A Century of White Mountain Conservation: Celebrating the Weeks Act
Join the Forest Society and the New Hampshire Historical Society on Thursday, January 27 as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weeks Act.
National conservation historian Char Miller will describe the significance of the Weeks Act and tell the story of how an active and engaged citizenry made a lasting difference on the White Mountain landscape. This celebration will take place from 5 to 8 pm at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street in Concord, NH.
Named for New Hampshire native and Massachusetts Congressman John W. Weeks, the Weeks Act was one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation in American history. By making it possible for the federal government to purchase private property for watershed protection, flood control, and other conservation purposes, it led to the creation of a string of eastern national forests along the Appalachian Mountain chain. Among the first of these was the White Mountain National Forest, a then burned- and cut-over landscape.
This event is sponsored by The Benjamin Couch Trust, the NH Humanities Council, Lincoln Financial Group, Normandeau Associates Environmental Consultants, Orr & Reno Attorneys at Law, and U.S. Trust.
This event is free and open to the public, and preregistration is required. For more information or to register, contact Karen Rose at kmrose@forestsociety.org or call 603-224-9945.
Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and businesses, the Forest Society’s mission is to perpetuate the state’s forests by promoting land conservation and sustainable forestry. For more information, visit www.forestsociety.org.