Partnership Protects Bicknell's Thrush Habitat and Welcomes Skiers Back to Mittersill
A unique partnership between the White Mountain National Forest, the State of New Hampshire and New Hampshire Audubon will protect Bicknell's thrush habitat and welcome skiers back to dormant trails.
In May, 2007 the State of New Hampshire proposed an exchange of the Sentinel Mountain State Forest for 100 acres of National Forest System lands adjacent to a state-owned ski area. The State hoped to acquire the lands adjacent to the Cannon Mountain Ski Area in hopes of incorporating the network of remnant ski trails at the long-dormant Mittersill Ski Area located on the White Mountain National Forest. The high elevation lands at Mittersill contained long-abandoned ski trails as well as important habitat for the Bicknell's thrush, a species of concern to State and Forest biologists.
In exchange, the State offered the Sentinel Mountain State Forest, a working forest that included one of New Hampshire's few sections of non-USFS administered sections of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
The exchange seemed to have promise, but both federal and state biologists were committed to formalizing the future protection of the Bicknell's thrush habitat on Mittersill before the exchange was considered in further detail. Forest personnel met with state biologists, foresters, the ski area manager and scientists from New Hampshire Audubon. Because the thrush is a neotropical migrant, all agreed that winter skiing activity posed little threat to the thrush population who would be enjoying warmer climes thousands of miles to the south. Yet, protecting the extent of the habitat that would welcome the returning birds was of utmost concern.
Working with a commitment to balance habitat protection and winter recreation opportunities, biologists, lands, and ski area personnel rolled up their sleeves and embarked on a quest to find a win-win for all concerned. The State, NH Audubon, and the White Mountain National Forest relied on cornerstones of mutual respect and a firm commitment to resource protection. Together they developed a Memorandum of Understanding that provides winter recreation opportunities on the network of abandoned ski trails and prevents expansion of any new trails into the surrounding habitat. Summer operations, monitoring protocols, continuing cooperation and funding are each addressed in the agreement.
Upon implementation of the exchange, the dormant ski trails were acquired by the State and incorporated into Cannon Mountain Ski Area. The State will fund NH Audubon to monitor the population and habitat of the thrush according to agreed-upon protocols. The Forest will participate in an advisory role and results of the monitoring will be made available to the public.
Concurrently, the isolated State-owned segment of the Appalachian Trail and the balance of the Sentinel State Forest were transferred to the federal government as part of the White Mountain National Forest. The Trail segment will be administered in concert with the abutting segments and the balance of the former State Forest will be managed for a variety of resources.
The exchange and vital partnership was celebrated in the Governor's chambers in March 2009. Several days later approximately 500 skiers attended the official re-opening of Mittersill. The Memorandum of Agreement provides the important framework for this partnership and documents the critical federal/state/non-government/public cooperation for management of the people's lands and resources. When the snows come to New Hampshire in 2010, skiers will enjoy the re-opened trails at Mittersill, the AT map will reflect more consistent ownership and administration, and the Bicknell's thrush at Mittersill will enjoy habitat protection long into the future.