The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has been active in recent state and federal policy discussions affecting forest conservation and research, the organization reported.
In spring 2026, Forest Society staff participated in the Land Trust Alliance's Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C., meeting with New Hampshire's congressional delegation to discuss Farm Bill conservation programs and proposed legislation supporting long-term forest protection.
The organization also joined a roundtable with U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan about the U.S. Forest Service's proposed reorganization. A major concern was the future of the Bartlett Experimental Forest and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, long-term research sites that have shaped forest science and management practices.
After researchers, foresters, conservation groups, landowners and the public raised concerns, federal officials announced that Hubbard Brook would remain open and that plans affecting Bartlett would be reevaluated. State and federal leaders cited widespread advocacy as a factor in those decisions.
The work at these experimental forests informs forest management for wildlife habitat, water quality, recreation, timber and climate resilience across New Hampshire and the Northeast, the Forest Society noted.
Separately, the Forest Society highlighted the recently released New Hampshire Open Space Study, a collaborative effort involving multiple conservation, forestry, wildlife and community organizations. The study examines the economic, environmental and community benefits of conserving the state's landscapes.
NEK will be looking into how federal forest policy decisions may affect research sites and conservation efforts in the Northeast Kingdom.
Originally reported by Union Leader.
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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