Partnership protects missing pieces of White Mountain trails
Members of the state's congressional delegation joined representatives of the AMC, the Trust for Public Land (TPL), and the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) recently to celebrate the recent protection of key trails in the national forest. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) recognized the success of the three organizations, which recently formed the White Mountain Trail Protection Partnership to ensure continued public access to popular trails.
Like placing the final piece of a very difficult puzzle, the partnership is credited with the recent protection of the Red Ridge and Moat Mountain trails in Bartlett, N.H., near North Conway, and the Piper Trail, which leads up to the top of Mount Chocorua. All three trails are among the WMNF's most popular trails. Generally, the White Mountains attract more than 6 million visitors each year.
The process of protecting the trails included federal funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Over the past several years, up to $3 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund have been appropriated to protect trails in the WMNF as a result of the leadership of Sen. Gregg and Rep. Bass.
The Partnership at Work
The partnership's research found that more than 89 trails in the WMNF alone may become inaccessible to the public if a portion of the trail is fragmented through changing ownership. That figure represents nearly a quarter of all trails in the WMNF. Overall, New Hampshire loses about 13,000 acres of forestland to development each year, thus threatening popular trails and their public access.
The AMC is working through the partnership with TPL and WMNF to protect key trails and trailheads. Protection priorities are identified based on each trail's level of use, the threat of losing access, and the trail's access to the Appalachian Trail.
Members of the partnership were uniquely vital to successful protection of the trails. AMC Executive Director Andrew Falender commended the members of the partnership for recent conservation successes. "Without the combined efforts of Sen. Gregg, Congressman Bass, the WMNF, TPL, and, especially, private landowners, it is likely that people would lose access to many trails in the long run. This project is particularly important to the AMC, because it meshes well with our mission of encouraging outdoor recreation while also protecting the places that provide for unique outdoor experiences."
Historically, a variety of arrangements, ranging from informal permission to legally established rights-of-way, have ensured public access across private property within or abutting the WMNF. "Despite this long tradition, informal arrangements are proving no longer sufficient to protect public access over the long term. Sales, development, and the changing tenure of private landowners threaten trails that are only accessed from private lands," said AMC Deputy Director Walter Graff.
Purchases by the WMNF
In November 2001, 60 acres in Albany, N.H., were purchased by the WMNF. Referred to as the Davies property, this parcel included the trailhead for the Piper Trail, which leads to the summit of Mount Chocorua, one of the most popular summits in the White Mountains, and provides connections to many other trails including the Nickerson Ledge and the Champney Falls trails. The property was purchased for $385,000 through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
In May 2002, the WMNF purchased 325 acres in Bartlett, N.H., that includes portions of the Moat Mountain (north) and Red Ridge trails that form an extremely popular loop hike to the summit of North Moat Mountain and its many panoramic views of the Mount Washington Valley. Known as the Lucy Brook property, the land is entirely surrounded by the WMNF and the Echo Lake-Cathedral Ledge State Park. Funding for the $360,000 purchase also came through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.
