UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE RREA PROGRAM

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: TERMINATED
• Funding Source: RREA
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0228230
• Project No.: NHN-BENNETTK
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2011
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2016

Project Director
Bennett, K. P.

Recipient Organization
UNH Cooperative Extension
RM 212 Nesmith Hall, 131 Main St
DURHAM,NH 03824

Performing Department
Cooperative Extension

Non Technical Summary
Forests are critical to sustaining New Hampshire's forest products industry and forest-related tourism and recreation which contribute more than $2 billion to the economy. New Hampshire's forests also provide habitat for wildlife, protect water quality, and help to define the character of our communities. Increasing population, fragmentation of the resource base and changes in land ownership all affect the ability of New Hampshire's forests to meet the diverse needs of the people. Each year, New Hampshire loses approximately 13,000 acres of forest land. With increased pressures on our forest lands, comprehensive management and planning for the future is critical to maintain the resource base and the benefits it provides. Eighty percent of New Hampshire's forestland is owned by approximately 100,000 private forest landowners. Education about forests and land stewardship is key to informed decision making by these landowners, yet a recent study found that 73 percent of New Hampshire landowners (owning 10+ acres) don't have a plan for managing their land. This program endeavors to: increase the amount of permanently protected land to provide habitat for wildlife, protect water quality, maintain our forest-based economy and help to define the character of our communities, and increase the amount of land managed using good forest stewardship practices.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
123	0699	3020	70%
131	0699	3020	30%

Knowledge Area
123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources; 131 - Alternative Uses of Land;

Subject Of Investigation
0699 - Trees, forests, and forest products, general;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;

Keywords

forest stewardship

fragmentation

Goals / Objectives
UNH Cooperative Extension motivates private landowners to actively manage their land for long term stewardship of natural resources and motivates communities to plan, protect, and manage their natural resources. We strive to: Maintain significant open space, including large, contiguous blocks of intact forest that remain under long-term consistent management. To achieve this goal, we have identified the following action and learning outcomes. Action Outcomes: -Communities identify and protect productive forests that contribute to water quality and the economy. Each year 5 communities engage in natural resource inventories or community-wide conservation planning. -10,000 acres of forest management plans are written using the NH Forest Stewardship standards. -40 forest owners receive federal or state financial incentives for implementing conservation practices, including management plans. -Good stewardship practices are brought to areas in need of enhanced conservation practices not impacted by UNHCE programs in the recent past. 25 new landowners hire a forester or natural resource professional for the first time in 10 or more years. -Landowners engage in developing conservation easements on 5,000 acres per year. -200 licensed foresters increase skills and knowledge by attending UNHCE natural resources workshops resulting in improved practices. -200 professional loggers increase skills and knowledge through the NH Certified Professional Logger program resulting in improved practices. -Through the Coverts and Community Tree Steward programs, 500 volunteers in conservation extend the reach of the UNH Cooperative Extension Forestry and Wildlife program in their own communities. Learning Outcomes: -Residents and community decision-makers learn how to identify and protect critical habitats, elements of biodiversity and other important natural resources. -1,000 people who influence the forest environment in New Hampshire have increased working knowledge of good forest stewardship practices as a result of attending workshops or through personal contacts with Extension staff and volunteers. -People UNHCE have difficulty reaching gain knowledge and inspiration through volunteers and improve or add good practices. -The public increases awareness of the importance of NH forest resources, enhances their connection to the forest, and increases their support of forest stewardship.

Project Methods
Eight county-based Forest Resource Extension Educators, three statewide Extension Specialists, two program assistants, a Coverts Project Coordinator, and a Community Forestry Volunteer Coordinator provide technical expertise and information about managing forest and community resources. Educators conduct workshops, field trips, and one-on-one woodlot and family and business visits; distribute information through the web www.nhwoods.org facebook, twitter, and other more traditional media outlets; participate in community meetings; and provide education and other support to Community Tree Stewards and Coverts Cooperators, our conservation volunteers who help extend our reach into their communities. Target audiences include non-industrial private forest owners, municipal and other forest landowners, natural resource professionals, communities, volunteers, New Hampshire forest-based industries and the public. Collaborating with an extensive network of partners, Extension programs bring a comprehensive approach to solving problems and protecting resources. Long-term memoranda with the NH Division of Forests and Lands, the NH Fish and Game and the Natural Resources Conservation Service recognize Extension lead role in natural resources educational programming. The N.H. Forest Action Plan and the N.H. Wildlife Action Plan, both developed by representatives from throughout the natural resources community, are guiding documents that outline needs and actions to manage and protect natural resources. From these and others needs determinations, the Forestry and Wildlife Program 5 year plan was developed. It is available through The New England Planning and Reporting Consortium (NEPRC) website http://lmprs.net/index.cfmfuseaction=main.home As part of the plan, key indicators were established to assess whether or not learning and action objectives are met. The NEPRC website will be used to track these key indicators. Accomplishments will be compared to targets established during the plan of work development. In addition to this quantitative assessment of accomplishments, qualitative assessments will include evaluating workshops for quality and utility; review of a subset of forest stewardship plans by County Extension Foresters to assure they meet state standards; and the development of a site visit evaluation and follow-through system.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Forest landowners, licensed foresters, certified professional loggers, conservation volunteers including Coverts volunteers and Natural Resource Stewards, land conservation organizations, Conservation Commissions and other town volunteers, New Hampshire forest-based industries, community decision-makers and the public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Sustaining Forests: As a result of individual contacts and workshop-based activity, Extension foresters referred 313 landowners owning 16,752 acres to licensed foresters who wrote forest stewardship plans on over 22,000 acres. Plan development by foresters represents approximately $440,000 of direct economic activity as well as improved management and timber harvesting. Over 27% of New Hampshire's private forest land is managed according to an integrated forest stewardship plan. Responding to Emerald Ash Borer: Emerald ash borer, a federally regulated insect considered to be the most destructive insect in North America, was found in New Hampshire in March 2013 launching an integrated and collaborative response by the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, the N.H. Dept. of Agriculture, UNH Cooperative Extension (UNHCE), USDA APHIS and the USDA Forest Service. www.nhbugs.org is the central distribution point for EAB information to the media, the public and landowners and has seen nearly 27,000 unique page views. The public reported 250 suspect trees and insects to nhbugs.org often uploading pictures to help with identification. County foresters and Division of Forests and Lands staff have access to reports and are deployed to make field visits. Only one report has been positive for EAB. New Hampshire-specific recommendations are now available by management zones for forest and urban lands. County foresters are incorporating EAB outreach in their forest stewardship visits. EAB is here to stay, but UNHCE is helping to slow the spread. Volunteers Extending Our Reach: Over 400 Coverts and Natural Resources Stewards are actively involved in conservation in their communities. Volunteers contributed over 41,000 hours, working to minimize the effect of fragmentation and sprawl through open space initiatives, participating in local land trusts, town boards and other community-based initiatives. Volunteers actively manage over 140,000 acres and reached out to over 25,000 people with a message of sound forest stewardship and wildlife conservation. Better Planning for Natural Resources Protection:14 communities used information from New Hampshire's Wildlife Action Plan in natural resource inventories and conservation plans. An estimated 48,937 acres of forest and field have been permanently protected with assistance from UNH Cooperative Extension during this fiscal year.

Publications

Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Forest landowners, licensed foresters, certified professional loggers, conservation volunteers including Coverts volunteers and Natural Resource Stewards, land conservation organizations, conservation commissions and other town volunteers, New Hampshire forest-based industries, community decision-makers and the public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?134 professional development workshops were offered to foresters and loggers to help them maintain their licensing or certification and gain new knowledge and skills. Approximately 80% of the 290 New Hampshire licensed foresters attended at least one workshop. 394 loggers obtained or maintained their certification by attending Professional Logger Program workshops. In the 5-year period of the project, we delivered 572 professional development workshops to natural resource professionals in conjuction with our partners and have touched nearly every natural resource professional in New Hampshire at least once with our programming. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will follow our new 5-year RREA plan.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Sustaining New Hampshire's Forests: As a result of individual contacts and workshop-based activity, Extension foresters referred 260 landowners owning 22,199 acres to licensed foresters who wrote forest stewardship plans on over 60,000 acres. Plan development by foresters represents approximately $1.2 million of direct economic activity as well as improved management and timber harvesting. 15% of New Hampshire's private forest land is managed according to an integrated forest stewardship plan. During the 5-year period of the project extension froesters referred 1,387 landowners owning nearly 102,000 acres to licensed foresters who wrote plans on about 165,000 acres resulting in improved management and an estimated $3,299,000 of direct economic activity from plan-writing. Volunteers--Extending Our Reach: More than 650 Coverts Cooperators and Natural Resource Stewards volunteer in their communities--contributing over 35,000 hours--working to minimize the effect of fragmentation and sprawl through open space initiatives, participating in local land trusts, town boards and other community-based initiatives. Volunteers actively manage over 132,000 acres and reached out to over 15,000 people with a message of sound forest stewardship and wildlife conservation. During the 5-year period of the project,volunteers contributed 192,000 hours, worth an estimated $4,567,680 to natural resources projects. Educating Citizens about Emerald Ash Borer: Four New Hampshire counties are quarantined for ash products due to the emerald ash borer (EAB), as it has now been found in more than a dozen communities. UNH Cooperative Extension continues to collaborate with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, N.H. Dept. of Agriculture, USDA-APHIS and the U.S. Forest Service to educate communities and homeowners about EAB. Through our workshops we've reached over 14,000 residents with messages about EAB. We also initiated an NHBugs Facebook page. Since it was first released in April, we've gained 200 followers. Certain posts have resulted in significant increases in traffic to www.NHBugs.org. This Facebook page is jointly managed by UNH Cooperative Extension and the N.H. Dept. of Agriculture. We started this intensive outreach on the invasive emerald ash borer during this 5-year project period when we found the insect in the state in 2013. Reaching New Audiences--Conservation Easement Workshops for Realtors: In an effort to reach out to new audiences who influence landowners, UNH Cooperative Extension worked in partnership with local land trusts to provide workshops to realtors. Working with a licensed realtor, we aimed to demystify the process of working with properties that have a conservation easement. Five workshops were held throughout the state with 129 people attending. Participants increased their knowledge of key conservation easement concepts by 10% from a pre-test to post-test.

Publications

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Forest landowners, licensed foresters, certified professional loggers, conservation volunteers including Coverts volunteers and Natural Resource Stewards, land conservation organizations, conservation commissions and other town volunteers, New Hampshire forest-based industries, community decision-makers and the public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?115 professional development workshops were offered to foresters and loggers to help them maintain their licensing or certification and gain new knowledge and skills. Approximately 80% of the 290 New Hampshire licensed foresters attended at least on workshop. 346 loggers obtained or maintained their certification by attending Professional Logger Program workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to implement our landowner, community and volunteer assistance programs according to our plan and logic model.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Sustaining New Hampshire's Forests: As a result of individual contacts and workshop-based activity, Extension foresters referred 234 landowners owning 15,742 acres to licensed foresters who wrote forest stewardship plans on over 13,000 acres. Plan development by foresters represents approximately $263,000 of direct economic activity as well as improved management and timber harvesting. 27% of New Hampshire's private forest land is managed according to an integrated forest stewardship plan. Slowing the Spread of Emerald Ash Borer: Since finding emerald ash borer in New Hampshire in one location in 2013, it has spread to 25 communities resulting in an ash-related quarantine in 4 counties. UNH Cooperative Extension participates in an integrated and collaborative effort to slow its spread with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, N.H. Dept. of Agriculture, USDA-APHIS and the U.S. Forest Service. Efforts include the website www.nhbugs.org --which saw 56,000 unique page views. A presentation for the Speaking for Wildlife speaker's bureau called "NHBugs: The Big Three," covering three non-native insects of concern, had 20 volunteers present the program in their communities 9 times to 102 participants. Volunteers--Extending Our Reach: More than 650 Coverts Cooperators and Natural Resource Stewards volunteer in their communities--contributing over 35,000 hours--working to minimize the effect of fragmentation and sprawl through open space initiatives, participating in local land trusts, town boards and other community-based initiatives. Volunteers actively manage over 128,000 acres and reached out to over 20,000 people with a message of sound forest stewardship and wildlife conservation.

Publications

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Forest landowners, licensed foresters, certified professional loggers, conservation volunteers including Coverts volunteers and Natural Resource Stewards, land conservation organizations, conservation commissions and other town volunteers, New Hampshire forest-based industries, community decision-makers and the public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We will continue to implement our landowner, community and volunteer assistance programs according to our plan and logic model.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Sustaining New Hampshire’s Forests: As a result of individual contacts and workshop-based activity, Extension foresters referred 254 landowners owning 14,249 acres to licensed foresters who wrote forest stewardship plans on over 56,000 acres. Plan development by foresters represents approximately $1.12 million of direct economic activity as well as improved management and timber harvesting. 21% of New Hampshire’s private forest land is managed according to an integrated forest stewardship plan. Slowing the Spread of Emerald Ash Borer: Since finding emerald ash borer in New Hampshire in one location in 2013, it has spread to four known areas resulting in an ash-related quarantine in three counties. UNH Cooperative Extension participates in an integrated and collaborative effort to slow its spread with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, N.H. Dept. of Agriculture, USDA-APHIS and the USDA Forest Service. Efforts include the website www.nhbugs.org —which saw 40,000 unique page views. New this year, a presentation for the Speaking for Wildlife speaker’s bureau called “NHBugs: The Big Three,” covering three non-native insects of concern. More than 20 volunteers learned to present the program in their communities. Volunteers—Extending Our Reach: More than 475 Coverts Cooperators and Natural Resource Stewards volunteer in their communities—contributing over 30,000 hours—working to minimize the effect of fragmentation and sprawl through open space initiatives, participating in local land trusts, town boards and other community-based initiatives. Volunteers actively manage over 140,000 acres and reached out to over 25,000 people with a message of sound forest stewardship and wildlife conservation.

Publications

Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Forest landowners, licensed foresters, certified professional loggers, conservation volunteers including Coverts volunteers and Natural Resource Stewards, land conservation organizations, Conservation Commissions and other town volunteers, New Hampshire forest-based industries, community decision-makers and the public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Sustaining Forests: As a result of individual contacts and workshop-based activity, Extension foresters referred 313 landowners owning 16,752 acres to licensed foresters who wrote forest stewardship plans on over 22,000 acres. Plan development by foresters represents approximately $440,000 of direct economic activity as well as improved management and timber harvesting. Over 27% of New Hampshire's private forest land is managed according to an integrated forest stewardship plan. Responding to Emerald Ash Borer: Emerald ash borer, a federally regulated insect considered to be the most destructive insect in North America, was found in New Hampshire in March 2013 launching an integrated and collaborative response by the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, the N.H. Dept. of Agriculture, UNH Cooperative Extension (UNHCE), USDA APHIS and the USDA Forest Service. www.nhbugs.org is the central distribution point for EAB information to the media, the public and landowners and has seen nearly 27,000 unique page views. The public reported 250 suspect trees and insects to nhbugs.org often uploading pictures to help with identification. County foresters and Division of Forests and Lands staff have access to reports and are deployed to make field visits. Only one report has been positive for EAB. New Hampshire-specific recommendations are now available by management zones for forest and urban lands. County foresters are incorporating EAB outreach in their forest stewardship visits. EAB is here to stay, but UNHCE is helping to slow the spread. Volunteers Extending Our Reach: Over 400 Coverts and Natural Resources Stewards are actively involved in conservation in their communities. Volunteers contributed over 41,000 hours, working to minimize the effect of fragmentation and sprawl through open space initiatives, participating in local land trusts, town boards and other community-based initiatives. Volunteers actively manage over 140,000 acres and reached out to over 25,000 people with a message of sound forest stewardship and wildlife conservation. Better Planning for Natural Resources Protection:14 communities used information from New Hampshire's Wildlife Action Plan in natural resource inventories and conservation plans. An estimated 48,937 acres of forest and field have been permanently protected with assistance from UNH Cooperative Extension during this fiscal year.

Publications

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Sustaining Forests: Extension foresters provided technical assistance to 676 landowners, influencing an estimated 57,000 acres. 230 workshops were offered to this landowner audience with more than 7700 people attending. 148 professional development workshops were offered to foresters and loggers to help them maintain their licensing or certification and gain new knowledge and skills. Approximately 80% of the 284 New Hampshire licensed foresters attended these workshops. Nearly 400 loggers obtained or maintained their certification by attending the Professional Logger Program workshops.Responding to Forest Health Threats: The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and emerald ash borer (EAB) are a serious threat to our forests and trees. ALB is found within 40 miles of New Hampshire and EAB was recently identified in Massachusetts, but neither is currently known to be in the state. Along with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands and the N.H. Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food, UNH Cooperative Extension enhanced a citizen monitoring program to monitor for ALB. Extension raised awareness about forest pests with the web site nhbugs.org which features an expanded photo submission tool. Through promotion of this website, we received over 150 submissions during the year and an online picture gallery http://extension.unh.edu/ALB/albpool/gallery.cfm is available for participants and others. No Asian longhorn beetles or other invasive pests were identified. Volunteers Extending Our Reach: 25 new Coverts volunteers received training on integrating wildlife habitat management into other stewardship efforts. 25 new Natural Resource Stewards volunteers received training in caring for natural resources with an emphasis on communities. Speaking for Wildlife, a speakers bureau staffed by volunteers, delivered over 38 wildlife presentations and walks in their communities with the support of Cooperative Extension staff. These general education programs were attended by 600 people. The Speaking for Wildlife web site is http://extension.unh.edu/FWT/SpeakingForWildlife.htm.Better Planning Using Natural Resources Protection through the Wildlife Action Plan:Landowners and communities received assistance on permanent land protection through a variety of methods including the Taking Action for Wildlife Program. Extension staff assisted sixteen towns and the N.H. Land Trust Coalition with natural resources inventories, wetland evaluation, water resources protection, conservation planning and land protection, and participated in 15 regional meetings. Direct assistance to communities, workshops and courses involved total participation of more than 950 participants. PARTICIPANTS: UNH Cooperative Extension has 3 program specialists (forestry, forest industry, wildlife), 8 County Extension Educators in Forest Resources, a Natural Resource Stewards Coordinator, a Coverts Program Coordinator and 2 program assistants. We partner closely with the NH Division of Forests and Lands, the NH Department of Fish and Game, the US Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide education, technical assistance and service to landowners and communities. We also partner with the many conservation organizations in the state such as the Society for the Protection of NH Forests(SPNHF), the Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society of NH, the Harris Center, Monadnock Conservancy, Beaver Brook Association, Weeks State Park Association, Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust and town conservation commissions, to name a few. We partner with professional organizations most notably the NH Timberland Owners Association (NHTOA), The Timber Harvesting Council, and the Granite State Division of the Society of American Foresters (GSD/SAF). We also partner with the UNH Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Thompson School of Applied Science(TSAS). Our diversity of partnerships allows us to deliver these notable programs: The Certified Professional Logger Program with NHTOA, UNH TSAS. This is a voluntary program requiring continuing education; The NH Tree Farm Program cosponsored with SPNHF, NHTOA and GSD/SAF; and EQIP, WHIP, WRP, CSP and TSP technical assistance via our agreement with NRCS. TARGET AUDIENCES: Forest landowners, licensed foresters, certified professional loggers, conservation volunteers including Coverts volunteers and Natural Resource Stewards, land conservation organizations, Conservation Commissions and other town volunteers PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Sustaining Forests: As a result of individual contacts and workshop-based activity, Extension foresters referred 326 landowners owning 32,150 acres to licensed foresters who wrote forest stewardship plans on over 13,800 acres. Plan development by foresters represents approximately $276,000 of direct economic activity as well as improved management and timber harvesting. Over 27% of New Hampshire's private forest land is managed according to an integrated forest stewardship plan. Responding to Forest Health Threats: Extension staff raised awareness of forest health threats through direct mail, workshops and site visits. Along with the NH Division of Forests and Lands and the N.H. Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food, UNH Cooperative Extension expanded its citizen monitoring program to monitor for Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and emerald ash borer (EAB). The collaborative web site nhbugs.org and its expanded photo submission tool encourage N.H. citizens to take a picture and get a tree bug identified. Through promotion of this website, we received over 150 submissions during the year and an online picture gallery http://extension.unh.edu/ALB/albpool/gallery.cfm is available for participants and others. No Asian longhorn beetles or other invasive pests were identified.Volunteers Extending Our Reach: Over 640 Coverts and Natural Resource Stewards are actively involved in conservation in their communities. Volunteers contributed over 51,000 hours, working to minimize the effect of fragmentation and sprawl through open space initiatives, participating in local land trusts, town boards and other community-based initiatives. Volunteers actively manage over 140,000 acres and reached out to over 34,000 people with a message of sound forest stewardship and wildlife conservation.Better Planning for Natural Resources Protection Using the Wildlife Action Plan:Eleven communities used information from New Hampshire's Wildlife Action Plan in natural resource inventories and conservation plans. Five communities took action by completing wildlife sections of their natural resource inventories and conducting public outreach. An estimated 12,658 acres of forest and field have been permanently protected with assistance from UNH Cooperative Extension during this fiscal year.

Publications

• No publications reported this period