Extension News: May 2011 Archives

To commemorate the centennial of its founding, the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association (NHTOA) has released New Hampshire’s Forests, New Hampshire’s People: 100 Years of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association.

Featuring compelling stories about 12 families who were and are key to the NHTOA and forest products industry in New Hampshire, the 112-page soft cover book also includes a fascinating selection of historic photographs. Reflecting the organization’s membership, the people in the book include landowners, loggers, foresters and mill owners.

Edited by Stephen Long, founding editor of Northern Woodlands magazine, the book offers a glimpse of the past and a look to the future of New Hampshire’s forests, forest-products businesses and the NHTOA.

“Writing, editing and designing this book required expertise from top-notch professionals,” said Jasen Stock, executive director of the NHTOA. “Without their help completing this project would have been impossible.

“This book offers informative and engaging stories about some of the people and families in New Hampshire who for several generations have made their living from the forest,” Stock said. “These folks are passionate about their work and the land. They’re also smart, creative and determined. As they tell their stories, this comes through loud and clear.”

UNH Cooperative Extension staff contributed five of the ten family stories in the book. “Seeing the finished book was inspirational,” said Kristina Ferrare of UNH Cooperative Extension, who contributed the story about the Colby family. “The stories really convey a sense of history and pride in New Hampshire. I am pleased to have had the privilege of meeting the Colby’s and telling their story.”

Landowners and businessmen in the North Country established NHTOA in 1911 as an organization that would prevent and fight forest fires. Today, the NHTOA is a statewide trade association that draws members from all aspects of the forest products industry including landowners, foresters, loggers, truckers, mill owners, secondary manufacturers and others engaged in the industry.

The association promotes private and public working forests by encouraging responsible land management and supporting a strong forest products industry. NHTOA partners regularly with UNH Cooperative Extension to deliver their educational programming.

              The limited-edition book costs $36, which includes shipping and handling. Orders are available from the NHTOA at (603) 224-9699 or by e-mail at offmgr@nhtoa.org.  Order forms are available on the NHTOA web site www.nhtoa.org.

The Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Foods is seeking comment on the establishment of a joint exterior quarantine against the movement of out-of-state firewood into New Hampshire.  It is clear through several studies in New Hampshire and throughout the Northeast U.S that firewood is being transported long distances on a regular basis and that firewood is a major vector of insects and disease.  All twenty Northeastern U.S states have restrictions on untreated out-of-state firewood movement and most have a complete ban on importing firewood material from out of state.  New Hampshire seeks to join Maine and New York here in the east to ban untreated out-of state firewood. 

In summary, the New Hampshire state firewood quarantine will stop all importation of firewood to New Hampshire unless it is heat treated to USDA-APHIS standards or it has been inspected and certified clean of forest pest by an authorized Agency in the state of origin.  Commercial firewood operations may seek a compliance agreement with DRED to import firewood material with a known and documented origin within 50 miles of New Hampshire.

A copy of the proposed quarantine can be downloaded here from the Division of Forests and Lands website, News and Information section.  Comments regarding the proposal can be emailed to the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands, Forest Health Program at foresthealth@dred.state.nh.us. Comments will be accepted through Friday, June 10, 2011.

For questions, contact Kyle Lombard, Forest Health Program Coordinator at 603-464-3016.

the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands, Forest Health Program, is part of the Department of Resources and Economic Development.  to learn more about the Division of Forests and Lands visit us on the web at www.nhdfl.org or contact us at 603-271-2214.

The two most common ticks in New Hampshire (American dog tick and blacklegged tick) are both very active now.

Blacklegged ticks (see photo, greatly enlarged) spread Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, and possibly other diseases. Both the nymphs and adults of this species are active now, and Lyme-disease risk will peak in June.

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from these diseases is to check yourself thoroughly for ticks at the end of the day and immediately remove any ticks you find.

According to Extension entomologist Alan Eaton, "The reason New Hampshire has the third-highest incidence of Lyme disease in the entire country is that too few people regularly check themselves for ticks. The age group with the highest incidence of Lyme Disease in New Hampshire is children five to nine years old, but all of us are vulnerable."


Learn more

Biology and Management of Ticks in New Hampshire This 16-page fact sheet contains everything you need to know

Lyme disease Information about Lyme Disease including disease symptoms, tick removal and disinfection, and how to prevent infection.


Photo credit: Adult female blacklegged tick by USDA/ARS Nymphs are about the size of a pinhead and adults are just over1/16" long. When fully engorged with a blood meal, an adult female blacklegged tick can swell to 3/8-inch.