Rebecca Lovejoy of Lyme and Eric Jones of Glencliff are members of the Lake Tarleton Coalition.
This spring, concerned citizens of New Hampshire and beyond spoke loud and clear in defense of treasured Lake Tarleton, the largest lake in the White Mountain National Forest, nestled in the dawn shadow of mighty Mt. Moosilauke. During a 30-day comment period on the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed logging plans for Lake Tarleton, over 500 people, businesses, and organizations shared their strong opposition, while only 10 voiced support. Is the U.S. Forest Service listening?
The White Mountain National Forest’s Tarleton Integrated Resource Project, featuring nearly 1,000 acres of logging surrounding Lake Tarleton, shocked many citizens who worked for years to protect this iconic New Hampshire landscape. When did the U.S. Forest Service forget about the shared vision for Lake Tarleton? Why hadn’t the Forest Service collaborated with local stakeholders to help develop this project?
Two decades ago, people from a wide spectrum of communities and interests, with the support of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation and nonprofit community, banded together to permanently remove threats to Lake Tarleton and its watershed. After years of sweat and tears and a $7 million fundraising campaign, the protection effort was nothing short of miraculous. Commenting in a press release, then-New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg shared his excitement and gratitude for the successful effort, saying “Many of us…have worked hard for a number of years to reach the point we are at today where we can proudly say that this pristine New Hampshire wilderness has been saved.”
Never again would Lake Tarleton be at risk of development or logging — or so we thought.
In the early 2000s, the Trust for Public Land (TPL), which facilitated the land acquisition and transfer to the White Mountain National Forest, shared the Lake Tarleton Conservation Plan with local citizens and select boards. In an October 2001 article, the Bradford, VT Journal Opinion reported on a presentation jointly hosted by TPL and the Piermont, NH select board. According to the story, the “plan for future use of both the state park land and the land acquired by the White Mountain National Forest was developed after a series of meetings of the Lake Tarleton Task Force, a coalition of private and public conservation agencies… Using the motto ‘less is more,’ the plan endeavors to protect and conserve the ‘wilderness’ quality of the Lake Tarleton area, focus on Lake Tarleton’s water quality, and develop high quality but low impact recreational experiences for the general public.”
Several years later, as reported in another Journal Opinion article, Pemigewasset District Ranger John Serfass “assured the members of the [Lake Armington] association that the Forest Service has no plans to harvest timber from land it owns in the Lakes Tarleton and Armington area.”
Over twenty ensuing years, Lake Tarleton stakeholders have had little interaction with the U.S. Forest Service. Few, if any, recreational improvements that were envisioned by the Task Force have materialized. But stakeholders were at least relieved that the integrity of Lakes Tarleton and Armington appeared to be protected for the benefit of their excellent water quality and resident wildlife.
The draft environmental assessment for the Tarleton Integrated Resource Project is not entirely inconsistent with the reasons the lake was protected. The Forest Service proposes to improve fish habitat, re-design boating access sites, and remove nonnative tree plantations. These are all sound ideas in keeping with the Task Force’s vision.
In its final environmental assessment and record of decision, we hope the Forest Service will keep these components, and expand efforts to improve the scenic, cultural, ecological, and recreational values for which the lake was protected. Going one step further, the Forest Service should designate Lake Tarleton as the first White Mountain National Forest Scenic Area west of I-93 in recognition of the lake’s exceptional qualities.
We understand that the promises to Lake Tarleton stakeholders and New Hampshire citizens may have been forgotten over time with staff changes and fading memories. Now that the record has been corrected, we hope Forest Service leadership will honor the collaborative spirit and shared vision that resulted in the lake’s protection twenty years ago.
The White Mountain National Forest has an opportunity to show that it is listening, and to honor its past commitments when it issues a final record of decision this fall. The public’s trust is hanging in the balance.