Last weekend’s floods caused severe and visible damage to roads and homes in the southwest part of the state. Some foresters and landowners are worried there is woodland damage too.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Forest Resources Educator in Merrimack County Tim Fleury is concerned, but hasn’t been able to walk enough land to know the extent of the problem. “People are dealing with the immediate problems in their homes and communities. They haven’t had time to look at their woodlot.”

Fleury advises landowners to go for a walk in their woods and provides some practical tips. “Safety is the most important thing. Don’t go alone and do wear hunter orange.” He also advises you to bring along a shovel. “A shovel is your friend,” he says, “It’s easy to carry and can be used to tidy up your woods roads. You can fix small problems before they become bigger.”

Walk your woods roads and trails and clean out any debris in culverts and ditches. Fill in any gullies in the road. Don’t bend down to clean out large culverts or bridges with fast moving water. “It is too easy to slip and become wedged in the culvert or otherwise hurt yourself. Wait until the water recedes and you can safely fix the damage.”

Chuck Hersey, Extension’s Sullivan County Forest Resources Educator, agrees there’s probably extensive damage in the forest but, “We don’t know where and how much there is. We encourage people to call us to report the condition of their land. We track the effect of natural disasters on the woods. We can better help people today if we know about the damage and it helps us plan for the future.”

He expects most damage to be in the form of washed out roads and trails, culverts and bridges. “Standing water lingers in the floodplains and the low lying areas that grow trees adapted to water. They should be able to withstand this flooding. It’s the land that isn’t covered and protected by trees that was the most vulnerable.”

Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) directors of Parks and Recreation, Allison McLean, and Forests and Lands, Philip Bryce, closed several state parks, state forests and state trail areas in the southwestern part of the state to protect the safety of visitors. The closures are necessary to allow time to inspect and assess the damage to roads, bridges, dams, and trails. A complete list of the state parks and forests closed.

To learn how to contact your local County Extension Educator, Forest Resources, or to receive the free booklet, “Best Management Practices for Erosion Control”, contact the UNH Cooperative Extension Forestry Information Center at 800-444-8978.
 

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