Forest Society Blog - News & Features

The Forest Society has presented its 2026 President’s Award to retired U.S. Forest Service scientists Mariko Yamasaki and Steve Fay for their leadership in the effort to protect the Bartlett Experimental Forest. Their advocacy has helped elevate the importance of this 90-year “living laboratory” and the vital forest research it supports.

For nearly a century, the U.S. Forest Service's experimental forests—including Bartlett Experimental Forest and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest—have provided the scientific research that guides sustainable forest management, wildlife habitat, climate resilience, and water quality across New Hampshire. Proposed changes that could weaken or close these research centers threaten the long-term knowledge landowners, foresters, and conservation organizations rely on to steward healthy forests.

Conservation doesn’t stop at the edge of the woods. The Forest Society works alongside policymakers, researchers, landowners, and partners to help shape the policies and public investments that protect New Hampshire’s forests, clean water, wildlife habitat, and communities for generations to come.

The Forest Society joined a roundtable with New Hampshire’s congressional delegation to discuss the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed reorganization, raising concerns about cuts to research capacity, loss of scientific expertise, and potential impacts to state and private forestry programs. As the proposal evolves, we’re urging public engagement to help ensure decisions support healthy forests, strong communities, and a resilient forest-based economy.

Join Forest Society forestry staff and a UNH Extension Forestry Educator on Saturday, February 14 (9:30 AM–12:30 PM) at Dudley Pond in Henniker for a free, guided hike through an active timber harvest. Discover how sustainable forestry works, how trees are selected during a harvest, and how forests regenerate over time on this behind-the-scenes tour.

The Forest Society is proud to receive the 2025 Employer Leadership Award from the Society of American Foresters, recognizing our longstanding support for professional development and leadership in sustainable forestry.