Ecological Renewal at Stowell Property

In 2018, the County hired Meadowsend Consulting Co. to develop a new 10-year forest management plan for the County Lands in Unity in collaboration with the Natural Resources Department. Jeremy Turner, Managing Forester, shared that Meadowsend’s “purpose is to further connect people to the land. It is an important responsibility and opportunity that we believe in. Helping everyone understand that every product has a story. There are many people involved.” They look forward to opportunities to talk to people about the management strategies they employ on specific properties to bring understanding to what they are doing and the importance of it. By doing this, they hope to reduce the fears of logging and concerns based on not understanding the process and impacts. It is important to understand the planning and intentional decisions that took place to create the forest management plan and put it into practice. Stewardship of natural resources is a priority.

A forestry operation was implemented early this winter, involving approximately 60 acres on the Stowell property, partially described in the narrative,. Meadowsend subcontracted a logging company that used a two machine system that reduced the impact to the soil infrastructure and left saplings behind to reestablish a northern hardwood forest. The first machine cuts, fells, and delimbs the tree, then cuts it to log length, all at the stump. The operator of the machine was very careful to minimize harm to saplings or other trees nearby. The debris from the tree not sold to market is left on the ground, scattered, or purposely put on a trail – minimizing the impact of the machine of the road tread (see picture). It buffers compaction and erosion concerns that can happen with other systems. The second machine is called a forwarder. It is on large wheels that help to distribute the weight of the logs. It has an arm that puts the logs on the machine, carries them out and sorts them. This allows for a smaller landing site, further lowering the impact of the operation.

If you would like to learn more about the management at the Stowell property and visit this special place, there will be a Stowell Walking Tour on April 27, 2024 from 10am -12pm. Contact Lionel Chute, lchute@sullivancountynh.gov. (Pictures courtesy of Jeremy Turner.)