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  1. What we do
  2. Land Conservation
  3. How We Protect Land
  4. Milestones

News

  • Press Release: Forest Society and Partners Protect Shelburne Valley and Bald Cap Peak Forests

    Kelly Whalen
    September 25, 2023

    “These 3,700 acres are a remarkable addition to our constellation of nearly 200 forest reservations statewide,” said Jack Savage, president of the Forest Society.

  • Hike, Pick, Eat & Repeat

    Anna Berry
    July 26, 2023

    It's blueberry season! Combine walking or hiking with blueberry picking on these five featured Forest Society reservations and easement lands.

  • The Old Man & the Forest Society

    Dave Anderson, Anna Berry
    May 3, 2023

    In 1923, the Forest Society led a campaign to purchase 6,000 acres in Franconia Notch, including the Old Man of the Mountain, the Flume, the Basin, and two mountain lakes.

Milestones

In 1885, the New Hampshire Forest Commission reported –

"Instead of cutting only timber that is matured, everything is cut to the size of five or six inches in diameter, and what remains is cut into firewood or burned at once, leaving a dreary waste. In Lancaster, the timber and wood are nearly all gone and the mountains are being stripped to their summits. Originally a dense forest covered our state. This magnificent forest has long since disappeared."

Six years later, a group of citizens formed the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, spurred by the need to stop the reckless destruction of the White Mountains by timber barons. In 1911, thanks to the persistence of the Forest Society, and many other supporters, the Weeks Act was passed, allowing for the creation – and protection – of the White Mountain National Forest.

So began the Forest Society's journey to protect New Hampshire's landscape. We have reached many more milestones along the way –

Highlights of our accomplishments over the last century

Type of protection

Number of properties

Total acreage

Totals

1,086

204,647

Forest Society reservations

193

59,188

Forest Society-held conservation easements (grantee and executory)

796

131,924

Land transferred with deed restrictions

97

13,535

* The Forest Society also provides assistance to land trusts, municipalities, state and federal agencies, and other conservation organizations to protect additional land throughout the state.

Map and guide to forest reservations in New Hampshire

Explore Our Reservations!

Visit our Reservations Guide to plan a day in the woods or learn about land we own near you. Click here to see a map of our Forest Reservations and get directions.

Reservations Guide
Land Conservation

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Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests54 Portsmouth St.Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603.224.9945Fax: 603.228.0423info@forestsociety.org
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