3/23/2018 44 Comments Forest FridayWhat a week it's been! Sadly, today was our last day in the Granite State. But, we tried to fill it up with as much fun and learning as we could. After stopping by the Saco district station to borrow some hardhats, we visited a logging site managed by the Forest Service. This particular timber sale had recently been conducted and completed on their Jigger-Johnson Campsite with the primary goal of removing a stand of dying red pine trees which were becoming hazardous to the public. Ken Jaeger, Timber Sale Administrator, and Jim Innes, District Ranger, showed us the site and explained the logistics of logging. Ken oversees all the sales happening in the Forest at once, and he tries to visit each one daily. His job is a difficult but rewarding combination of understanding business decisions and local loggers and being the voice of the environment. He showed us a skidder, a large tractor with a claw attachment used to transport large bundles of logs. Then, he took us on a walk around the site and gave us more information about his day to day. Jim provided a political perspective, telling us about how he splits his time in Washington D.C. and the forest service, and how he deals with timber sales from the policy perspective and addresses various types of litigation against the Forest Service. We were thankful to Jim for being willing to answer our questions about why the Forest Service does logging at all and what man's relationship to nature is/should be. After our lunch break of sandwiches and fruit, we headed to the aptly name town of Sandwich and its Mead Base. A lovely and historic white-sided house surrounded by stone walls, the Base was once owned by a Mr. Mead who made the largest donation of land to the Forest in its history in order to prevent it from being logged. The Base hosts volunteers and researchers, such as the Boy Scouts, who need a place to stay in the Forest. Fred Lavigne is its caretaker, an ex-logger who has also been heavily involved in conservation efforts. Fred absolutely loves the history of the White Mountains communities, and has been involved in conservation projects around areas of significant natural beauty and historic significance. Over the course of nine years, he, his wife, and some neighbors spearheaded an effort to expand their local wilderness area to preserve a large section of land including what's called the Algonquin Trail. Our curiosity was piqued by his story of some recently rediscovered town records, and the ruins of old homes you could still find hidden in the forest. Though a small-time logger himself, Fred seemed really dismayed by mindless clear cutting and took us to see the beauty of the forest in the backyard of Mead Base, including some truly magnificent large pine trees and frozen waterfalls. Saying goodbye to the kind and informative Fred, we went in search of the Sandwich Creamery. Down a long, muddy, bumpy road, the Creamery was inhabited only by a black cow, two sheep, and a ram. We chose some maple walnut ice cream and cheese from the fridges, left our payment in a little mailbox, and headed back to our cabin for the last time.
-Remi Shaull-Thompson
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We started our day with a long, but breathtakingly beautiful drive through the mountains to Lancaster, Hampshire where we met with Stuart Weeks in the Weeks Memorial Library. Stuart is the great grandson of John Weeks, a Massachusetts congressman who penned the 1911 Weeks Act signed into law by President Taft. The Weeks Act allowed for the purchase and incorporation of private land into the National Forest System if such actions were deemed necessary to protect rivers, watersheds, and headwaters by the U.S Department of Agriculture. This law allowed many of the over used logging lands found in North East, including the region encompassed within the White Mountain National Forest, to be rehabilitated. While Stuart Weeks has not followed his great grandfather into the political realm, he continues to fight for environmental causes and forest protection using his creative talents. Stuart is the founder of The Center for American Studies in Concord, Massachusetts which focuses spiritual theories strongly rooted in the transcendentalist ideas of Emmerson and Thoreau. Stuart has worked to oppose the Northern Pass Transmission Line Project which aims to install a high voltage power line, some of which would run directly through the National Forest. He also supports organizations and individuals advocating that the White Mountain National Forest be designated a national park to eliminate the extractive activities currently on the land. In addition to these issues, we also traversed topics including, but not limited to, mythology, technology, and the human spirit and discussed how they pertain to our relationships with the natural world. After a lovely lunch with Stuart at a local Lancaster café, the group headed further north to meet with Jamie Sayen at his house in Groveton. Once there, Jamie took us on a walk around his property to show us the beauty of the surrounding area and discuss his role in forest advocacy. Jamie is a Princeton alum and currently on the board of directors of Restore The North Woods, a nonprofit organization working to restore, preserve, and defend the natural integrity of the North Woods of the United States and Canada through advocacy, public awareness, and citizen action. He is also an author and has recently completed a book entitled You Had a Job For Life: Story of a Company Town describing the life and death of the Groveton Papers Mill and the devastating ramifications of industrial decline on a small New Hampshire town. While enjoying the sunshine and spectacular views of the Percy Peaks, Jamie described his history of environmental activism in the region, including his work to promote the protection and restoration of the Nash Stream Watershed. Jamie has also been involved in the Earth First movement and believes strongly in the interconnectedness of the wild and man-made world, urging us all to recognize the harmful effects of human activity on the Earth before it is too late to reverse environmental damage. Discussions surrounding the efficacy and acceptance of public land management in the region were continued around the warmth of a woodstove in Jamie’s beautiful home which he shares with his wife Rachel. Jamie and Rachel were kind enough to share their amazing dinner of freshly made pesto, pasta, beats, and cake with us while continuing to share stories and life advice with the group. With our minds and stomachs full, it was time to hit the road and head back to Madison for the evening. We are so grateful for the lovely hospitality that Jamie and Rachel extended towards us. If we are ever back in Groveton, we will be sure to pay them another visit! 3/21/2018 0 Comments Wednesday: Science is Cool! Volunteering at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest.We visited the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest today! On the way there we got to explore the beautiful Kancamagus Highway, stopping to take a few photos along (and during!) the drive. Established by the US Forest Service within the White Mountain National Forest, this Experimental Forest is an area where scientists can test the effects of logging on water quality. Data from the these experiments has influenced US Forest Service policies that regulate logging in the White Mountains National Forest. We toured the facility and the grounds, checking out the cool devices that scientists use to catch water in the forest as well as the labs where they analyze water quality, and some of the equipment they have to simulate various forest conditions in the outdoors. While we didn't get to see the watersheds in person due to snow conditions, we got to see a model of the control and experimental sites used to test the effect of different logging conditions on a large scale. At Hubbard Brook, the forest doubles as a huge laboratory for all types of interesting and important environmental projects to take place. After eating lunch, we headed out to the archives, where staff has been storing water samples weekly since 1969! The water samples have been used for both long and short-term studies, and the samples were all labeled with information about their chemical compositions and their dates of collection. For our volunteer work, we attempted to help the organize these samples in order to enhance the efficacy of future use. To do this, we stuck barcode labels onto water samples and measured their weight, completing 522 bottles in under 90 minutes! That’s 12 years worth of data! All in all, it was a pretty successful day at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Thanks to everyone that made the experience possible!
-Sean-Wyn Ng Today we met with the US Forest Service. We started our visit with a meeting with four members of the Forest Service, Cristin Bailey (District Trails Manager), Jesse Dubuque (District Wildlife Biologist), Rick Alimi (Assistant District Ranger, deals with timber management), and Chris O'Brien (deals with WMNF Fire operations). It was great hearing about the range of jobs they perform. They highlighted the dynamic nature of their work and how all jobs fit together to preserve the forest. We spoke about the purpose and mission of national forests and the unique position of the White Mountain National Forest, with its geographic location and high volume of visitors. The Forest provides a true getaway for millions of visitors; a pristine, clean, and wild environment. We also talked about the Forest Service’s role in managing the forest, and how without their work, the forest would not look the same, and would not be able to serve the same purpose for visitors. The Forest is a public land and multi-use, allowing for a wide variety of purposes, including a great variety of recreational activities. After the meeting, we then went snow shoeing with District Trails Manager Cristin Bailey and District Wildlife Biologist Jesse Dubuque. We had a great time! We learned how to use a variety of tools for tree pruning and went to work in an open field with apple trees. The weather and the view of the mountains from our field spot was spectacular. We had great conversations and learned a lot from this excursion. Later in the day, we went skiing at a local ski stop and enjoyed our time on the mountain. We enjoyed being outside and trying out new things today! It was a very fun and successful day!
-Doug Diehl 3/19/2018 0 Comments Monday: Whirlwind of MeetingsWe started off the working week strong with a series of Community Partner meetings! We all learned so much today and had some great discussions both with our partners and in the car together riding between our meetings. First thing in the morning, we met with Kimberly and Nicole, from Kreativ Strategies, a social media agency from Dover, NH. (https://www.facebook.com/kreativstrategies/) They talked with us about how the rise of social media has been really beneficial for advocacy groups because it allows them to build support and awareness without requiring too much start-up cost. In addition, social media allows people to engage with causes on their own time, which gives more people the opportunity to become advocates. Kimberly has become involved behind-the-scenes with several public lands advocacy causes, including a campaign fighting against the Northern Pass powerline that was slated to cut across the White Mountains National Forest, but which has been postponed due to public opposition (https://www.facebook.com/NoNorthernPass/). We asked her for some tips for social media advocacy: our main take-aways were to post engaging content, not to post too frequently but to engage with people who comment on posts, to know your audience, and most importantly to offer "Calls to Action" in which audience members are given a concrete action that they can take to support your cause (eg sign a petition, write to your senator, etc). Thanks Kimberly and Nicole! Next we drove up the scenic Route 16 to Pinkham Notch, slowing down to admire the FANTASTIC views of Mt. Washington on the way. Our destination? Joe Dodge Lodge, an Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) lodge at the base of Mt. Washington. There we met with Dave Publicover, a staff scientist with the AMC with expertise in Forestry and Forest Ecology. He has studied the landscape of the White Mountains with the AMC extensively over the last 25 years. He showed us the distribution of public lands in New Hampshire and Maine and talked about how differences in how conservation easements, state forests, national forests and national parks are managed. The AMC has partnered extensively with the Forest Service to support recreation in the White Mountains and the surrounding region, so it was interesting to hear Dave's perspective on scientific and social elements of the national forests. We then drove down to the Headquarters of the Pemigewasset Ranger District, one of 3 districts that serve the White Mountains National Forest. There we met with Tom Giles, a district ranger. He talked to us about the mission of the Forest Service and then showed us around their facility. We visited their heating system, which is run on wood pellets made from locally sourced wood, and then their various workshops. We were very impressed with their woodworking room, where volunteers make signs for trails. We also got the chance to learn a bit about the Forest Service's work with recreation, forest management, and wildlife conservation. Can't wait to learn more tomorrow when we talk with people from the Saco district! - Sonia Howlett
3/18/2018 0 Comments Sliding into the ConversationWe began Sunday with our first meeting with a member of the White Mountains community. Frank Robey was once an electrical engineer and volunteer fire fighter in the southern forests. Now, he lives on the border of the White Mountains National Forest and dedicates his time to the hefty task of holding both the logging companies and the Forest Service accountable for breaking their own rules about the sustainable harvesting of wood. We appreciated his overview of the issues facing the Forest, including the National Environmental Assessment Act, the Forest Service's Impact Assessment Reports, and the Wilderness Act. He characterized his view of the Forest Service's relationship with logging, lamenting in particular that the Service did not have enough personal to monitor the logging sites as closely as he believes is necessary. He showed us numerous photographs of damage done over or near streams, which is not supposed to happen. Robey, despite wishing more of the many thousands of people who visit the White Mountains would comment on the Impact Assessment Reports which shape the Forest's future, has personally had success in raising public participation. And, though often turned away, he has persevered and sometimes been victorious in using his photographs as evidence in cases against harmful logging. In addition to nuanced perspectives on the National Forests, and his inspiring dedication to conservation, we liked his international take on forests. A huge motivation for his opinion that no logging should be carried out comes from the fact that he knows greenery is a carbon sink, which will be incredibly important worldwide going towards 2050. He showed us this website which charts global logging: www.globalforestwatch.org/. Also please see this group in which Robey participates: www.facebook.com/groups/232644090251839/about/. After reflecting on what we had learned and perceived, we piled in the car to go shopping at the local Walmart to shop for our week's rations, then hurried back for our afternoon activity. We caught a glimpse of the breathtaking Mount Washington along the ride. Eager to get in on the action on the slopes, we spent the afternoon snow tubing at a small local resort. Though not as graceful as skiing, we got our share of powdery exhilaration.
-Remi Shaull-Thompson Saturday March 17th, 2018 In a van packed with water jugs, Panera bagels, trail mix, and six excited peeps, we began our 8 hr+ journey to New Hampshire! The catchphrase of the day, and the entire week: We're SO Pumped! We made it to our Airbnb right in time to capture the following scenic picture and enjoy the following yummy sweet and sour chicken with brown rice and a brownie dessert! We are excited to see the week unfold as we meet with community partners about land use in the beautiful location of White Mountain National Forest. Stay tuned for more! - Laura Molina |
Mission:We aim to investigate, with our participants, how public lands influence communities and vice versa. To fulfill this mission, we will explore how various issues and politics of conservation, recreation, and development (et cetera) converge in influencing the discussions and social implications of public land use. After this exploration we hope that our participants will gain an appreciation of the role of public land in communities and landscapes, be more informed about the implications of land management decisions, and be able to find ways to continue to engage with this topic at home and on campus. ArchivesCategories |