Managing Our Forests Thoughtfully

More than 70 percent of New Hampshire’s forests are privately o w n e d . S o m e o f t h e s e l a n d s are permanently protected through conservation easements or, in the case of the nearly 60,000 acres managed by the Forest S o

The balance of forest in the state is publicly owned: 18 percent by the federal government (including 750,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest and the 25,000-acre Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge) and 10 percent by state and local municipalities. The town you live in may have a designated Town Forest, for example, and the state owns and manages large tracts such as the Nash Stream State Forest, state parks, and state Wildlife Management Areas.

These public lands, situated across the state, have different histories of use and care They encompass a variety of forest types and wildlife habitat, soils, and water resources. While more than half of our forests are northern hardwoods, white pine stands in sandy soils to the south give way to spruce and fir farther north.

Those different forests call for different approaches to management, seeking to achieve multiple goals depending on the resource wildlife diversity; water protection; recreation; resilience to pests; disease and climate change; and sustainably harvested timber.

As we consider how best to address climate change, carbon sequestration and storage are additional positive outcomes of a well-managed forest. While reducing our emissions from fossil fuels is the most direct way to reduce our collective climate impact, forests play an important role in taking up some of those emissions and storing it in trees, vegetation, and soil. In general, younger forests sequester carbon at a faster rate; older forests store more carbon.

As I’ve written here before, thoughtful timber harvesting can be climate friendly New Hampshire’s forests have benefitted from a century of regeneration, but the resulting even-aged forests are not necessarily diverse and resilient Timber stand improvement is a part of climate-smart management.

And, compared with steel and concrete, wood is a sustainable alternative with a reduced carbon footprint Sustainably harvested wood built into longstanding structures and durable products also stores carbon

As public and private landowners manage ecologically diverse lands across the state whether it’s the White Mountain National Forest or a private family we can achieve multiple benefits and uses, including sustainably harvested wood as well as carbon stored in old growth. They are not mutually exclusive

Jack Savage is the president of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests He can be reached by email at jsavage @forestsociety.org.

New Faces

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Rocks Repor t

A vir tual behind-the -scenes tour of The Rocks reno projec t forestsociety.org/restoration-projec t

“On January 1, 2023, I celebrated and photographed the New Year’s Day First Day Hike event held at Monadnock State Park by the Forest Society and New Hampshire State Parks I love the enthusiasm of the day, and I especially enjoy photographing and celebrating with families.”

– Kate Wilcox

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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 $40 and includes a subscription to Forest Notes.

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A Good Sign

The next time you visit a Forest Society property and you encounter a timber harvest, keep an eye out for one of the newly posted 12” x 18” interpretive harvest signs to learn more about your surroundings. Over the past year, forestry and communications staff designed four signs explaining the type of forestry the Forest Society conducts on its lands and began posting the signs in fall 2022 Support from the Robin Colson Memorial Foundation helped cover costs associated with the printing of the educational signs.

A significant amount of planning goes into implementing a timber harvest, but this work is not always evident to the public. The goal of the signage was to develop a brief, clear design that offers visitors an opportunity to not only see what happened during a harvest, but also understand how the forest will rebound in the years to come.

“We hope these signs can help people recreating on our properties understand the careful thought and science that goes into planning each one of our timber harvests, and encourage them to learn more about the benefits of sustainable forestry,” Forest Society Forester Gabe Roxbury notes

Before the ground froze, foresters were able to post some of the signs at the Gipson Forest in Greenfield, Heald Tract in Wilton, Crider Forest in Stoddard, Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest in Lempster, and Sanborn Forest in Epping. When the ground thaws in spring, visitors can plan to see more signs in their travels and learn more about forest management in the future.