When Terese Murphy saw the large area of cleared land along the road at Annett State Forest over in Rindge, she naturally had some questions. I had felt the same way – what’s going on there?
As community members, it is important that we look out for and inquire about unusual changes in our surroundings, especially ones involving treasured woodlands and parks. Terese has a special connection to Annett. She describes Albert Annett as a civic leader in the region, who had a strong appreciation for nature and its enjoyment value. He donated more than 1,400 acres to develop the state forest, most of it within the Rindge borders. The property Terese has lived on for 42 years sits adjacent to the Wapack Trail, a project Annett undertook with locals Frank Robbins and Marion Buck. She says she is forever grateful for their stewardship of the land.
Sharing Terese’s concern about the clearing at Annett and wanting to learn more, I reached out to Rindge Conservation Commission alternate member Rob Rubendall. His reply — trees were removed as part of a plan to manage an invasive insect found in red pines on the land. Scott Rolfe, regional forester with the New Hampshire Forest Management Bureau, agreed. Rolfe identified the problem as an invasive exotic insect called red pine scale. He gave me some helpful background to better understand it. The first U.S. case likely came from the 1939 New York World’s Fair, where imported pines were planted.
Since then, it has been inching its way north. Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown saw New Hampshire’s first case in 2012. Due to warming winters, red pine scale has slowly spread across the state and has reached Annett State Forest. When red pine scale is detected, Rolfe explained, particularly in recreation areas such as Annett, it is important to act quickly. The invasive insect will eventually kill the trees. It is unsafe to have standing dead timber in forests where trail walking and other recreation occurs.
Action to proactively clear away infected timber that will soon die seems to be the only way to resolve the problem, according to Rolfe. The timber still has value at this point, and the clearing of old trees allows healthy new growth to regenerate and thrive. And new growth is crucial to supporting a diverse forest.
“Research has shown that diversity is key to managing our forests to be resilient in light of climate change in the future.” Rolfe said.
New growth is also less susceptible to damaging insects or disease, and creates a habitat that supports many natural species in our wilderness.
Seeing the cleared land at Annett did trigger a bit of an emotional response for me, but I feel reassured knowing that the clearing at Annett State Forest is part of a methodical approach designed by our state’s forestry experts. Hopefully this puts the concerns of Terese, and others who may have noticed the change, at ease as well. And, it is quite plausible Annett, Robbins and Buck would also support these measures. Thank you to all involved.
I noticed recently that the sliding glass doors to the future home of Marshalls at Cheshire Marketplace are installed. I want to know your thoughts on the arrival of this store to Rindge. What excites you about having a Marshalls in town? Does this store fill a need in the community? Could there be drawbacks? Do you know when it will be opening? Please email me at rindgecommcorr@yahoo.com and let me know.
Interesting local family activities? A friendly exchange with a neighbor? Or a special milestone to share about? Reach out and connect with me at rindgecommcorr@yahoo.com.
The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript is continuing to seek community correspondents for our towns. If interested, send an email to editor Bill Fonda at bfonda@ledgertranscript.com.