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NEW HAMPSHIRE FOREST RESOURCES PLAN P ROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION Location: New Hampshire Project size: 5 million acres Initiator: New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands Because this project is a New Hamp shire state agency policy, the project area is defined by the state’s boundaries. The landform varies from mountainous terrain in the northern portion of the state to the Connecticut River Valley and the small seacoast area to the South. The state is 85% forested, with spruce fir in the high elevations, predominantly northern hardwoods in the North, and a mix of white pine and red oak in the South. Federally-listed threatened and endangered species include the small whorled pogonia. Significant land holdings are in public ownership, including the White Mountain National Forest at 740,000 acres. The predominant land use in the northern part of the state is forest products, agriculture in the Connecticut River Valley, and manufacturing and service industries in the southern portion. ECOSYSTEM STRESSES The biggest threat to the area is the conversion of forest to non-forest uses, occurring most heavily in southern New Hampshire due to the urban sprawl northward from Boston. Technology has also made it easier for people to live further from their office. The result is an increase in development and fragmentation from large to small blocks. These blocks have no management strategies. Roads often run through traditional wildlife habitat. P ROJECT DESCRIPTION Forest Resources Plans are legislated policy documents that direct state forest policy for a period of 10 years. The plan currently being drafted is the fourth forest plan in New Hamp shire; the first was in 1952 and the most recent in 1980. In the past, these plans tended to be issue- oriented, looking at forest resources as a commodity and focusing on the forest industry. The current plan is quite different, reflecting the change in knowledge and scientific base with regard to forest resources. This plan has a more ecologically-based approach and is vision driven instead of issue driven. This new direction of forest planning comes on the heels of the work of the Northern Forest Lands Council, an effort focused on maintaining large forest tracts in the region. A Steering Committee of 28 people from diverse backgrounds was brought together by the State Forester in April 1994 to guide the Forest Resources Plan. This group comprises landowners, forest industry, state resource agencies, and property rights and environmental groups. The Steering Committee outlined a vision for the desired future landscape condition for the next 50-100 years and recorded 13 of the biggest challenges in reaching this vision. In order to assess the current condition of the forest, a group of 45 additional people were gathered into three assessment groups: economic issues, ecological resources, and human and social values. P RESENT STATUS & OUTLOOK A 250-page assessment was presented to the Steering Committee by the assessment groups. The Committee will develop a plan that will meet the challenges based on the information from the assessment, relying on their own knowledge and expertise as well as on people from the forest resources community. The plan is due to be completed in 1996. ____________ 193 Ecosystem Management in the United States: An Assessment of Current Experience NEW HAMPSHIRE FOREST RESOURCES PLAN -- continued Factors Facilitating Progress New Hampshire has a history of cooperative policy development. The forest resources and environmental communities are small: most of the people have worked together previously on other projects. This familiarity aided during plan development. Obstacles to Progress The project follows an ambitious schedule due to legislated deadlines. Since much of this work is being carried out for the first time, working out details may take longer than anticipated, making deadlines more challenging to meet. ____________ 194 Contact information: Ms. Susan Francher New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands PO Box 1856 Concord, NH 03302-1856 (603) 271-2214