Doing the Right Thing

Like other landowners the Forest Society wants to do its best by and for our land, which will be here long after we are gone. If we do our jobs well, the green spots on the map will continue to provide natural renewable resources for local and global economies while also being sanctuaries where people can find renewal and perhaps a little peace.  

The Forest Society now owns more than 52,000 acres in 105 towns throughout the state, and these forestlands are actively managed. In the past 10 years alone, income derived from the sale of forest products has been between two and three million dollars, derived   from harvesting activities related to eco-restoration, wildlife habitat development and enhancement, silvicultural improvement, and storm salvage cleanup.  This revenue is reinvested to support our programs, including education and outreach, land protection, and recreation management.  We consider this wise use of our natural resources a significant portion of our mission.

We work with many federal, state, and private organizations, groups, and individuals who offer expertise about the latest research on silvicultural techniques and detailed knowledge of the potential threats to our forests, including invasive species such as the hemlock woolly adelgid, the emerald ash borer, mile-a-minute vine, and Japanese knotweed.

We also work with consulting foresters who share our core values and understand our management philosophy and policies.  We employ logging contractors who work very hard to leave the forest better than they found it, and we collaborate with an ever-growing cadre of volunteer land stewards who act as our ears and eyes on the ground when we can’t be there.  

New Hampshire residents and visitors all have an expectation of being able to buy products of wood and paper and to enjoy local edibles like maple syrup and blueberries. We need places where we can hike, ride our snowmobiles, snowshoe, cross-country ski, mountain bike, ride our horses, hunt, fish, track wildlife, and enjoy immersing ourselves within nature.  Doing right by our land means we have to manage that land for this wide range of expected social, economic, and ecological benefits. That is the Forest Society’s mission.

George Frame has been a forester for more than forty years and has worked for the USDA Forest Service, private landowners, and towns throughout NH.  He has been with the Forest Society since March of 2005 and in his current position as Senior Director of Forestry since November 2010.