Franklin-McElheny Working Group Set to Launch - December 5, 2018

Published December 5, 2018

SELT has worked to establish the Franklin-McElheny Working Group to further engage the community in considering the future of the Franklin-McElheny Preserve. This group has been asked to fully explore and evaluate the pros and cons of different management options for the Franklin-McElheny Preserve, toward the goal of addressing the woolly adelgid infestation present on many of the property’s hemlock trees. The group will be meeting for the first time in December.

Six Rollinsford residents have agreed to serve with the Working Group, including Nancy Carmer, Jonathan Ordway, Lucy Putnam, Herbert and Nancy Ueda, and SELT Board member Linda McGivern. They will also be joined by Kyle Lombard who is the Forest Health Program Coordinator for the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands, Deborah Goard (SELT’s Stewardship Director) and Beverly Shadley (SELT’s Deputy Director).

Bruce Mallory of New Hampshire Listens has been hired to facilitate our work. The mission of NH Listens is “to help New Hampshire residents talk and act together to create communities that work for everyone;” they are highly skilled at helping diverse groups of people find common ground.

The Working Group expects to meet four to six times between December 2018 and June 2019. SELT will share occasional news from this group’s work with the full findings and recommendations shared early next summer. The group will also host a community field trip to the Franklin-McElheny property next summer to explain management options. 

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