Prescott Farm to begin forest management work this month

LACONIA — Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center will begin a carefully planned forest management project on a portion of its 160-acre property in mid-January. Guided by science-based forestry practices, the work will improve wildlife habitat, strengthen grassland and meadow ecosystems, and support the long-term health and resilience of the forest.

Prescott Farm is partnering with Tim Nolin, owner and manager of Forest Land Improvement of Ossipee. Logging will be conducted by L.E. Taylor & Sons, Inc., a family-owned company certified under the Master Logger Certification Program.

The project follows recommendations from Prescott Farm’s 2021 Forest Management Plan, which incorporates wildlife habitat guidance developed by UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialist Matt Tarr. Together, these strategies are designed to increase habitat diversity while maintaining healthy, productive forests.

Project goals include:

Expanding and diversifying wildlife habitat, including grasslands, shrublands, and important “edge” zones

Encouraging healthy growth of young forest

Improving and maintaining access for ongoing forest stewardship

Enhancing growing conditions to support timber quality and hard mast (nut-producing trees)

To create early successional habitat, an increasingly rare and important landscape of shrubs, saplings, grasses, forbs, brambles and wildflowers, two areas totaling approximately 4.5 acres next to existing fields will be clear-cut. The work will focus on removing smaller white pine, birch, red maple and aspen. These two areas are dominated by poor-quality growth with very limited potential from a timber management standpoint. The result will be expanded meadow space paired with nearby transitional shrubland, a combination especially valuable to wildlife.

“These areas are being clear-cut to create functional blocks of early successional habitat right next to open, maintained fields,” said Nolin. “This ‘edge effect,’ the transition zone between open field and mature forest, is one of the most productive habitats for wildlife. Periodic maintenance will ensure these benefits remain over time.”

According to Good Forestry in the Granite State, more than 70% of New Hampshire’s vertebrate wildlife species rely on young forest habitat at some point in their lives. State guidance recommends keeping 5-20% of the landscape in young forest, reflecting historical conditions in the Lakes Region. Prescott Farm will maintain these openings on a 10-15 year cycle to preserve their long-term ecological value.

Species expected to benefit include bobolink, chestnut warbler, alder flycatcher, American woodcock, red-tailed hawk, wild turkey, red fox, white-tailed deer, bobcat, snowshoe hare, and meadow vole.

All work will be carried out by licensed professionals using best management practices for soil protection, erosion control, and invasive species prevention. Some trails may be temporarily rerouted during active operations, with updates posted both on-site and online.

Educational opportunities for the public

Beyond its ecological benefits, the project will serve as a living classroom for the community. Prescott Farm will incorporate the managed areas into upcoming public programs, including plant identification walks and birding classes already scheduled for the upcoming season. Participants will have the chance to see firsthand how active land management shapes plant communities and supports wildlife.

The project is also designed as a practical example for local homeowners interested in taking a proactive approach to  managing their own land. By demonstrating sustainable forestry practices in action, Prescott Farm hopes to help landowners better understand how thoughtful management can improve habitat, forest health, and long-term resilience.

“As the forests and fields in and around the Weirs and along Route 11 have been developed into housing, the pressures on native New Hampshire species has been pronounced,” says Jude Hamel, executive director at Prescott Farm. “We expect that community members will take an interest in the changes to our fields and forests on the opposite side of White Oaks Road from the Education Center and we hope they will get involved in some of the learning opportunities this project provides. After all, a big part of Prescott Farm’s work is teaching children and adults in our community about the interconnected plant and animal species native to this area and the choices we can all make in our lives to conserve the natural environment that sustains us all.”

For more information, visit prescottfarm.org.