New Hampshire's Eco-Tourism initiatives leave other destinations green with envy

Toronto – New Hampshire was a champion of eco-tourism long before the current ‘going green' trend gained prominence. Ever since stagecoaches started bringing city-dwellers to the state in the early 1800's, New Hampshire has understood the need to preserve its lush landscape.

Since then, the state has implemented significant preservation initiatives modeled after Theodore Roosevelt’s national park system. The 800,000 acre White Mountains National Forest officially became protected land in 1918. Mount Monadnock became a National Natural Landmark in 1987. More recently, in June 2007 the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership, in concert with the Nature Conservancy, added 263 acres of land to the 335 acre Great Bog tract, one of the most diverse and vibrant ecosystems in the entire Northeast US.

This additional designation of land helps preserve a rare wetlands ecosystem and also protects nearby Portsmouth’s public water supply. Since 1994, the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership has protected 4,456 acres of critical habitat around Great Bay. Local communities and other organizations have helped protect an additional 3,020 acres.

New Hampshire boasts three federally-designated Scenic Byways (and an additional 13 state-designated ones), including the most recent addition, the Connecticut River Scenic Byway. New Hampshire works in partnership with Vermont to protect the entire river, right from its origins in First Connecticut Lake near the Canadian border in New Hampshire. The state also offers visitors 66 State Parks, including the largest, Pisgah State Park, which features 13,500 acres of pristine unspoiled wilderness as well as protected sandy beaches on the Seacoast.

Visitors’ Guides for wildlife areas from NH Natural Heritage Bureau
The N.H. Natural Heritage Bureau recently published four new guides as part of its ongoing Visiting New Hampshire’s Biodiversity series. The guides were published in response to many calls received from people wanting to know where they can see New Hampshire's old forests, remarkable wetlands and rare plants and natural communities.

These trail brochures are designed to help the public experience some of the state’s exemplary natural communities and eco systems. Sites are chosen specifically to showcase the broad diversity of New Hampshire's geography and ecology.

New sites for this year include:

Marshes at Bellamy River Wildlife Sanctuary in Dover
The kettle hole bog system at Ponemah Bog in Amherst
The salt marsh at the Sandy Point Discovery Center in Stratham
The kettle hole bog system at Philbrick-Cricenti Bog in New London

The guides can be downloaded for free from the Bureau’s web site: http://nh.gov/dred/divisions/forestandlands/bureaus/naturalheritage/Guides.htm

Great Bay conservation area expanded; kayaking trips offered
The Nature Conservancy office in Durham, located on the edge of Great Bay, has secured 2,300 contiguous acres of conserved wildlife habitat. The land was secured thanks to support from local residents, private donors, a federal grant, and a $200,000 donation from Lowe’s home improvement store.

The Nature Conservancy’s Lubberland Creek Preserve now features a new trail which highlights grassland and estuarine habitat, and a new outdoor spotting scope that allows visitors to view a variety of birds including bluebirds, osprey, and great blue heron. Visitors can explore this rich ecosystem by kayak. Nearby Durham Town Landing, Jackson’s Landing and Adams Point in Durham make a great starting point. Visitors can also join guided trips offered by The Great Bay Discovery Center in Greenland (www.greatbay.org) and Seacoast Kayak (www.seacoastkayak.com).

AMC’s White Mountain Hut System dubbed “Environmental Champion”
The New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association’s ‘Sustainable Lodging Program' has bestowed “Environmental Champion” status upon the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) ‘White Mountain Hut System'.

The ‘Environmental Champion' designation is the program’s highest honour. It recognizes lodging properties in the state that take a leadership role in reducing the environmental impact of their operations. Located along the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the AMC’s backcountry huts are powered by a variety of environmentally-sensitive technologies including solar power, wind generators, and water conservation. Visitors to the huts are encouraged to compost recycle as much as possible. As education is a major focus of the AMC’s operations, guests throughout the hut system have a variety of opportunities to learn about the environment and environmentally responsible practices.

The AMC offers educational workshops, hikes, naturalist programs, and other opportunities to help guests make a deeper connection with the natural world. More information can be found on the AMC’s website, www.outdoors.org

To find out more about New Hampshire or to receive a free visitor's guide, call 1-800-FUN-IN-NH (386-4664) or visit www.visitnh.gov Canadian travel trade and media may call 1-888-423-3995, or email visitnh@travelmarketingexperts.com

February 26, 2008   Posted in: United States East