The Treasure of Trees

Something Wild: A Treasure of Trees
Air date: December 31, 2004

Welcome to this week’s edition of Something Wild. I’m Rosemary Conroy for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.

This is a good time of year to count our blessings. We are incredibly fortunate, for example, to live in a state where so many have worked so hard to keep it so beautiful. New Hampshire is more than 80% forested — and all the trees that make up those forests bring us many benefits.

Yeah, I’m a tree-hugger. But, how could you not want to hug one?

Think about how many things you use on a daily basis that are made from trees — besides the mind-blowing array of paper products, there’s furniture, fabrics, medicines, and all sorts of consumer items. Then there are fruits and nuts. And you wouldn’t believe the things that are made from tree fibers.

OK – not all those things come from trees grown here in the Granite State but they could. My house, for example was mostly built with local lumber and I, like many people, heat my home with New Hampshire hardwoods.

That’s why I am always a little perplexed when I hear people frown upon logging in New Hampshire. Of course, like anything, there are good ways and bad ways to go about a task. But there are many professionals out there who work hard to bringing wood to market with minimal impacts on the land.

No, I certainly don’t have any problem with cutting down trees — as long as you let them grow back, of course!

Well-planned and carefully executed forestry not only creates jobs and useful products, but can enhance habitats for all kinds of wildlife and open up trails for all sorts of human recreation.

Again, the key is making sure we keep our woodlands intact so we can continue to have trees to bring us all these many benefits.

Now there’s a great New Year’s Resolution…

Something Wild is a joint production of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, NH Audubon and NHPR.

For Something Wild, I’m Rosemary Conroy.