resistant chestnut hybrids, butternuts, black walnuts, white walnuts, hickories, pecans, and a hickor y-pecan cross called “Hickan ” But the list doesn’t stop there: Cornelian-cherry dogwoods, Korean goumi shrubs, Persian barberry, Mongolian seaberry, honeyberry, persimmon, pawpaw, Japanese quince, and European hazelnut are all found at Wardwell’s farm
Boasting the largest collection of Japanese quince in New Hampshire, including 23 varieties of tree quince and nine varieties of ground quince, he and his wife enjoy making quince jelly from a Hungarian recipe He also grafts Korean goumi fruit onto root stocks of autumn olive One tree now has 12 different varieties grafted to a single rootstock.
Bill is tr ying to perfect grafting cuttings of scion wood to compatible root stocks to produce genetic clones of trees with the best fruit flavor characteristics He collects scion wood from specialty growers in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Notably, the Indiana Nut and Fruit Growers Association offers selections from famed trees that collectors have been growing for more than a century. “People in the 1800s created their own walnut farms Collectors now grow them out, selecting desirable characteristics, including shell hardness and nuts that fill the entire shell,” he says. He then grafts cuttings in a large hoop house where they’ll eventually be planted in beds that radiate from a central farm pond.
T h r o w i n g S h a d e f o r S e c u r i t y
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don’t-be-afraid-to-fail philosophy of experimental agriculture, Bill plants trees and builds soil without intensive weeding or extensive use of gas-powered tools or mowing He uses tons of woodchips and a surface irrigation system to keep the trees m u l c h e d a n d w a t e r e d
obser ved while living and working at a printing business in Azerbaijan as inspiration. When temperatures soared to 115 degrees, “maintaining shade beneath the crops was critical to retaining soil moisture ” A greatly underestimated value of trees is providing natural shade for cooling, and, conversely, tilling dries out and overheats soil, he notes
According to the New E n g l a n d F o o d S y s t e m P l a
the impacts of climate change on populations elsewhere in the country will make New England more attractive to move to, placing more pressure on the region’s remaining open space
Citing the Partnership’s New England Feeding New England Project, where researchers working together to analyze food security issues, educate, and develop plans to address food security, Bill says New Hampshire produces just 4 percent of the food it consumes New England produces about 6 “That’s scar y,” he adds “Vermont and Maine are contributing most of that food production by way of milk and potatoes, respectively. With family dair y farms decreasing and corporations controlling milk pricing, the smaller farms throughout New England are at substantial risk of closing ”
If agriculture remains at risk in New England due to heightened flooding, and the rest of the countr y is expecting hotter and drier growing seasons, where will New England food supplies come from? “California produces somewhere around 80 percent of the fruits we consume in the country in the summer and fall growing season,” he says. “What if they couldn’t?”
Bill insists that for those of us with enough land to produce more than we can consume, there is opportunity But even people with a quarter-acre lot can grow enough food to sustain themselves For example, a mature chestnut can produce 500 pounds of nuts and a mature pawpaw can produce 100 pounds of fruit. The famous “Giving Tree” persimmon of Bloomington, Ind., produces 1,000 pounds of fruit annually Each of those trees can be used for different foods. “I owned a health food bakery and used to make lemon-chia chestnut bread that I could never keep up with demand for,” he adds. “In northern New England, we have a massive opportunity to become a diverse food producing region.”
As Bill and Heather perfect the art of growing trees for food, Bill is fond of quoting the adage: The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago The second-best time is right now “I have proved that more than 50 kinds of fruits can be grown here successfully with little intervention it’s time to get growing!”
Dave Anderson is the senior director of education for the Forest Society.
Did You Know?
Wild Mongolian seaberr y, grown by the Wardwells in Dunbarton, yields oil that is known for its restorative skin and hair treatment. Legend has it that injured war horses left to die by fighting clans of nomadic soldiers returned healed after grazing on the native seaberries growing in the high arid steppes of the region.
Top: Students from Broken Ground School pose with teacher Ellen Kenny after planting mulberry trees at the Merrimack River Outdoor Education & Conservation Area.
Left: In 2022, Bill Wardwell of Applecroft Farm cuts shoots from the last mulberry tree growing on the Forest Society’s property in Concord
Right: At his farm in Dunbarton, Wardwell shows off a clone he grew of the original Merrimack River mulberry tree.
Mulberr y Rescue Along The Merrimmacck
IC o n s e r v a t i o n A r e a i n C o n c o r d , a l o n e r e d m u l
r r y t r e e teetered ever closer to the eroding edge of the banks of the river The tree was a longtime favorite of songbirds, chipmunks, s q u i r r e l s a n d , m o r e r e c e n t l y, s c h o o l g r o u p s . B h u t a n e s e a n d Nepali students attending the Broken Ground School’s English Language Learner class in East Concord are quite familiar with mulberr y, which is native to East Asia On a tour of the river floodplain forest with Director of Education Dave Anderson, they recognized the tree’s clusters of sweet purple berries and gathered them to eat One student stuffed her pockets to bring some home to show her mom.
After reading about the tree and the classroom’s attachment to to it in a blog post on the Forest Society’s website, Bill Wardwell visited the stricken mulberry in winter 2023 to cut shoots to graft, but ultimately did not succeed He tried again in springtime to no avail. A year later, after sliding nearly entirely into the river, the tree raised a single last gasp of spring green growth above the swirling high water. The new growth provided vigorous first year scion wood and Bill’s attempt to graft to mulberry root stock succeeded In time, these clones of the original tree could provide an opportunity to re-plant the exact same tree on the banks of the river; it would be like an arboreal “Lazarus” rising from a watery grave. It seems almost as if the tree was waiting for Bill to arrive.
Highlights of the 123rd Annual Meeting
From Mount Monadnock to Sharon Bog, Forest Society members and friends celebrated a year of tremendous accomplishments at the 123rd Annual Meeting at the Monadnock Country Club in Peterborough on September 21
The day began early at 7 a m for those who chose to hike up Mount Monadnock. The group, including Board President Drew Kellner, battled fierce winds at the top but still made it to the meeting in time for lunch. Other attendees toured Sharon Bog, a unique kettle hole bog and esker formation protected in 1997 by the Forest Society or walked Gap Mountain’s latest timber harvest with Forest Society foresters or heard from historian
and conservationist Eric Aldrich about the legacy of the Due family, who lived as free people of color in the late 1700s and 1800s at Welch Family Farm & Forest in Hancock.
A special screening of Monadnock: The Mountain That Stands Alone was also offered, and this option kept participants warm and dry at the Peterborough Public Library to boot. The film tells the story of the region’s original inhabitants and the writers and thinkers who came later and were inspired by the iconic peak, including Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau It includes commentar y from Forest Society Senior Director of Education Dave Anderson.
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his long journey working on the film, which has now aired on NH PBS and is available to the public Protected in 1914, Monadnock is one of the Forest Society’s oldest and largest forest reser vations at more than 4,500 acres in Jaffrey, Dublin, Troy and Marlborough “I didn’t know that all those poets and people were inspired by the mountain,” Annual Meeting participant Gale Tobbe said after the screening “I will look at the mountain differently because it was such a truly inspirational film ”
After lunch, Forest Society President Jack Savage opened the business meeting with gratitude for the members and supporters who helped the organization advance its mission during the 2024 fiscal year “Financially, we’re in a really strong position,” Savage said, adding that in the future, fiscal year 2024 may be viewed as one of the most productive years in the organization’s history.
The Forest Society conserved 5,400 acres, completed the energy-efficient conser vation and education center at The Rocks,
Story by Anna Berry, photos by Ryan Smith
Keynote speaker Annie Proulx mesmerized Annual Meeting attendees with a reading from her book Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis.
Attendees joined a staff-led tour of Sharon Bog.
worked with more than 400 volunteers, and saw some 250,000 people visit the forests and trails.
“We live in a really remarkable place, and you have made it so,” Savage told attendees.
New Trustee Joins the Board
The Leadership and Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees presented Amy Reagle Meyers of Jaffrey as a nominee for her first 3-year term on the board, and her nomination was approved by members Meyers has lived at the base of Mount Monadnock for 25 years. Previously she ran a nationally recognized political fundraising firm and worked as an executive search and leadership consultant
In addition, four current trustees were re-elected with approval by the members for terms as follows:
George Epstein of Silver Lake (2nd three-year term)
Patricia Losik of Rye (2nd three-year term)
Elizabeth Salas of Weare (2nd three-year term
Janet Zeller of Concord (3rd three-year term)
Annie Proulx Captivates the Crowd
Keynote speaker Annie Proulx mesmerized the audience with her lyrical, humorous reflections on wetlands from her research and most recent book Fen, Bog & Swamp: A Shor t Histor y of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis
“Thank you for coming out to listen to an old broad talk about bogs,” she began Proulx, author of The Shipping News and the short story that inspired the film Brokeback Mountain, spoke about both the “mystical, transformative power” of mire and the science behind peat-formed wetlands “But that is not the end there never is an end to wetlands as long as there is water,” she remarked.
From ancient rituals and stories about the “hatch covers of hell” that “separate the living from the rotting” to the declaration of a Scottish blanket bog as a World Heritage Site, Proulx’s book explores a wide range of histor y surrounding fens, bogs, and swamps, and she shared some of those stories with members
P r o u l x d e s c r i b e d t h e C e l t
t h e b u r i a l s b y torchlight. “As the horizon begins to redden on earth’s turn, the offered person is lowered into the bog the only thing we can be sure of is that the bog water under the arch of sky was its own world,” she said
The bog world, where “trees dare not put down roots [and] everything seems to lurch slightly,” was alluring to writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and others she highlighted in her book Proulx described the mop-top head of sphagnum moss as resembling “twisted wire” that never collapses and decays “Sphagnum would like to conquer the world, but its low stature puts it at a disadvantage,” Proulx said with a chuckle.
In the “undulating expanse” of a bog, there is a teeming zoo of microscopic life. Now, as the climate crisis “begins to bite,”
Senior Director of Education Dave Anderson opened the floor for questions after Annie Proulx’s keynote
she said, recently drained lakes, wet grounds newly exposed by glaciers, and more emerging wetlands are reshaping the interpretation of these ecosystems
Proulx, who moved back to New England after several decades away, also shared findings about wetlands in this region. “We here today are living in an increasingly rare bog region,” she said Although there were questions for Proulx from the audience
Protection Brian Hotz about the Forest Society’s ongoing work to protect Campton Bog in Campton and Rumney (Stay tuned for more updates about the Campton Bog project in the next issue ) “We’re currently working to conserve about 700 acres of the bog,” Hotz said. “Although it’s a fen, not a bog.” He added that not a lot of research had been done yet on the species in the fen “How exciting!” Proulx said
Senior Director of Education Dave Anderson asked Proulx about her statement in a recent inter view that writing fiction was frivolous in a time of climate change. She said her opinion had evolved “It’s possible to do all of it,” Proulx said “I am back writing fiction again, but my fiction is entangled with climate change as its subject.”
THANK YOU, ANNUAL MEETING SPONSORS!
Lead Sponsors
BCM Environment and Land Law, Froling Energy, New England Private Wealth Advisors, and Savings Bank of Walpole.
Day Sponsors
Badger, The Toadstool Bookshops, and Yankee Magazine
Award Winners
Conservationist of the Year
T h i s y e a r, B o b We l l s o f H o p k i n t o n w a s h o n o r e d a s t h e Conservationist of the Year in recognition of his more than 50 years of activism, leadership, and support of land conservation.
Wells, who describes himself as a farm kid from Missouri, grew up on a 2,000-acre farm that his family had overseen since the 1800s. He received his BA from DePaw University and then his JD from the University of Michigan Law School He and his wife Binney moved to New Hampshire in 1971.
Wells joined McLane Middleton Law Firm, where he embarked on a distinguished legal career specializing in Trusts and Estates.
T h r o u g h h i s l e g a l w o r k , We l l s h a s r e p r e s e n t e d c o u n t l e s s landowners, assisting them in exploring conser vation options for their land and helping his clients support the causes they care about through their estate planning Both his clients and organizations across New Hampshire have mutually benefitted from Wells’ expertise and thoughtful advice.
“Bob and Binney have been involved with the Forest Society for more than 50 years,” Jack Savage stated during the awards ceremony “Binney just told us recently that it was her mother, an active conservationist in Connecticut, who gave them a membership to the Forest Society when they first moved here to connect them with the New Hampshire community Well, connect they did and they have continued to do so in many meaningful ways.”
Bob ser ved as a Trustee for the Forest Society from 1988 to 1994. He previously served on the Forest Society Development Committee and has served on the Land Protection Committee for nearly 30 years Bob has provided legal advice and guidance to Forest Society staff on countless conservation projects during his time on the board and committees, and Forest Society staff and board members have relied on him for excellent advice about charitable trust issues
“At home in Hopkinton, Bob and Binney were inspired by
Binney Wells accepts the Conservationist of the Year Award from the Forest Society on behalf of her husband, Bob.
Binney’s grandmother, who donated 1,000 acres of forestland to the State of Connecticut to be added to Algonquin State Forest,” Savage added. “In 1984, the Wells Family donated their first conservation easement to the Forest Society, which protected 115 acres of agricultural land and managed forest surrounding their home in Hopkinton and Henniker.”
Binney; their children, Ted Wells and Hylah Wells Patton, and their respective spouses, Anna and Chris; and, grandchildren, Binney, Will, Coley and Thea together donated a conservation easement on an additional 455 acres in Hopkinton and Henniker. The newly conser ved lands are a diverse mix of open fields, forest, and wetlands, and they link together a conser ved area that spans from the Hopkinton-Everett Flood Control lands to the Stumpfield-Mudgett Recreation Area
“The Wells family’s most recent donation of a conser vation easement on 455 acres brings the block of protected land in this area to nearly 10,000 acres,” Savage said. “It is a truly grand achievement, as a family and as a community ”
Honoring Longtime Members
Steve Perron of Concord was recognized at the Annual Meeting for his 50 years of membership with the Forest Society.
Fi f t y - ye a r m e m b e r s Pa u l a n d D e b D o s c h e r, Charlie and Charlotte Faulk ner, Pam Hall, and Ruth Stuar t, in addition to 60-year members H owa rd A . Th o r p e J r. a n d J a m e s H . D u n c a n , were not in attendance but are still ver y much appreciated for their decades of suppor t
Trish Churchill Volunteer of the Year
E v e r y y e a r, t h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y i s s u e s t h e Tr i s h C h u rc h i l l Vo l u n t e e r o f t h e Ye a r
award honors those exemplar y volunteers who have made an extraordinary commitment of their time, resources, and energy to help the Forest Society achieve its mission.
This year, the Forest Society presented the award to Hiel Lindquist of Fitzwilliam. “This year’s award is a special one for me because the award is going to a land steward who was part of the fist land steward training class that I organized after I started working for the Forest Society more than 16 years ago,” Vice President of Recreation Management and Public Engagement Carrie Deegan said during the awards ceremony.
Lindquist has been a constant and reliable supporter of Gap Mountain and the Forest Society since he became a land steward H e c l e a
reroutes and resurfaces trails, maintains the views from both summits, and helps with projects to design and build bridges.
Two long-distance trails, the 110-mile Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and the 50-mile Wantastiquet-Monadnock Trail, share part of Gap Mountain’s trails. Lindquist has been ver y involved w i t h b o t h
represented the Forest Society on the Wantastiquet-Monadnock Trail Coalition
Lindquist is also involved at Mount Monadnock, representing his town of Fitzwilliam on the Monadnock Advisory Commission. He is a volunteer at Monadnock Trails Week every year and has helped lead First Day Hikes at Monadnock for New Hampshire State Parks
“What I love most about working with Hiel is his quiet confidence and rational way of approaching the world,” Deegan added “I’ve never seen him get upset about anything, and I’ve been at some spirited meetings and worked on some intense trail crews with Hiel He’s always a voice of reason, not afraid to point out when something is needed, but always calm and diplomatic about everything he does.”
President’s Award
The Forest Society presented the President’s Award to Tom Masland of Canterbury for his more than 30 years of legal work supporting the Forest Society, land trusts, and individuals on conservation issues “I don’t think it is possible to overstate Tom’s contribution to land conser vation in New Hampshire,” Vice President of Land Conservation Brian Hotz stated “While he may not acknowledge it himself, Tom is considered one of the foremost land conservation attorneys in New Hampshire and the country, representing both landowners and conservation organizations in land protection projects and conservation transactions.”
Masland has served as legal counsel to the Forest Society for more than 30 years and his team at Ransmeier and Spellman has played a central role in developing the conser vation easement template that is used statewide in conser vation transactions Masland is a frequent speaker on conser vation easements and estate planning statewide and nationally for professionals as well as the public. He is a former member of the Conservation Defense Advisory Council of the Land Trust Alliance He has also been active in statewide environmental matters, serving on the boards of regional land trusts and other nonprofit organizations. Masland and his team at Ransmeier and Spellman represent more than 30 land trusts and governmental agencies in the state.
“Tom and his wife, Sylvia Bates, walk the talk,” Savage says “Together they became the first hikers to complete our Forest Reservation Challenge in 2017 by visiting all 33 trails featured in the Challenge The counsel he has provided on conservation issues, as a leading expert in an increasingly complex world of conser vation easements, has been instrumental to the Forest Society We truly value all he has contributed, not only to the Forest Society, but statewide to land trusts and individuals.”
Tom Masland and his wife, Sylvia Bates.
Hiel Lindquist with Vice President for Recreation Management and Public Engagement Carrie Deegan.
2025 New Hampshire Legislative Session Sneak Peek
By Matt Leahy
Iam writing this piece in early October 2024 when the country and our state are discussing and debating significant political questions: Who will be the next President of the United States? Who will be the next governor of New Hampshire?
W h i c h p a r t i e s w i l l c o n t r o l t h e U . S . Congress and New Hampshire Legislature? Given those profound uncertainties, o n e w o u l d a s s u m e t h e w o r k o f N e w Hampshire’s government is on hold until we have answers to those questions. The truth, however, is just the opposite Save for perhaps a few quiet moments at the S t a t e H o u s e d u r i n g J u l y a n d A u g u s t , elected officials and state agencies started looking to 2025 from the moment the Legislature wrapped up its 2024 session in June.
For example, September 3, 2024, was t h e f i r s t d a y f o r i n c u m b e n t s r u n n i n g f o r r e - e l e c t i o n t o t h e N e w H a m p s h i r e
L e g i s l a t u r e t o f i l e L e g i s l a t i v e S e r v i c e
R e q u e s t s . T h e s e a r e s i m p l y b a r e - b o n e s descriptions of the sponsors’ intent for proposed bills Then, November 6 was the first day for all representatives, including t h o s e w h o w e r e n e w l y e l e c t e d , t o fi l e requests.
T h o s e e a r l y d e a d l i n e s h e l p u s g e t a better understanding of what the session will look like even though we do not have a full picture of all the dynamics that will i n fl u e n c e t h e o u t c o m e s . Wi t h t h a t i n mind, here is what we know right now
First, and perhaps most importantly, the Legislature and incoming governor w i l l n e e d t o a p p r o v e t h e S t a t e b u d g e t for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. One of t h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y ’s t o p p r i o r i t i e s w i l l b e t h e L a n d a n d C o m m u n i t y H e r i t a g e Investment Program (LCHIP). The current State budget authorized $5 million each y e a r f o r 2 0 2 4 a n d 2 0 2 5 . We c e r t a i n l y
maintaining this level in the 2026–2027 budget
In addition, we plan to support the budgets
Resources and the New
with the Department of Environmental Ser vices,
stewardship of our state’s environment.
S
bills each session across all the legislative committees We expect that among that stack of work will be proposals focused on issues on which the Forest Society has engaged in prior years.
One example is forest carbon markets Legislators continue to be concerned about the impacts that forest carbon markets may have on the forest products industry and local tax bases. The Legislature will take up a bill that seeks to address the loss of tax revenue to municipalities.
We also anticipate the Legislature will focus again on solid waste management, including the siting requirements for new landfills Related to that debate, there will be more attention given to the problem of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) c o n t
state’s lakes and ponds
In addition, issues of energy costs and clean energy availability have received significant attention in the recent legislative sessions and that should continue in 2025.
Of course, the overriding environmental a n d p u b l i c h e
c h a n g e . A s o f t h i s w r
have the complete picture of all the bills the Legislature will consider in 2025 on this issue. However, and despite the clear scientific consensus that Earth’s climate is warming due to anthropogenic factors, it is likely there will be stark disagreements i n t h
d how the State Government should lead the efforts to address climate change
The resolution of all these bills will not be known until well into May Likewise, the Legislature and governor will most l i k e l y n
right now is that the period between when the legislative committees begin to hold hearings to when they finish their work is an intense time. Alongside our partner organizations, the Forest Society will be engaged in this process. Perhaps, when it is all over, we will be able to answer some of these questions
Matt Leahy is the public policy director for the Forest Society.
The New Hampshire State House will be abuzz with activity in 2025 as the Legislature and governor-elect Kelly Ayotte work on the State budget
We thank our business par tners for their generous suppor t
Forest Society Nor th at The Rocks –CDFA Tax Credit Program
Badger, Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc
Bassinger Limited, PC
Grappone Management Co., Inc.
Lumbard & Kellner, LLC
Mascoma Bank
Meredith Village Savings Bank
Merrimack County Savings Bank
Milestone Engineering & Construction, LLC
Nathan Wechsler & Company
Nor thway Bank
ReVision Energy Union Bank
Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank
Summit Circle ($5,000 and up)
Badger, Peabody & Smith Realty, Inc.
Garnet Hill Inc.
Mainstay Technologies
Merrimack County Savings Bank
Nathan Wechsler & Company
Newbur ypor t Bank
OnX Maps
Seaboard International Forest Products, LLC
Whalen Public & Media Relations, LLC
Trustees’ Circle ($2,500 to $4,999)
J Group Hospitality
Meredith Village Savings Bank
Nor theast Delta Dental
Nor thland Forest Produc ts, Inc.
The Secret Agenc y, LLC
St. Mar y ’s Bank
President ’s Circle ($1,000 to $2,499)
BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC
Check mateHCM Solutions
Chinburg Proper ties
EOS Research Ltd
Frog Hollow Forestr y
Froling Energy
Lumbard & Kellner, LLC
Messina’s Flooring & Carpet
New England Private Wealth Advisors, LLC
NH Conser vation Real Estate
President ’s Circle (continued)
Ransmeier & Spellman, P.C.
ReVision Energy
Rock ywold-Deephaven Camps, Inc.
Savings Bank of Walpole
Upstream Tech
Steward ($750 to $999)
Meadowsend Timberlands Limited
TMS Diesel Nor th
Par tner ($500 to $749)
Arcomm Communications Corporation
W. S. Badger Company
Blue Mountain Forest Association
Capitol Craftsman, LLC
Durgin and Crowell Lumber Co., Inc.
FedPoint
Half Moon Enterprises
Harbor Group
Leigh Starer Landscape Architec t
The Lyme Timber Company LP
Monadnock Paper Mill
The Music Mill
R M Piper, Inc
Whole Wealth Management, LLC
Colleague ($250 to $499)
Anagnost Investments
C&S Wholesale Grocers
Gideon Asen LLC
Grappone Management Company
Great Brook Veterinar y Clinic, LLC
Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, LLC
Kozikowsk i Proper ties, LLC
Mediation Par tners of New England, LLC
Nor theast Forest Ser vices
Por tsmouth Paddle Board Company, LLC
Proc tor Hill Forestr y and Logging, LLC
Rek ’-Lis Brewing Company, LLC
Robbins Lumber
Samyn d’Elia Architec ts, PA
Seven C ’s Inc.
Toadstool Bookshops
Tri-State Iron Works, Inc
Underhill Acres, Inc.
Colleague (continued)
Yankee Publishing, Inc.
Winnipesaukee Chocolates
Zachar y Berger Associates, Ltd.
Matching Gif t Companies
ADP, LLC
Advent International
American Biltrite, Inc.
Amgen, Inc
Bank of America
Bank of New Hampshire
Boston Scientific
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
The Cigna Group
Cleveland H Dodge Foundation, Inc
Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP
Dell, Inc.
Erie Insurance
Gar tner, Inc.
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Google, LLC
Gradient
Hearst Communications, Inc.
Intel Corporation
Jacobs Solutions, Inc
Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
Liber ty Mutual Insurance
Lincoln Financial Group
Mac y ’s, Inc
Manulife Financial Corporation
Microsoft Corporation
Motorola Solutions, Inc.
NetApp, Inc
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Raytheon Technologies Corporation
Shell Oil Company
Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.
The Travelers Companies, Inc
UnitedHealth Group
Ver tex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
VMware, Inc
We are grateful to the many businesses that suppor t the Forest Society with gifts of less than $250
Forest Society…Where Conservation and Business
For information about business memberships, sponsorships, or to initiate a gift membership program for your clients or employees, please contac t Anne Truslow at (603) 224-9945 or atruslow@forestsociety.org.
Adding a Key Piece to Monadnock’s Trail System
Join in a storied tradition of conser vation at Mount Monadnock!
Mount Monadnock has attracted a n d i n s p i r e d r e c r e a t i o n a l e x p l o r e r s s i n c e t h e 1 9 t h
C e n t u r y. H e n r y D a v i d T h o r e a u , R a l p h
Wa l d o E m e r s o n , M a r k Tw a i n , A b b o t t Thayer, and Willa Cather are just a few of the artists and writers deeply influenced by their time spent on and around the mountain. To this day, it is a pilgrimage site for many, a rite of passage for others, and the obsession of more than a few dedicated hikers
T h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y h a s a c t i v e l y p r otected land on Mount Monadnock since 1914 and today owns and stewards more t h a n 5 , 0 0 0 a c r e s o n M o n a d n o c k a n d
Gap Mountains in a patchwork stitched together with other lands in town and state ownership, and conser vation easements on private lands Much of the land operated as Monadnock State Park is held b y t h e F o r e s t S o c i e t y, m a n a g e d b y t h e state under a lease from the Forest Society Located within hours from many New England cities, the challenging hike up Mount Monadnock can be accomplished in a half-day, but truly exploring its 40 miles of trails, different approaches and deep well of lore can take a lifetime. On an autumn day you will encounter the full spectrum of humankind in all manner of footwear and gear first time hikers, international travelers, small children running up the mountain, seasoned mountaineers, and locals on their daily, weekly, monthly or annual ramble.
Six main trailheads ser ve the mountain: the Marlborough Trailhead, Dublin Trailhead, Pumpelly Trailhead in Dublin, a n d G i l s o n P o n d B i rc h t o f t Tr a i l h e a d , Monadnock State Park Headquarters, and the Old Toll Road, all in Jaffrey The Old To l l R o a d , l o c a t e d o n M o u n t a i n R o a d / Route 124 in Jaffrey, is perhaps one of the oldest trails, leading to the site of the Halfway House, once a grand mountain
²hotel, and on to the White Arrow Trail that steeply approaches the summit. On a clear day at the summit, it is possible to see all six New England states and sometimes a silver streak of ocean at the coast, the snow-capped White Mountains, and the Boston skyline.
The site of the Halfway House and the Old Toll Road were transferred to Forest Society ownership after the hotel burned
in 1954 Today, an average of 10-12,000 hikers annually enter from the Old Toll Road Trailhead, where there is space for 65 cars
Continuing the tradition of conserving the character of the mountain, the Forest Society now has an opportunity to acquire and protect 30 acres adjacent to the Old Toll Road Trailhead in Jaffrey Situated on the east side of the current parking area,
this patch of mixed hardwoods and softwoods includes a small stream that drains off the mountain, forming a low gully and flowing under Mountain Road.
The 30-acre tract will be subdivided from a larger parcel, and purchasing this land will buffer the trail from potential
future parking expansion if needed Based
, the Forest Society must raise a total of $275,000 to support the purchase price, project costs, and long-term stewardship of the expanded trailhead area
We hope that you will join in a long
Mount Monadnock by making a contribution to acquire the Old Toll Road Trailhead Expansion in Jaffrey Our goal is to raise the entire $275,000 from private sources by March 1, 2025 To do so, we will need your help! Please make your contribution today and help us spread the word to others who love this place
Name:
Address:
Telephone:
Please mail the completed form to:
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests 54 Por tsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301
Donate online at forestsociety.org/oldtollroad For more information, call Anne Truslow at 603-224-9945 or email atruslow@forestsociety.org.
A hiker watches sunrise near the summit of Mount Monadnock
54 Por tsmouth Street
Concord, NH 03301-5400
Address Ser vice Requested
Since we met in 2001, Bill and I have always enjoyed the o u t d o o r s a n d u n d e r s
t
t h e e n v i r o n m e n t . W h e n w e learned of the Forest Society in 2 0 1 5 , w e k n e w w e n e e d e d t o become members because of their s t a t e w i d e c o n s e r v a t i o n e f f o r t s , including at our favorite property t o v i s i t
Chris and Bill Pellegrini with Finn and Brutz
Bethlehem,
N.H.
Members since 2015
M E M B E R S M A K E T H E D I F F E R E N C E !
Chris and Bill are among the 10,000 members who help the Forest Society protect and manage critical lands for wildlife, water quality, wood, and wellness across the state.
Rocks In 2022, Bill and I retired and built a small log cabin on our land in Bethlehem We put a lot o f t h o u g h t i n t o b u i l d i n g g r e e n and making as small of a footprint on the land as possible
In retirement, we increased our v o l u n t e e r
C h r i s t m a s t r e e f a r m D u r i n g the holiday season, there is no better place to see smiling faces enjoying this quintessential New England location We’re excited to continue contributing to the Forest Society’s work in the North C o u n t r y t o h e l p p r o t e c t N e w Hampshire’s forests.”