‘Perfect storm': Amid Trump administration cuts, visitation to White Mountain National Forest is up
Get N.H. Morning Report
A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox.
Enter Email
Sign Up
The National Visitor Use Monitoring Program is conducted every five years and was last
Advertisement
'The data we collect is extremely important for the forest, and so that's one of the biggest things that I lead with is, 'You're giving back to the forest by participating in this,'' he said. Responses to interview questions are logged in a tablet, and then immediately uploaded to the Forest Service data set.
The White Mountain National Forest receives about 6 million visitors a year — more than Yellowstone (
Advertisement
The research helps ensure that resources are directed where they're most needed, according to Ferguson — which he said is especially important in light of Trump administration cuts to agency budgets.
'It is a perfect storm that's happening, where we have ramped up visitation to an extreme, and at the same time, we are simultaneously decreasing funding to these entities to the extreme,' he said.
Outdoor recreation is an important economic engine for New Hampshire, contributing about $4 billion to the state's economy, according to a report from the US Department of Commerce.
For the O'Learys, conducting the surveys is a way to give back to a place they love.
'I've been coming up here since I was 2 years old, for 50-something years,' said Jimmy O'Leary, 57, who is a retired captain from the Massachusetts State Police. He now lives in Madison, N.H. 'I loved it up here, and that's why I took my kids up here, too.'
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday,
Amanda Gokee can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
02-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
High levels of E.coli found at Lake Tahoe beach after sewage leak
Officials are warning the public to stay out of the water near a popular resort on Lake Tahoe's Southern shore this weekend after detecting 'high levels' of E. coli bacteria Friday after a sewage leak. Water quality samples collected near the Camp Richardson Resort revealed elevated levels of Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, according to the U.S. Forest Service's Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Immediately after the E. coli was detected, the resort conducted a sewer line inspection, located a leak and began repairs, the forest service said. 'Although no illnesses have been reported, the public should avoid recreational waters that have been tested and found to have high levels of E. coli,' the forest service said in a news release. The forest service is advising swimmers, paddlers and boaters to stay out of the water from Jameson Beach to the Valhalla Boathouse in South Lake Tahoe, even though levels of E. Coli in test results for samples collected near the boathouse and Jameson Beach do not exceed state standards. One of California's most beloved summer destinations, Lake Tahoe saw officials close beaches on its northern shore last summer after a private contractor drilled through a sewer pipeline in Carnelian Bay, spilling 85,000 gallons of raw sewage into Lake Tahoe. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board conducted an investigation into the incident and last month Caltrans and the North Tahoe Public Utility District agreed to pay an $850,000 fine. In South Tahoe, the Forest Service's Tahoe Basin Management Unit said Friday that tests in nearby shoreline locations do not indicate elevated bacteria levels. There are no advisories in effect for Pope Beach and Baldwin Beach. According to the Forest Service, officials are collecting and analyzing water samples from Camp Richardson and areas east and west of the resort and will advise the public if they need to take additional precautions or if it's safe to resume normal activities.
San Francisco Chronicle
02-08-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Swimmers warned to stay away from Tahoe beach after sewage leak
Federal officials are warning Tahoe beachgoers to stay away from the water near Camp Richardson upon discovering a local sewer line leak and elevated levels of E. coli bacteria. The U.S. Forest Service's Tahoe Basin Management Unit announced the findings Friday while advising that beachgoers, boaters, paddlers and swimmers 'should avoid' the water near Camp Richardson Resort, where the sewage leak was found. The resort 'immediately initiated a sewer line inspection and located the leak and has initiated repair,' according to the announcement. The affected area is confined to a segment of shoreline between Jameson Beach and Valhalla Boathouse. That zone is between two of the south shore's most popular beaches, Pope Beach and Baldwin Beach; however, the Forest Service did not issue advisories for those places. 'Tests in nearby shoreline locations do not indicate elevated bacteria levels and no other areas of Lake Tahoe have been affected,' the announcement reads. No illnesses have been reported, and no timetable was given for the advisory. Water in the affected area will be monitored daily, according to the Forest Service.
Boston Globe
25-07-2025
- Boston Globe
‘Perfect storm': Amid Trump administration cuts, visitation to White Mountain National Forest is up
'This data directly informs all these Forest Service decisions, from staffing and signage to trail maintenance, infrastructure, and especially the federal budget and funding,' said Michael Ferguson, associate professor of recreation management and policy at UNH, who is overseeing O'Leary's research. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The National Visitor Use Monitoring Program is conducted every five years and was last Advertisement 'The data we collect is extremely important for the forest, and so that's one of the biggest things that I lead with is, 'You're giving back to the forest by participating in this,'' he said. Responses to interview questions are logged in a tablet, and then immediately uploaded to the Forest Service data set. The White Mountain National Forest receives about 6 million visitors a year — more than Yellowstone ( Advertisement The research helps ensure that resources are directed where they're most needed, according to Ferguson — which he said is especially important in light of Trump administration cuts to agency budgets. 'It is a perfect storm that's happening, where we have ramped up visitation to an extreme, and at the same time, we are simultaneously decreasing funding to these entities to the extreme,' he said. Outdoor recreation is an important economic engine for New Hampshire, contributing about $4 billion to the state's economy, according to a report from the US Department of Commerce. For the O'Learys, conducting the surveys is a way to give back to a place they love. 'I've been coming up here since I was 2 years old, for 50-something years,' said Jimmy O'Leary, 57, who is a retired captain from the Massachusetts State Police. He now lives in Madison, N.H. 'I loved it up here, and that's why I took my kids up here, too.' This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, Amanda Gokee can be reached at
