2012 Annual Report

10 YEARS 10,000 ACRES FOREVER WILD

Nort he a st Wil der ness T rust

From the Adirondacks to Maine, we protect wild places so that nature can thrive, wildlife can wander, and people can find beauty and quiet. With the help of hundreds of supporting individuals and organizations, the Trust has protected more than 10,000 acres as forever wild since its founding in 2002.

Join us—as we work to conserve another 20,000 acres in the decade to come!

ACROSS THE WOODLAND BOGS, high alpine granite, and long, unrolling forests of the region, Northeast Wilderness Trust is restoring wildness and sequestering carbon—essential steps for protecting the health of the planet and the spirit of humankind. —Bill McKibben

SWEET WATER TRUST counts on Northeast Wilderness Trust as a reliable partner to do the on-the-ground work—and to do it well. Many projects we’ve partnered on simply would not have happened without the Wilderness Trust’s bold leadership and untiring efforts. —Eve Endicott, Sweet Water Trust Executive Director

THE WORK OF THE Northeast Wilderness Trust is absolutely vital to all efforts to protect and restore the health of our lands and waters. No one else is working as hard—or as successfully—to make wild nature a meaningful part of our landscape, and without wild nature as the stake around which all other conservation efforts are anchored, no other strategies can possibly succeed. —Steve Trombulak, Professor of Biology & Environmental Studies at Middlebury College

WE WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL to the Northeast Wilderness Trust for their dedicated help in preserving our 300 acres on the side of Little Monadnock Mountain.

— Fred and Rosalind Slavic, donors of the future Slavic Wildlife and Wilderness Sanctuary

FROM THE PISCATAQUIS TO THE ADIRONDACK HIGH PEAKS, WORKING FIRST PROJECT

S C I E N T I F I C S T U DY

Anderson-Wells Preserve (1)

Howland Research Forest (2)

112 acres, conserved 2003 a Working with Lester and Monique Anderson was a natural match for Northeast Wilderness Trust’s first project.

The Andersons’ approach to land management—what Lester refers to as “leave it alone” stewardship—is well aligned with the Trust’s mission, as was their interest in donating a forever-wild easement on over 110 acres of ecologically rich, low-elevation land in Lincoln, Vermont. Because they are keenly interested in understanding the ecology of this landscape and how rewilding allows natural communities to reestablish themselves, the Andersons implemented a series of long-term scientific assessments that are beginning to yield important baseline data.

550 acres, conserved 2007 a For more than 25 years, Howland Forest has been a research site for scientists studying climate change and forest health from the University of Maine, Woods Hole Research Center, U.S. Forest Service, and other institutions around the globe. As a result, these scientists have amassed one of the longest records of carbon intake and output in the world. The continuation of this vital research was threatened when the timber company owning the land proposed to log the highvalue, old-growth forest. The Trust, with the support of conservation partners, raised $1 million to purchase and preserve the forest in perpetuity, ensuring research would be able to continue there unimpeded. Howland Research Forest also protects a rare, old-growth spruce and fir forest and provides habitat for species such as lynx, marten, bobcat, and bald eagle.

BIG WILD Alder Stream & Piscataquis Preserve (5) 4,500 acres. . . and growing a In remote central Maine, a roughly 20,000-acre complex of protected lands is being assembled by various conservation groups including Northeast Wilderness Trust.

The Greater Alder Stream area is a focus of the Trust’s conservation efforts because of its wilderness character, recreational opportunities, and biological richness—the region contains one of the largest, most varied, and intact freshwater wetland systems in Maine. The Piscataquis River is important for Atlantic salmon recovery, and the Piscataquis Preserve contains a one-of-a-kind American chestnut grove comprising what is thought to be the largest stand of wild, reproducing American chestnuts in existence.

THE NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST plays an important and focused role in Maine land conservation.

Informed by science and driven by a commitment to conserving landscapes and resources of exceptional natural value, its directed work has resulted in the protection of some of Maine’s most fragile and unique wild places.

—Jay Espy, Executive Director, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

FOR WILDNESS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

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Wapack Wilderness (3) 1,400 acres, conserved 2007 a With its rich forests, pristine waters, and rocky ridges, this is a place where one finds a sense of remoteness rare in southern New Hampshire. An ecological treasure, the Wapack Wilderness was conserved through a partnership with Hampshire Country School and with the support of many generous donors. The Northeast Wilderness Trust raised $1.4 million to buy a forever-wild easement from the school, thus generating income for the school’s programs and protecting a vast outdoor classroom for its students as well as recreational opportunities, including over one mile of the historic Wapack Trail, for the region’s residents and visitors.

CO N N E C T I N G H A B I TAT Split Rock Wildway (6) 570 acres. . . and growing a Wildlife, especially wideranging mammals, need blocks of interconnected wildlands, which is why we work to strategically conserve habitat across the landscape. In the eastern Adirondacks, we’ve been stitching together parcels, with the help of our partners, to create the Split Rock Wildway, a linkage from the High Peaks to Lake Champlain. So far, seven parcels, totaling over 570 acres, are stewarded and protected for the long term by the Wilderness Trust. These lands include a rare, intact floodplain forest along the Boquet River that contains notable species such as wild rye, wild millet, yellow oak, and black maple; a forested parcel with significant wetlands that exemplifies the Champlain Valley’s presettlement landscape; and several properties along the flanks of Boquet Mountain that were once threatened by development, and now provide protected habitat for wildlife and recreation opportunities for people.

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For full descriptions of these and all 25 conservation projects we've completed, visit www.newildernesstrust.org

A MIXED -USE MODEL Hersey Mountain Wilderness (4) 2,100 acres, conserved 2007 a A conservation project combining wilderness preservation and sustainable forestry, Hersey Mountain is a model of mixed use and collaboration. A rigorous ecological assessment of a 3,100-acre, central New Hampshire property owned by the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) identified approximately 2,100 acres as high priority for wilderness-level protection. Now under a forever-wild easement held by the Northeast Wilderness Trust, this rugged forest is regaining precious old-growth qualities and providing habitat for sensitive wildlife species. The remainder of the property is managed by NEFF for sustainable forestry.

NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST BY THE NUMBERS ACRE S PROTEC TED

5

Number of states in which the Wilderness Trust has protected land.

10,000

6

River miles of Atlantic salmon habitat protected by the Trust.

9,000

7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000

Founded by a half dozen wilderness advocates, including founding executive director Kathleen Fitzgerald.

First large land purchase of 1,500 acres is completed, creating the Alder Stream Preserve.

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

2002

1,000

As one of the first land trusts to go through the rigorous accreditation process, the Trust receives the National Seal of Approval by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ADVISORS

David Berkowitz Tim Burke Daryl Burtnett* Tom Butler* Jim Dumont Eve Endicott Annie Faulkner* Carolyn Fine Friedman Virginia Harnden Marc Lapin Peter Lowell Merloyd Ludington* Jim Northup* Spencer Phillips Frank Robey Keith Ross* Nancy Smith* Rick Van de Poll*

Phyllis Austin Gerard Bertrand Meade Cadot Mike DiNunzio Bill McKibben David Publicover Nancy Smith Steve Trombulak George Woodwell

annual total

11

Number of volunteer stewards who monitor our properties.

17

Number of towns in which the Trust has protected land.

20

Acres of Trust-conserved forest with globally rare, seed-producing American chestnut trees.

25

Number of completed conservation projects.

37

Known number of threatened species for which we have protected habitat.

1,000+

Number of individuals, businesses, and foundations that have supported our work.

1,000+

Number of access permits given for the Alder Stream Preserve in Maine.

cumulative total

2022

GOAL: 30,000 ACRES CONSERVED

8,000

First North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant of $1 million received.

The Trust’s stewardship fund, which provides for the long-term care of our forever-wild lands, hits the $1 million mark.

2,991

Acres of nationally important wetlands protected by the Trust with federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) funds.

Cover photograph © Susan C. Morse As a species that is returning to its former home, the lynx (Lynx canadensis) embodies the restoration of ecological health and wildness to the region.

Sincere thanks to Sue Morse for this image of a lynx photographed in the North Woods.

* Founding board member

P.O. Box 405 21 Prince Lane, Suite 2 Bristol, VT 05443 802.453.7880 info@newildernesstrust.org www.newildernesstrust.org www.facebook.com/newildernesstrust

Names in bold are current board members Photos of Howland Forest researcher and eastern newt © David Dail

Conserving Forever-Wild Landscapes for Nature and People