February 2012 Archives
Registration is now open for the 2012 Saving Special Places conference:
Saving Special Places 2012
Saturday April 14, 2012
John Stark Regional High School, Weare, NH
The date of the 2012 Saving Special Places conference is just around the corner. If you've never been to the exciting and inspiring event, it's worth a look! Anyone interested in conservation in NH should attend. Be sure to register by April 6 to take advantage of the lower $60 fee. After April 6, the fee is $75.
For more information, including a brochure describing all presentations and registration information, visit the conference webpage at:
SAVE THE DATE! NH Maple Producers Open House Weekend
March 24th & 25th, 2012 
Read all about this year's participating Sugar Houses' schedules of events on the NH Maple Sugar Producer's webpage:
NH DES Publishes New Permitting Forms
In an effort to provide a higher quality, more streamlined permitting process for the regulated public, most NH Land Resources Management Programs (Alteration of Terrain Bureau, Subsurface Systems Bureau, Wetlands Bureau and the Shoreland Program) have undergone some significant changes.
Read about important changes here:
http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wetlands/cspa/documents/lrm-announcement.pdf
Coos County Forester Brendan Prusik organizes seedlings for schools:
It is time to order seedlings for distribution to school children! Seedlings are supplied by the NH state nursery from surplus stock for
distribution to classrooms. The intent is to give children an opportunity to take a tree home, plant it and learn about how trees are used by humans, and wildlife.
If you are a forester or volunteer, willing to visit a classroom for this purpose, please let me know. You can choose your favorite classroom or I will match you up with an interested teacher. If you are a teacher and would like to involve your classroom in this event, just let me know and I will attempt to match you up! Supply is limited so let me know by the end of February or sooner!
We will release a story about this in the spring, including the names of all those who volunteered their time. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!
Brendan Prusik - Email: Brendan.Prusik@unh.edu
Coös County, Forest Resources Educator, UNH Cooperative Extension
629A Main St., Lancaster, NH 03584
603-788-4961
32nd Annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey Results
NH Audubon recently published information about its mid-winter bald eagle survey. Read all about it here
Paul Doscher to Discuss the Balsams Landscape at The Rocks Estate
Bethlehem, NH, February 29, 2012, 7 pm
Join the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and learn more about the Balsams landscape on Wednesday, February 29 at 7 pm at The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, NH. Forest Society Vice President of Land Protection Paul Doscher will describe the Forest Society’s recent efforts to conserve 5,800 acres surrounding the Balsams and the exceptional natural resources that are now protected. The Balsams property contains extensive recreational trails, well managed forests, a pristine pond, and habitat for important and rare species including Peregrine Falcon, American Marten, Bicknell’s Thrush and Canada Lynx. 
Conserving iconic landscapes has been a hallmark of the Forest Society for 111 years. Dixville Notch is one of New Hampshire’s crown jewels, and for decades it was under the careful stewardship of Neil and Louise Tillotson, past owners of the Balsams Resort. Late in 2011, the Tillotson Corporation reached an agreement to sell the resort and surrounding land, and the principals wanted the Forest Society to protect 5,800 of the resort’s 7,000 acres. To make that happen, the Forest Society had to raise $850,000 in only five weeks.
Preregistration for this event is requested. For more information or to register, visit www.forestsociety.org/thingstodo or call 603-224-9945 or 603-444-6228.
I just
noticed that the GRANIT Data Mapper tool (where you could view and print maps of conservation lands and other natural resources features in NH, using an online tool) has been updated to something called: GRANIT View. It looks pretty cool, and seems simpler to use than the old tool. Check it out:
To Members of the New Hampshire Conservation Community,
Marielle Livesey is a GIS intern for the New Hampshire Chapter of The Nature Conservancy who is working on a project in association with the New Hampshire Geographically Referenced Analysis and Information Transfer System (NH GRANIT) to update New Hampshire’s Conservation and Public Lands GIS data layer. This statewide data layer describes two acre and larger parcels of land that are mostly undeveloped and are protected from future development. This important dataset is used across New Hampshire by many organizations, agencies, and communities as an essential tool for conservation and planning initiatives.
If you are on a Conservation Commissioner in a town that has protected land in recent years, but it isn't yet reflected in the GRANIT data (you can check by looking at the conservation lands layer in the GRANIT Data Viewer Tool here), please get in touch with Michelle to see how you can help with this important project:
Marielle Livesey
GIS Intern, The Nature Conservancy
22 Bridge Street, 4th Floor
Concord, NH 03301
marielle.livesey@tnc.org
(603) 224-5853, Ex. 26
Jim Oehler of NHFG is looking for a few experienced birders in or around Northwood and the "NALMC Neighborhood" who would be willing to visit patch cuts at Forest Peters Wildlife Management Area and Northwood Meadows State Park to record breeding bird usage this June.
This summer will be the third growing season since a tree harvest for the habitat patches at Forest Peters and the fifth growing season for a patch cut at Northwood Meadows State Park. It will be interesting and useful to start learning if the cuts are attracting some of the young forest habitat species that these cuts were targeting. Contact Jim at james.oehler@wildlife.nh.gov or 271-0453 if you or someone you know is interested.
There are lots of forestry and wildlife workshops planned for early spring. 
Check out our UNH Cooperative Extension Forestry & Wildlife WORKSHOPS page for all the details!
- Backyard Maple Sugaring February 29 Keene
- Current Use Tax Rules March 5 Goffstown
- Conservation Planning for TSPs March 8 Gilford
- A (Boat) Trip Through Time With the Birds of Lake Umbagog, Mar. 13, Hillsborough
- Habitat Management for Birds and Biodiversity, March 20 Hillsborough
- The State of Birds: How You Can Help NH Bird Populations, March 27 Hillsborough
- Fox Forest Birding: Early Migrants Arrive in Hillsborough April 28 Hillsborough
- Sullivan County Timberland Owners Assoc Annual Meeting April 21 Unit
- GIS / GPS Workshops Ongoing Click here for schedule
Got the word out kind of late for the first one (it's today, Feb. 25), but there is another one on Feb. 29th:
Backyard Maple Sugaring: How to make your own maple syrup!
Saturday, February 25, 2012 10:00 AM
Walpole Achille Agway 334 Main Street, Walpole NH
- Repeated on -
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 6:00 PM
Keene Achille Agway
80 Martel Court, Keene NH
FREE!
Call Steve Roberge at (603) 352-4550 or email: steven.roberge@unh.edu
You are invited to:
2012 Annual Meeting & Potluck Dinner of the Sullivan County Timberland Owners Association (SCTOA)
The Ahern Building, Sullivan County Farm Unity, NH Saturday,
April 21, 2012 5 - 9 P.M.
Guests are welcome.
Click here to download registration information and event detailsFrom Northwood's own headwaters of the Lamprey River,
Northwood Area Land Management Collaborative is proud to present:
Michael Caduto
Saturday, February 25, 2012
4 – 8 pm
Northwood Community Center
Free and Open to the Public
Enjoy March by ski, snowshoe or foot on Otter Brook Farm's extensive trail network
Sunday, March 4, 1-3 p.m.
Click here for registration and directions
Explore the two largest conservation easements in Peterborough and Greenfield. A two- to three-mile outing for intermediate skiers or, for snowshoers/hikers, the distance will depend on conditions and what we see. Co-sponsored by the Monadnock Conservancy and the Harris Center
Since some of our Coverts volunteers are also farming their properties, I thought I would send along this announcement - the NOFA conference is always a lively and educational event:
Northeast Organic Farmering Association- 10th Annual Winter Conference
Growing Food, Farms and Community
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Sanborn Regional High School, 17 Danvolle Road, Kingston, NH
Register by February 3 for a $15 discount.
Link for information and to register.
The Winter Conference is the premiere gathering of New Hampshire's organic food and agriculture community: farmers, gardeners, localvores, educators, and consumers joining together.
Keynote speaker, Frances Moore Lappe', is an author of 18 books including "Diet for a Small Planet' and co-founder of three organizations including Food First: The Institute for Food and Development Policy and, more recently, the Small Planet Institute, a collaborative network for research and popular education.
US Forest Service now offers newsletter as online (free) subscription
Lots of good links and resources at the website for the Northeast Area Forest Stewardship Program of the US Forest Service, including their "Forest Matters" newsletter.
Read past issues of Forest Matters (click on "Forest Matters" link in right-side box
To sign up for the new e-news version, send email message to: vevans@fs.fed.us
Massachusetts Extension Collects Landowner Stories
A colleague at UMass Extension sent me this link that I found to be inspiring reading: http://masswoods.net/future/cases
These "conservation case studies" reminded me of the stories we've been collecting of Coverts Cooperators doing great things on their lands: Landowner Stories
Different stories, all great work!
More Dire News about Bats
"On the verge of another season of winter hibernating bat surveys, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and partners estimate that at least 5.7 million to 6.7 million bats have now died from white-nose syndrome. Biologists expect the disease to continue to spread." Read Full Fish and Wildlife Service Press Release Here
More Bats information from NH Fish and Game
New volunteer program offers free talks to community groups
NH Fish and Game has a new program, similar to the Speaking for Wildlife program, called "Fish and Wildlife Stewards." Trained volunteer presenters (such as Andy Powell, a Coverts Cooperator) are available to present free wildlife-related programs to adult groups statewide.
Currently, two presentations are available: "Black Bear Happenings in New Hampshire" and "Understanding Bobcats in New Hampshire." Another talk about trout habitat in New Hampshire is in the works and will be available in late spring.
Each presentation explores the natural history of our native wildlife, related research and management activities, and the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program that makes the work possible. Presentations last about 30-45 minutes.
Click here to request a presentation and to learn more!
There is a new publication by Steve Eisenhaure, of the UNH Woodlands office, focused on "Mechanical Controls of Glossy Buckthorn: It is posted in our publications and also on our invasives page. Here's a direct link, below
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000988_Rep2934.pdf
The paper describes using weeding (uprooting), cutting at the base, or burning the stems or foliage as a means of controlling glossy buckthorn.
A special thank you to the Coverts Project volunteers who helped staff our booth at the 2012 Farm & Forest Expo this year!
Nancy Cowan (and her awesome hawk!), Jan Woodbury, Beth Penney, Charlie Mitchell, Nanci Mitchell, Cynthia Hayes, John Trachy, Dave Tellman, Tanya Tellman, Barbara Pinet, Kristina Burgard. Also thanks to Natural Resource Stewards Linda Meserve and Mary Jane Sheldon.
We couldn't do this event without your help! Pictured here l-r: Rockingham County Forester Fred Borman, volunteers Cynthia Hayes and John Trachy, and Coverts Project staff Malin Clyde.
If you are looking for good timber income tax information, look at Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2011 Tax Year by Linda Wang and John Greene (members of the US Forest Service National Timber Tax Team), newly posted to NHWoods.org, or use this direct link to download the publication:
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000243_Rep262.pdf
Lots of neat looking events for those in and around Hanover. Check out the Hanover Conservancy Website for more details!
MARSHALL BROOK WETLANDS ~ Saturday, February 25, 9am-noon – Explore this extensive wild area in the northeast corner of Hanover, in search of wildlife sign and the special ecological features that led to the Town’s acquisition of this land. Bring snowshoes, snack, and water for a challenging off-trail hike. Location: Meet on Goose Pond Rd. at N tip of Goose Pond. Leader: Naturalist Alcott Smith
MOONLIGHT SNOWSHOE & BONFIRE ~ Saturday, March 3, 5-8pm –Prowl the Slade Brook watershed by moonlight, then gather around a bonfire for hot cocoa, cider, and more. Bring a headlamp or flashlight. Suitable for children 7 years and up. Location: Meet at 11 Old Lyme Road. Leader: Hugh Mellert
RAY SCHOOL FAMILY SNOWSHOE ~ Saturday, March 10, 1-3pm Let’s go play outside on the Ray School trails! Hot chocolate and cookies will warm us up afterwards. Snowshoes available
for those who don’t have them. Passport to Winter Fun event. Location: Meet in the lower school parking lot by the gym. Leaders: Gail McPeek & Janice O’Donnell
GREEN FIRE ~ Film ~ Thursday, March 29, 7 pm – Proposing a land ethic for the 21st century, this thought-provoking new film illustrates the life and legacy of legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac. Location: Howe Library. Co-sponsored with the Sierra Club of the Upper Valley.
On Saturday, February 4, eleven volunteers met with staff and partners of the NH Coverts Project to discuss improvements to the program for the future. You can read all about it in the notes from the meeting, posted on the Coverts website here:
NH Coverts Project Advisory Committee Meeting Notes - Feb. 4, 2012
Our sincerest thanks to all who took the time to attend! I got some great advice about fundraising, questions in the annual survey, promoting the Speaking for Wildlife program, and more. And best of all, I got to see a group of volunteers, all in one place, when it's NOT the Coverts workshop! Very fun for me :-)
Best,
Malin
State Wildlife Grants in Jeopardy:
What would New Hampshire look like without funding for wildlife conservation?
By John Kanter, Nongame and Endangered Species Program Coordinator
Take a Survey, Win a Hat! Win one of 5 “Wild NH” embroidered turtle caps! Just tell us more about you and your ideas for supporting conservation efforts. Complete the survey by February 15 at www.wildnh.com/nongamesurvey. Thank you! |
It’s no secret that serious cuts are being made to government programs on every level. Because of proposed cuts to State Wildlife Grants – federal funds that make up more than half of the N.H. Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program’s budget – the work of our dedicated staff is at risk. In the U.S. House Interior Appropriations bill, the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program is slated for a 64% cut for FY12 – that’s on top of a 31% cut to the program last year. In a sagging economy, cuts are understandable. But the proposed slashing of State Wildlife Grants (SWG) is wildly disproportionate – and would jeopardize a 10-year investment in nongame wildlife conservation.
What would the consequences be of deep funding cuts for New Hampshire’s wildlife? Without funding, Karner blue butterflies, terns and plovers, all of which depend on intense management, would quickly disappear. Little brown bats and New England cottontails would continue to decline. Land conservation projects would no longer have access to maps of the state’s priority habitats. Even if enough funds remain to help the most critically imperiled species, the Wildlife Action Plan’s strategies to halt declines in wildlife populations and habitats – and prevent the need for more listings and expensive recovery efforts – will need to be shelved.
You might have read about the results of the Pine Barrens and Karner blue butterfly restoration effort in the latest issue of the Nongame Program’s Wildlines newsletter. It’s a case study in how reviving a species and bringing back habitats takes time, money and people. It drives home the point that even with a well-funded, ten-year effort supported by hundreds of volunteers, much remains to be done to ensure that the butterflies will persist in the wild.
Too often, people contend that there is a stark choice to be made – between jobs and the environment, for example, or people versus wildlife – but the truth is that wildlife and conservation are a net benefit to the economy. Wildlife-related recreation brings in $520 million annually to New Hampshire and supports 4,000 jobs. Moreover, conservation can only succeed with dedicated and well-trained biologists. The Nongame Program has eight staff members, and several more people working under contract at UNH, N.H. Audubon and the Natural Heritage Bureau, which receive significant funding from SWG.
Our program is successful largely because of 10 years of federal funding through State Wildlife Grants. Despite our amazing volunteers, donors and partners, our ability to maintain and build on that success will be severely compromised if SWG takes major cuts in the new Congressional budget. I’ve written before about the need for long-term, dedicated funding for nongame and endangered wildlife – it’s always been a goal, but with SWG in danger, it’s more important than ever.
To that end, we need to rejuvenate the Teaming With Wildlife coalition here in N.H. This national grassroots effort of organizations and individuals helped bring about State Wildlife Grants 10 years ago. Perhaps together we can create a solution to the volatility that seems to mark wildlife conservation funding; please take our survey at www.wildnh.com/nongamesurvey and share your ideas. Thanks for helping ensure that wildlife and habitat conservation funding stays off the endangered list!
Take a Survey, Win a Hat!
Win one of 5 “Wild NH” embroidered turtle caps! Just tell us more about you and your ideas for supporting conservation efforts. Complete the survey by February 15 at www.wildnh.com/nongamesurvey. Thank you!
