Wildlife Habitat Management Work to Begin at Blue Job State Forest
CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands, along with the NH Fish and Game Department, will be conducting a wildlife habitat improvement project on 50 acres of the Blue Job State Forest in the town of Farmington, NH. The project, which will be implemented over the next several years, involves habitat work within the blueberry barrens atop Blue Job Mountain.
Every few years, a portion of the barrens will be mowed with a brontosaurus mower to knock back the young trees that are invading the area. This will be followed up with a prescribed burn to help maintain the blueberries. This work will maintain important young forest and barrens habitat that will benefit a variety of wildlife. It will also help maintain views of the surrounding landscape and blueberry picking opportunities so enjoyed by visitors to the mountain.
Work is expected to begin this fall with the first round of mowing on 13 acres, followed by a prescribed burn next spring. The prescribed burn will be conducted by trained personnel under the guidance of a comprehensive plan to ensure that conditions and available resources are adequate to safely implement the burn. Blue Job Mountain has a long history of prescribed burning. The Division of Forests and Lands and the Fish and Game Department conducted several burns on the property from 1995-2006. The area was also periodically burned when it was a commercial blueberry operation prior to state ownership.
For more information about this project, contact NH Fish and Game Biologist James Oehler at (603) 271-0453, or Division of Forests and Lands Regional Forester William Guinn at (603) 271-2214 or william.guinn@dred.nh.gov.
A part of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, the Division of Forests and Lands protects and promotes the values provided by trees, forests and natural communities. For more information about the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands visit www.nhdfl.org or call 602-271-2214.
The NH Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit www.wildnh.com/habitat.
