Many forest researchers and advocates hail Bartlett Experimental Forest as an invaluable resource for long-term research that informs forest maintenance.
That includes Anton Bekkerman, associate dean of research and director of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire.
When he heard the announcement in late March about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service reorganization — putting over 50 research facilities, including Bartlett, under review for closure — he said it was “worrying.” He supports many people within UNH who use Bartlett for their research.
“If sites like Bartlett close, then that really reduces the capacity for our researchers at UNH to look at those insights that are ultimately going to help the landowners, the foresters, the timber industry of New Hampshire, of New England, because it really limits the scope and the insights that we can get from that research,” he said.
While there is still no definite decision on the fate of Bartlett, recent conversations, court actions and funding have given hope to stakeholders that the experimental forest may be kept off the chopping block.
Since the initial March announcement, the U.S. Forest Service has reviewed a total of 64 locations across the country and decided to retain 41 of them. Twenty-three sites with little to no staffing were identified for closure, and that does not include Bartlett, according the Forest Service’s reorganization page.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced in May that the USDA had no proposals threatening New Hampshire’s other experimental forest, Hubbard Brook, and that it would reevaluate the plan to close Bartlett.
Yet Bartlett is still not completely out of the woods. Conversations around staff shrinkage and facility updates still plague Bartlett’s future, but a Monday visit from U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., with various stakeholders helped kickstart further conversations.
“We talked about how we can partner moving forward to look at models across the country, like Hubbard Brook and some of the other models, partnerships really, that the Forest Service is engaged in with other universities and entities across the country to see what we think might work in New Hampshire and how to put together an MOU [memorandum of understanding] going forward,” Shaheen said in an interview.
She also said a sizable grant from the Great American Outdoors Act will be used to renovate Bartlett’s bunkhouse and will address structure issues and unused rooms and bathrooms.
“I think what we heard today is that there is a commitment to keep Bartlett open, a commitment from the Forest Society and a commitment from the Department of Agriculture,” said Shaheen, who is not running for reelection in the midterms.
Matt Leahy, the public policy director for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests who joined the Monday visit with Shaheen, said the gathering was important, but a wide range of options still need to be under consideration to best move forward.
“It’s going to take, I think, some more conversations among this group to figure out what is doable, what’s achievable,” he said. “We still strongly believe that the primary role should rest with the Forest Service, but we can’t necessarily rely … that the Forest Service will continue to have the main role of running that facility.”
On Oct. 13, a federal court in California ordered the USDA to temporarily pause its restructuring efforts, pending a lawsuit brought by several nonprofits and unions that represent Forest Service staff.
In the case, the plaintiffs argue that reorganization efforts are prohibited by congressional appropriation statutes that fund the USDA and are therefore unlawful, according to court documents. The hold will last until Dec. 11.
Leahy said there are a number of actions stakeholders can take in the meantime, but he also believes congressional action can move progress forward.
“The future of Bartlett is directly tied into one of the most important aspects of New Hampshire’s quality of life, and that’s our forests,” he said. “So hopefully we can keep the work that’s going on there continuing, and that’s kind of the bottom-line goal.”
Bekkerman, the UNH director, said Bartlett provides a lot more benefits beyond research, such as in-state training and nature-based tourism economy support, which would be a significant loss if Bartlett closed.
“It’s not just the research that happens; it’s the type of research and the type of local and locally-inspired training and workforce development that can happen,” he said. “That’s another really key piece that these forests bring to our state and our community. … When you think about experimental forests, you think immediately research, but it goes so much beyond that.”
