# Wildlife clearing maintenance in the White Mountains



## billski (Jul 27, 2017)

We still are looking for a leader for our Wildlife Clearing maintenance work.  We're basically just clearing moderate sized new growth from mowed areas in the forests.  There is one area on the Kanc and one just north of Jackson NH.  This is simple stuff that needs loppers.  The area is flat.  I have all the details written up including a map of the exact location.  This is a one-time activity.   bill@tarkulich.com, 781 799 2930.  Thank you.


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## dlague (Jul 27, 2017)

Why are these areas cleared for Wildlife?

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## billski (Jul 27, 2017)

There are many things going on in our forests that nobody knows about.   Since I took a leadership role I've learned a lot about how how our forest operates.    This is a long-standing wildlife program.

As a general rule, an opening consists of several acres of grasses and forbs.  It is cleared of all trees and provides low-height environment to forage and build nests.   In the WMNF, openings are often mowed occasionally.  However, due to the speed in which brush and trees grow, it’s likely that there will be bushes and trees growing quickly above the grasslands in between mowing.  Trees and large bushes discourage undergrowth development and need to be removed to encourage growth. 

We then create piles of brush, which will serve as terrific nesting place for birds and small mammals.  

Exceptions to pruning include any fruit-producing plant, which could include raspberry bushes and Apple trees.   There are many historical sites in the WMNF in which prior settlers planted fruit trees.  We want to continue to encourage and protect their growth.  Apple trees in particular, should have the area around and under the tree cleared, to promote the continued growth of the tree.


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## dlague (Jul 27, 2017)

What happened to letting nature do her thing?  How did these animals survive before intervention?  I am seeing this in Colorado in many forms.  Humans try to manage things ranging from water flow to creating burn lines, to herding mustangs, to casting nets to prevent rock slides, to fencing areas to control animal migrations and much more.  None of this was not around a 100 years ago and earlier.  I see naturally eroding lands getting filled in to try to prevent it from eroding.  There have been animal reintroduced to Colorado that got so large that they reintroduced  hunting seasons to control population.  There are places there rocks are bolted to the face of a cliff because it might come falling.

So is this done because there are no places to build nest otherwise!  Not trying to give you a hard time, just trying to understand why we do stuff.


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## Quietman (Jul 27, 2017)

Just guessing here, but I'm thinking that it involves maintaining a diverse environment.  A mature forest has much less undergrowth for grazers to graze on.  Having a field with transitional vegetation along the edges allows a much larger number of animals to prosper.  I don't have the exact numbers, but NH was down to around 40% forest in the age of the loggers. It is now over 80% so keeping some fields clear is not a bad thing.  We have a large grassy field near our house where I can usually take my 2 year old granddaughter to see deer, just wish we could see a moose!!


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## benski (Jul 28, 2017)

Governments generally don't let natural wild fires create fields so people have to employ more controlled methods.


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## billski (Jul 28, 2017)

Google.com is your friend.
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?A=2723&Q=326052

National Forests differ from National Parks.  Parks are about preservation.   Forests are about utilization.  This includes hunting, fishing, logging, skiing, biking, vacationing.  "Land of Many Uses".   Second growth forests (thank you James E. Henry) do not provide the habitat for the success of all species.  It generally takes 150-500 years for clear cut forests to develop the characteristics of primary growth.  Having biodiversity of wildlife is important for hunting and fishing activities, both of which are promoted in forest land.  

The same question could be asked why we annually stock ponds with fish.


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## bigbog (Aug 1, 2017)

Quietman said:


> .........We have a large grassy field near our house where I can usually take my 2 year old granddaughter to see deer, just wish we could see a moose!!



Locating those "wetter"...streams/brooks/ponds and those bog-like areas..for the salt in the plant roots...in the warmer weather spring-fall can indeed be a job and a half.  During the height to day it is lucky to find them out and about, however in the more dense growth they'll hang longer.  Those wetter areas may take a little hunt to find in NH but I'll bet they are there....a little more scattered than in the lower lying, wetter Maine woodlands.   DeLorme's State Atlas & Gazateers have offered some clues via their notated elevational changes and water systems.   Have been the Bible for finding access to certain areas as well as water systems in Maine throughout its printed life, which has sadly come to an end, but the last couple editions have been good enough....  Leave it to Maine state government to screw up one's chance to see older, full grown bulls in numbers by attempting to make $$$ off of them by blowing them away each year with their Moose Lottery....fools.


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## billski (Aug 1, 2017)

Sage advice bigbob.
Seriously, Delorme's is discontinuing it's atlas?  Everyone, including state agencies uses it.


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## Abubob (Aug 1, 2017)

Native Americans in California used fire to clear the land - not that that would work here. But the benefits were many.

https://milliontrees.me/2015/01/30/...management-by-native-americans-in-california/


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## bigbog (Aug 1, 2017)

billski said:


> Sage advice bigbob.
> Seriously, Delorme's is discontinuing it's atlas?  Everyone, including state agencies uses it.



Bill it's still active but just in digital form.   Nothing like clipping the legs of we who enjoy the outdoors without pre-planning every bodily function.  I don't know about other states but DeLorme's last hardcopy,Maine version, was either 2015 or 16(presently lying under something in my bookshelf.  Anyway they've now gone 100% digital.   Read that in either a BDN or Portland online story last year I believe.


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## billski (Aug 2, 2017)

bigbog said:


> Bill it's still active but just in digital form.   Nothing like clipping the legs of we who enjoy the outdoors without pre-planning every bodily function.  I don't know about other states but DeLorme's last hardcopy,Maine version, was either 2015 or 16(presently lying under something in my bookshelf.  Anyway they've now gone 100% digital.   Read that in either a BDN or Portland online story last year I believe.



Yeah, I see where they are going. That's really too bad.  I have the 2015 version, but will check to see if there was one printed in 2016. I always keep getting new print copies as they get better every year.

Paper maps rule, especially for going back country.  They're a helluva a lot bigger than a handheld, which gets harder to read every year.  And it's much easier to annotate on.  Perhaps this is the old school in me resisting change.  But so often I get to where I'm going and change my plans.
Kind of like the USGS maps going all digital too.


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## bigbog (Aug 4, 2017)

billski said:


> Paper maps rule, especially for going back country............ And it's much easier to annotate on.  Perhaps this is the old school in me resisting change.  But so often I get to where I'm going and change my plans.
> Kind of like the USGS maps going all digital too.



I hear ya'....ditto the sentiments.  Hey major Kudos to all your work in the woodlands billski!


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