By Peggy Rosen
Land, air, water, flora and fauna - Since 1876 the
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has promoted the protection, enjoyment and wise
use of the Appalachian region. Its
conservation concerns range from large to small, from seemingly obscure
projects to those in the forefront of the community consciousness.
Ever heard of Potentilla
robbinsiana (a.k.a. dwarf mountain cinquefoil)? If you want to find this tiny, rosette-shaped plant with its
hairy, tooth-like leaves and showy yellow flowers, you have to trek to the
heights of New Hampshire. This
particular variety of cinquefoil is extremely rare. It only grows in several locations in New Hampshire’s Alpine
Zone, above elevations of 4,500 feet. Discovered by scientists in 1824, this rare jewel of the
Granite State was placed on the endangered species list in 1980. Its population had precipitously
declined due to over-collection, hiker trampling, and its difficulty in
adapting to certain challenges of the harsh alpine environment. Concerned about possible extinction, the
AMC, in partners
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| Dwarf Cinquefoil |
hip with the New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Service and the
New England Wildflower Society (NEWFS), put together a rescue and recovery
plan. The AMC studied the plant’s
biology and collected seeds, which the NEWFS grew and replanted to establish
new colonies. The AMC relocated
hiking trails and conducted ongoing educational programs for visitors who might
travel in cinquefoil-populated areas. The species recovered and was removed from the list in 2002.
If you take a walk in Piscataquog River Park west of
Manchester along the railroad spur up to Goffstown, you will encounter an area
of pine barren. Very little pine
barren habitat is left in New Hampshire, most of it having been cleared or
paved. New Hampshire’s official
state butterfly, the Karner blue butterfly (also on the federal endangered
species list), relies on pine barren habitat, as the caterpillar feeds only on
wild lupine, which grows only in pine barren areas. Once thought to be extirpated from New Hampshire, the Karner
blues are making a comeback. However,
invasive plant species such as Norway maple, bittersweet and garlic mustard
threaten to overrun the native plants of Piscataquog Park and make it
potentially inhospitable to Karner blue butterflies. AMC members from the New Hampshire Chapter have volunteered
their time to clear away some of the invaders, in hopes of restoring the natural
balance of this small, but important, piece of the state.
If you gaze out from one of New Hampshire’s many vistas, you
may see for miles across peaks, forests, lakes and rivers. But you may just as easily have to
squint through a soupy haze shrouding the summits and blanketing the valleys. Decreasing visibility and evidence of
Northeast pollution from mid-Western power plants and vehicle emissions has
prompted the AMC to take action.
AMC members called Visibility Volunteers, or Viz Vols, carry a simple
kit on hikes which measures ozone levels and records visibility levels. Viz Vol data collection is part of the
Mountain Watch Program, finishing its second season in the autumn of 2005. More than 200 volunteers have submitted
reports from around the region.
Volunteers can also observe and report seasonal changes in wildflowers
and leaf colors. These hikers
tracking trends contribute to a large AMC database, which is used in Club air
quality advocacy work. The AMC
makes recommendations to government agencies and partners with other clean air
advocacy groups. Together they are
creating a collective voice calling for clean air legislation, policies and
procedures.
As a non-profit organization with almost 90,000 members
(nearly 10,000 in the New Hampshire Chapter), 130 staff and a dozen chapters
throughout mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, the AMC is well-positioned to
make the most of the influence of a large group and the commitment of its
individual members to fulfill its mission. The founding members, many of whom were Boston academics who
enjoyed the superb recreational opportunities of New Hampshire’s wild areas,
recognized the need to protect wilderness. In addition to organizing recreational Club outings, they
developed an attitude of stewardship of the land.
As far back as the early 1900’s, AMC members were vitally
involved in fulfilling a mission of preservation, addressing lawmakers and
policy-makers on the issues of land conservation. At that time there were no National Forests in the
Northeast. Working determinedly
for almost ten years, pushing for public access to large tracts of wilderness,
the group’s efforts were finally rewarded by passage of the Weeks Act of 1911,
which allowed the government to purchase private land for the establishment of
National Forests. The creation of
the White Mountain National Forest followed soon after.
Working with government representatives on conservation
continues to be a focus of the AMC.
Members are encouraged to seek natural resource protection through the
legislature by contacting their representatives and voicing their views,
concerns and suggestions. Since
1998, members have been able to keep up-to-date on current conservation issues
through the AMC Conservation Action Network.
The recent release of the U.S. Forest Service’s White
Mountain National Forest Management Plan provides an example of AMC involvement
in policy-making. The new plan,
which describes how the WMNF will be managed for the next ten to fifteen years,
required the Forest Service to spend years studying data, holding public
hearings, sifting through thousands of public comments and drafting many revisions. Throughout this process the AMC
submitted written and verbal comments, scientific data, proposals, suggestions
and general input. The AMC vision
for collaboration, balanced approach to wise use and decades of outdoor
expertise provided a solid platform for its recommendations, many of which were
adopted as part of the final management plan
Early conservation efforts were also focused on the creation
and maintenance of well-thought-out trails for hikers and skiers. Well-routed and maintained trails
preserve plant life and minimize the detrimental effects of erosion. In-the-field trail work is still
central to AMC conservation. With
325 miles of New Hampshire trails maintained by the group, trail work days are
a common activity and are attended by all ages and all abilities. It’s not unusual to encounter a
grinning, clipper-wielding seven-year-old on a trail crew, or dirt-smudged
teenagers sweating alongside a senior AMC member. The NH Chapter has specific responsibility for maintaining
the OLD Bridle Path in Franconia Notch, the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway and the
hiking and ski trails around Cardigan Lodge. The Adopt-A-Trail program, begun in 1980, allows individuals
or groups to assume responsibility for specific sections of trail, committing
at least two weekends per year to caring for that section. In New Hampshire, 35,000 hours of trail
work is provided by staff and volunteers annually.
Roll-up-your-shirtsleeves work sessions, whether involving
paperwork or trail work, isn't the only place you'll find AMC-ers. Simply enjoying nature is still an
integral part of the AMC experience. Hundreds of all types of activities are available throughout
the four seasons for every level of outdoor enthusiast. Trips range from easy family hikes to
arduous mountaineering rock and ice climbs, backcountry ski expeditions,
multi-day summer backpacking excursions, cycling, paddling, birding, map and
compass workshops and wilderness first aid courses.
In addition to the fun of getting together with like-minded
folks, the AMC philosophy sees every activity as an opportunity for
learning. Trip leaders often
impart important ecological knowledge. AMC huts and facilities offer seminars, workshops, displays,
and self-directed learning activities that present the natural world, man’s
impact on it and our responsibility in trying to protect it. Signs in the restrooms of AMC
facilities instruct on water conservation. Wall displays in the halls of The Highland Center in
Crawford Notch describe weather patterns, growing seasons, the development and
path of acid rain, the inter-dependence of the animals and plants of the
forest, and the fragility of the organisms of the Alpine Zone. Families join a naturalist for a walk
along a woodland path and stop to study the tiny water life in an adjacent
pond. A Mountain Classroom tailors
outdoor experiences to middle school and high school students. Some AMC members have received official
training in the “Leave No Trace” program, instructing backcountry travelers in
low-impact principles. The
educational component of AMC activities and facilities attempts to foster a
sense of individual responsibility and the realization of what we can all accomplish
together.
Striving for a strong and healthy future for New Hampshire’s
natural resources, the AMC has “walked the talk,“ in many cases literally, for
many decades and countless miles. As one member put it, "the AMC does a lot of good!"
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Ed's note: The AMC was produced for Heart of New Hampshire Magazine and HeartofNH.com and transferred to this website to assure that the stories and articles written for the magazine would never be lost to the public.
Clouds Over Mount Crawford by Wayne D. King
