The Society for the Protection of NH Forests writes:

Concord, NH, June 15, 2009—One of New Hampshire’s most well-loved mountains needs your help. Mount Monadnock’s trails were heavily damaged during the December 2008 ice storm, and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is organizing a clean-up effort. Forest Society staff and volunteers will be joined by others from Eastern Mountain Sports from July 11 through 15 to clear and mark trails, cut brush, move fallen trees, and rebuild water bars and stone steps.

The clean-up effort is part of Monadnock Trail Week, an annual trail maintenance event organized by the Forest Society. The organization has been awarded a Recreational Trails Grant from the State of New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Division of Parks and Recreation Bureau of Trails to purchase tools and fund some of the professional sawyer work required, but more help is still needed.

“Because of the extensive ice storm damage, this year will be more challenging than most,” said Forest Society Land Steward Coordinator Carrie Deegan. “We’ll need about 500 hours of volunteer service to complete the work that needs to be done.”

Mount Monadnock is one of the most-climbed mountains in the western hemisphere. In 1915 the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests conserved its first tract of 406 acres on Mount Monadnock, beginning a long-term effort to protect the natural integrity of the mountain and its surroundings.  Since then, the Forest Society has acquired a total of 4,000 acres at Mount Monadnock and Gap Mountain in the towns of Dublin, Marlborough, Troy, and Jaffrey.  The Forest Society leases much of its land to the State to be operated as Mount Monadnock State Park. 

For more information or to volunteer, contact Carry Deegan at cdeegan@forestsociety.org or 603-224-9945 ext 318.

Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and businesses, the Forest Society’s mission is to perpetuate the state’s forests by promoting land conservation and sustainable forestry. For more information, visit www.forestsociety.org.

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Photo caption campgroundkioskclose.jpg: Mount Monadnock’s trails, kiosks, and campgrounds all sustained heavy damage during the December 2008 ice storm. Photo by Peggy Lambert.