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White Mountain National Forest Expands BARTLETT, New Hampshire, June 10, 2002 (ENS) - "Those who have hiked or skied to Diana's Baths know it as one of the most beautiful spots in the White Mountains," said Walter Graff, deputy director of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Graff and other New Hampshire conservationists are celebrating the addition of 325 acres in Bartlett to the White Mountain National Forest last week - land that lies adjacent to Diana's Baths, and protects them from development. Diana's Baths are a series of cascading falls, waterspouts and granite basins along Lucy Brook, the stream named after the Lucy Family, long time supporters of conservation in New Hampshire. The culmination of three years work on the part of the Trust for Public Land, the newly protected land is located off of West Side Road, along the access road to Echo Lake-Cathedral Ledge State Park.
Known as the Lucy Brook property, it is entirely surrounded by the National Forest and the Echo Lake-Cathedral Ledge State Park and includes portions of two popular hiking trails. Rodger Krussman, project manager for the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit conservation organization, said the acquisition is part of the trust's long term commitment to protecting trails within the White Mountain National Forest. The Lucy Brook property includes portions of the Moat Mountain and the Red Ridge trails. Both trails are popular and are often combined to form a loop hike over the summit of North Moat Mountain. The parcel also contains the western portion of Cathedral Ledge, a well known rock climbing site. Peregrine falcons are known to nest on the ledge in adjacent Cathedral Ledge State Park. The Trust for Public Land, Appalachian Mountain Club, and White Mountain National Forest recently inventoried trails within the National Forest, and found that 22 percent originate on or cross private land. Over the past 15 years, land sales and development have forced the abandonment of seven trails and the relocations of at least 15 others. With support from the Martin Foundation and National Forest Foundation, the three organizations have launched the White Mountain Trailhead Partnership, with the goal of protecting as many of the National Forest's trails as possible. New Hampshire's congressional delegation, especially Senator Judd Gregg and Representative Charlie Bass, worked with the environmental group, the lands trust and the national forest in support of the acquistion. They were able to persuade Congress to appropriate $360,000 from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund for the purchase.
Senator Gregg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Interior Subcommittee, said, "The White Mountain National Forest is the defining element of New Hampshire's awe inspiring living landscape, providing diverse economic, recreational and natural resource benefits for New Hampshire residents and visitors to the Granite State. I applaud the leadership of the White Mountain Trailhead Partnership and the success of the 325 acre Lucy Brook project in Bartlett and was pleased to be in a position on the Senate Interior Appropriations Committee to direct LWCF funding to protect the WMNF trail system for the benefit of future generations," said the senator. Senator Bob Smith said, "This cooperative effort between public and private sectors, along with local residents, is a model of how conservation can be a win-win for all involved. I congratulate the Trust for Public Land for putting together this partnership that will preserve New Hampshire's natural beauty for all to enjoy." White Mountain National Forest's acting forest supervisor Mary Stoll expressed her appreciation for "the collaborative effort and the leadership of the congressional delegation." Last year, the White Mountain Trailhead Partnership was able to buy 60 acres in Albany as an addition to the national forest. Located behind Route 16 just north of Chocorua Lake, the land includes the base of the Piper Trail, which leads to the summit of Mt. Chocorua. The New Hampshire congressional delegation got nearly $400,000 from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund for that purchase. The Trust for Public Land is a national conservation organization dedicated to conserving land for people to enjoy as parks and open space. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 1.4 million acres nationwide, including nearly 30,000 acres in New Hampshire. Founded in 1876, the nonprofit Appalachian Mountain Club is the most experienced conservation and recreation organization in the United States. Its 93,000 members promote "the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region." Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2002. All rights reserved. |
White Mountain National Forest (Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service)
Senator Judd Gregg (Photo courtesy Office of the Senator)