New Hampshire
Advocates say there is ‘no substitute’ for research at Bartlett Experimental Forest
This story was originally produced by the Concord Monitor. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
In 2002, Ann Davis bought 380 acres between Wilmot and Springfield, a woodlot where, four years earlier, an ice storm had passed through and mangled many of the beech trees, red maples, birch and other hardwoods.
Davis enlisted the expertise of local foresters, whose management methods were born out of the White Mountains-based Bartlett Experimental Forest. They collected the damaged wood in four timber harvests that encouraged the growth of new trees.
“The spruce and the pine that were left after that, they they were maybe 10 or 15 feet tall, and now 20 years later, they are 40 feet tall,” she said. “[They’re] really starting to have timber value, but they’re also just beautiful to look at.”
When the U.S. Forest Service announced last month that it planned to close Bartlett as part of an agency restructuring, a decision it has now committed to reexamining, Davis was devastated.
Over the last twenty years, she and her husband have expanded their farm, Woods Without Gile, to 530 acres. They were named New Hampshire’s Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year in 2022 and Northeast Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year in 2024.
She said that, throughout the state, many farms like theirs rely on foresters and researchers associated with Bartlett to provide real solutions.
“Just about everybody in the state of New Hampshire, I would suggest, enjoys either the beauty or being in a forest at some time during the year, and for some people, it’s almost every day,” Davis said. “The research that they do about forest management and forest health and all the rest of those things may not be an immediate impact, but over time, the loss of that resource and that loss of that knowledge, you just never get it back.”
The U.S. Forest Service announced last month that it would be moving its headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City, Utah, consolidating its regional offices and closing over 50 of its 77 research facilities, including Bartlett.
On Monday, Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which encompasses the Forest Service, would reevaluate the plan to close Bartlett. The Department also confirmed that there were no proposals threatening New Hampshire’s other experimental forest, Hubbard Brook.
In conversations with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Ayotte and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, requested staffing support for the forests and discussed further investments into Bartlett’s facilities, including improvements to its bunkhouse.
Research at Bartlett
In its first 50 years of existence, research at Bartlett Experimental Forest focused primarily on managing hardwood for timber using already-established techniques. Questions around tree quality development and thinning practices prompted Bartlett to push research forward.
In the last two decades, researchers have investigated the dynamic between vegetation management and the needs of amphibians, small mammals and birds throughout their life cycle, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Hardwood management, regeneration methods and habitat management across the country have been influenced by research conducted at Bartlett.
Mariko Yamasaki, a wildlife biologist, worked in the U.S. Forest Service since 1984, covering research and administration at Bartlett and the Massabesic Experimental Forest. She said private landowners, state agencies and commercial foresters manage their land in different ways, but research can help guide management and create common ground between stakeholders.
“If we as researchers can share the key pieces of how you can manipulate habitat and provide for the full range of terrestrial vertebrates that use forests in New England, hey, that’s pretty good,” she said.
Yamasaki said research into creating diverse, resilient forests is a hallmark of good forest management. Planting a mix of different tree and plant species on top of implementing effective cutting methods not only produces stronger and high-quality timber but also cultivates more suitable habitats for a wide range of species, she said.
At Woods Without Gile, shelterwood harvesting and patch cuts helped Davis manage her land with a focus on enhancing wildlife habitat and protecting water sources.
“Those are all practices that have been proven to work well in northeast over years after years and years of research at the Bartlett Forest,” Davis said.
Fears surrounded potential closure
Jasen Stock looked at a test plot that experimented with high grading — “cut the best and left the rest,” as he put it — and remembered a tour he took at Bartlett’s facility a few years ago. Stock, executive director of New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, had an “a-ha moment” when he saw how unhealthy and poorly managed the left-behind trees looked.
“When we take a group out there and we say, ‘Why do you hire a forester? Why do you hire a land manager that understands forest management?’ You can take them out to that stand and say, ‘This is why,’” he said, “because the decisions you make today are going to affect the long-term growth and productivity of this property 10, 20, 30, 40 years from now.”
Bartlett hosts many tours, workshops training sessions and discussions for landowners, foresters, teachers and students. The tours are meant to serve as two-way conversations that help researchers see what’s missing from their work or what can be improved upon, Yamasaki said.
Losing Bartlett could have meant losing those pivotal conversations.
“No one agency is going to be able to do things all by themselves. It’s a collaborative, cooperative operation,” Yamasaki said. “It’s an ongoing [conversation] because stuff changes over time and you really need to stay current.”
That research and constant interaction affects forests outside of New England, too. Northern hardwood forests are also found in New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, the Great Lakes region and parts of Canada. If Bartlett were to close, Stock said entire bodies of research relevant to these areas would be at risk.
“There’s pieces that we’re still learning, not to also mention that there are other kind of emerging threats and influences on forests that are coming, whether it’s changing weather, changing climate, pests [or] wildlife intensities,” he said.
The support Davis received from foresters has stuck with her through the years.
“One of the things that I think sets the Bartlett site apart is the fact that they’ve done a really wonderful job of providing practical information,” she said. “There’s just no substitute for that.”
As the famous saying goes: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” And as all frequent travelers know: Things never go according to plan.
We thought our timing was perfect for an early summer family getaway to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. We had three kids in tow, ages 11, 8, and 6, who were unexpectedly out of school one week earlier than most other school districts in New England. What a coup! We’d have the Lakes Region practically to ourselves before the summer crowds and family vacationers arrived.
Located about two hours from Boston, just south of the White Mountains, this picturesque region is dotted with more than 270 bodies of water and surrounded by rolling hills and rural farmlands. Lake Winnipesaukee is its hub and centerpiece. From bustling Meredith on the west side of the lake to quaint Wolfeboro on the eastern edge, there are plenty of activities for a great family vacation around this sparkly blue, 72-square-acre lake, affectionately known as Lake Winni. We thought of picnics on the beach, nature walks, boat rides, maybe a visit to the giant Funspot arcade and a round of mini golf, and, of course, an uncrowded, unhurried visit to Weirs Beach and its lakefront boardwalk. We packed our swimsuits, swimming clogs, and hiking boots, and hit the road.
“Wow, there are a lot of motorcycles on the road,” the 11-year-old said from the backseat. “It’s so loud!” shouted the 6-year-old, as a large group of motorcyclists rumbled past us. Hmm. There were a lot of motorcyclists heading in the same direction that we were. Surprise! It was Laconia Motorcycle Week, the world’s oldest motorcycle rally, celebrating its 103rd anniversary. The eight-day event, centered around the Lakes Region, typically attracts up to 300,000 people. Well, this would change things.
The saving grace turned out to be our choice of lodging, The Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton, a former dairy farm spread across 500 acres, overlooking Lake Winnisquam with distant views of Lake Winnipesaukee (summer starting room rates $220). Initially, we were a little wary of the location, a bit away from the center of Lake Winni action, about a 30-minute drive to Weirs Beach and the town of Meredith. But we were enticed by the resort’s ultra family-friendly amenities. First, were the accommodations, featuring modern two-bedroom suites, with full kitchens, separate living areas, in-room laundry facilities, and private balconies. Second, were the resort’s extensive facilities, including two outdoor pools with hot tubs and large poolside lounging areas, and two indoor pools including one 30,000-square-foot complex with a large pool and water slide, kiddie pools, and hot tubs. There were playgrounds, outdoor grills and picnic areas, a nine-hole golf course, a fishing pond, laser tag, sports courts, bike rentals, walking trails, and a slew of daily activities that included nature scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, ice cream socials, s’mores, and more. There were also a restaurant and lounge on-site. The fact that the resort was tucked away from the most popular centers turned out to be a lucky choice given that it was Bike Week. It became our welcome oasis during our three-night, four-day getaway.
The days worked into an easy cadence. We’d have breakfast in the suite, spend a couple hours at the pool, and head out for a daily excursion, returning in the afternoon for more pool time, games, and dinner. We deviated one day for breakfast at the quirky and old-fashioned Heritage Farm Pancake House in Winnisquam. It’s a rustic, working sugarhouse and petting farm with pancakes and their own wood-fired maple syrup, fresh eggs, bacon, and sausage served family-style from large platters.
Of course, we went to Weirs Beach early one morning. The Main Street, closed to cars during Bike Week, was clogged with hundreds of motorcycles, and lined with vendors selling T-shirts and biker gear. It made for great people watching, and interesting comments from the kids. Out of the mouths of babes: “There are a lot of people with a lot of tattoos!” “And a lot of old men with beards!” We grabbed fresh squeezed lemonades and walked to the beach, which was blissfully uncrowded.
Bike Week or not, Weirs Beach is known for its honky-tonk, party atmosphere, filled with souvenir shops and casual bars and restaurants. It has a scenic boardwalk with views of Lake Winnipesaukee and is the starting point for a one-hour train ride along Paugus Bay to Lakeport and back. This is also where you can board the historic M/S Mount Washington for a narrated cruise of Lake Winni. It’s a nice way to get on the lake, with lots of history and local lore thrown in.
There was mini-golf (Pirate’s Cove is the best option with courses in Winnisquam and Meredith), a hike up West Rattlesnake Mountain, an easy 1.7-mile or so out and back trek with great views from the top, and a visit to Funspot, holding the Guinness Book of Records title as the largest arcade in the world by number of games, more than 600 at last count. We all had a blast.
“Can we go to the pool?” the kids pleaded on our last day, as we were checking out. We did, and we also stopped for one last vacation activity, a visit to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, which we thought might be a nice contrast to the arcade, mini-golf, and Weirs Beach activities. We took the self-guided tour along the Live Animal Exhibit Trail, an easy ¾-mile walk through meadows, forests, and marshlands, with hands-on exhibits about local flora and fauna, and views of rescued and rehabilitated black bears, bobcats, river otters, raptors, and more. And it was blissfully quiet and uncrowded.
Our timing wasn’t perfect, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and fall into a little luck (looking at you Steele Hill.)
“Look! More motorcycles!” the kids screamed from the back seat. Yep, they were all heading north while we traveled south, heading home. For more information, visit www.lakesregion.org.
Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at bairwright@gmail.com
Gold medalist Bode Miller of the United States celebrates after the Alpine Skiing Men’s Super Combined Slalom on day 10 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside on February 21, 2010 in Whistler, Canada. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
On Tuesday morning a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours ushered in what will be a new recovery home in Rochester.
Dismas Home started operating out of Manchester, but they’ve expanded their services to Rochester, soon offering 28 beds between the two cities. Cheryll Andrews, executive director of Dismas Home of New Hampshire, said the goal is to one day put a home in every county in the state.
“Our founder, Julie McCarthy Brown wants a home in every county before she passes away,” Andrews said.
Dismas Home offers women who have been involved with the criminal justice system evidence-based substance use treatment programs and helps them establish independent living. Women who participate in Dismas Home can stay up to 15 months. The home is also staffed 24/7 and offers mental, behavioral, and physical health support.
Andrews said there’s already a waitlist to get in. The home gets referrals from court systems, county and state jails, and defense attorneys. They require people fill out an application, where they are vetted before becoming accepted into the program.
Andrews said Dismas Home differs from other treatment facilities that may work only with women with children by allowing women who don’t have children or aren’t with them to attend their program.
“We don’t serve women with children, we serve [women] who want them back,” Andrews said.
Andrews said about 67% of the women who enter the program complete it and 90% of those that do stay sober for the long term.
Alacia Linville graduated from Dismas Home’s program in Manchester. She was homeless when she went to jail in Belknap County in 2019. She said she had been to jail before for short periods of time but this time she was in for eight months for the sale of methamphetamine.
“After about my third month in, I started to think I need an aftercare plan,” Linville said. “I had gone to treatments numerous times and none of them had worked.”
Linville said a case manager referred her to Dismas Home in Manchester where she ended up staying over 15 months, starting in 2020.
She said she was hesitant at first. Manchester was the city she was using in, she hadn’t tried an aftercare program before and she thought it would end up being more of a transactional situation but she said she was surprised to find they gave her the help she needed.
“The support, that was different this time,” Linville said. “I was used to going into programs, getting the support, getting out – I was homeless again.”
Linville moved to Hampton after her time at Dismas Home and stayed at Magnolia House as she addressed other charges she had from Rockingham court. She said Dismas Home helped her navigate dealing with them.
She said it feels good to say she’s been sober. She said she has been since 2023 but found recovery in 2019. It was a year into her sobriety that she said she felt she knew she could continue to do it.
She now lives with her 2-year-old daughter Jocelyn and fiance in Newmarket.
“I look at my family today and I just can’t imagine, like ever moving backwards,” Linville said.
Dismas Home in Rochester is expected to start housing women in early August. The home still needs to be licensed, furnishings need to be placed and some construction is still undergoing.
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