Centennial ‘people’s forest’ eyes new connections
Print Edition
NEW Hampshire’s most iconic attraction had been decimated by forest fires and logging when President Woodrow Wilson established it as a national forest a century ago.
Now, the White Mountain National Forest stretches over 3,000 square kilometers in the northern part of the state and part of Maine. The forest is home to several ski lodges, campgrounds and has over 1,900 kilometers of non-motorized hiking trails.
It attracts millions of visitors each year and has become part of the state’s economic engine, contributing to the nearly US$9 billion outdoor recreation industry that supports almost 80,000 jobs. Beyond that, it is a source of pride among New Englanders.
“There’s a reason why it’s called ‘the people’s forest’, it belongs to us all,” said Cynthia Robinson, director of the Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University.
The U.S. Forest Service kicked off the centennial celebration with an exhibition recently that illustrates the forest’s history through art, artifacts and interactive experiences. Visitors will be immersed in sound bites from different parts of the forest — bird calls, babbling brooks, leaf-crunching — and will also be able to comment on what they envision the next 100 years to be for the federally protected land. The exhibit will run through mid-September.
A timeline of the 100 years runs along the walls of the two-floor exhibit, marking important events in the forest’s history, like in 1959 when the Kancamagus Highway was completed and designated as a national scenic byway.
When the forest service took charge of preservation efforts in the early 20th century, its original intent was to regrow those forests and restore polluted streams. The forest service hopes the events planned this summer, including field trips and lectures, renew the call to action from over a century ago that set the environmental legislation in motion. The forest service seeks to inspire younger generations to volunteer to help maintain the land.
“This has been a huge history lesson on a place that I spent a lot of time in growing up,” said 19-year-old Liam Colby, a junior at Plymouth State and the museum’s receptionist. “It makes me want to be part of something bigger than myself.”
(AP)
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
