Forest stewards, Aurora Sustainable Lands, vow to honor the ‘spirit of the conservation easement’

ENVIRIRONMENT

At the tip of New Hampshire’s North Country sits an expanse of land that serves multiple, dynamic roles, providing recreation, biodiversity and wildlife habitat, timber harvesting, and combating climate change through natural forest growth.

The Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Working Forest covers 146,000 acres of forests, wetlands, streams, bogs and ponds that create critical habitat to many species of New Hampshire wildlife, including the eastern moose, Canada lynx and many other mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

The property has been privately owned and managed, under a conservation easement, since 2003. This conservation easement was a landmark achievement in the state’s history, ensuring the greater protection of critical habitats and public access for generations. It also allows this privately held forest — the largest of its kind in the state — to be managed for timber, providing a variety of forest products to manufacturing facilities throughout the region.

At Aurora Sustainable Lands, which recently became the stewards of this special forestland, we are committed to honoring the letter and spirit of the conservation easement, maintaining its use and enjoyment by residents and tourists.

It is also well recognized and accepted that a well-maintained forest is a simple and powerful way to combat climate change. Since 2013, this forest has been enrolled in a carbon project because of its ability to naturally sequester carbon from the atmosphere — 2.5 million metric tonnes over the last decade. That is the equivalent of taking more than 484,000 gas-powered vehicles off the road for a year. Our forest is a climate solution of global significance.

To be clear, timber harvesting is, and will continue to be, an essential part of life in northern New Hampshire and the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Working Forest. New Hampshire has more than 4.7 million acres of forestland, making this the second most forested state in the country. Timber harvesting supports the local economy, forest health and wildlife habitat, while also enhancing public recreation. It continues in this forest and is an integral part of its future.

We are implementing two shifts in forest management from the recent past. The first is enhanced annual forest inventory, which will result in approximately 10% of the land base being sampled each year. This data-gathering will allow us to better understand forest inventory, identify concerns and recognize opportunities to enhance forest growth, wildlife habitat and natural carbon removal and storage. Secondly, we are implementing more selective harvesting, where we identify individual trees for cutting. In selecting which trees to harvest, we apply the latest science and best practices to maximize the forest’s health, vitality and potential for carbon sequestration. This selective harvesting approach will result in lower near-term timber harvesting, yet it is more labor intensive, mitigating the impact on regional logging jobs.

Our forest management practices are in line with the highest standards for sustainable forest management and create opportunities for foresters, surveyors, data scientists, wildlife specialists and the local contractors who perform essential work for this land.

Timber harvesting on North Country private lands also supports the tax base of area towns. We understand the concerns about potential revenue loss and are working with town selectmen and North Country legislators to address these concerns. We appreciate the thoughtful conversations we’ve had with local officials to ensure this at the forest continues to provide local tax and economic benefits now and in the future.

We have also met with North Country and state leaders to create a positive plan for the property and its impact on the region. Among other initiatives, we are collaborating with a local nonprofit and government entity to create a habitat for woodcock, golden-winged warbler and other early successional species.

We are financially supporting another nonprofit to expand research of rusty blackbirds. We have made the property available to a university to study the use of drones to monitor moose and estimate their densities. We want to identify additional opportunities for this unique property to have a further positive economic impact and welcome discussions to do just that.

The Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Working Forest is a beautiful property that supports wildlife, recreation, the environment and the economy. We recognize the responsibility we have as stewards of this remarkable natural resource and look forward to collaborating with the community and public officials to ensure protection now and for future generations.

Shawn Hagan is the regional director of forest operations for Aurora Sustainable Lands. He is a member of the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Citizens Committee.