01 Mar Tread Lightly! Impact Report: White Mountain National Forest Improvement Projects

Project: White Mountain National Forest Improvement Projects
Location: New Hampshire

Description: On November 15 and 16, 2023, volunteers worked to improve recreational opportunities in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

On November 15, four volunteers worked in the Mineral Collection Area at Deer Hill by installing ten blue Carsonite posts to delineate the boundary of a dig area. They also cut brush back in two acres of collection area and filled in dig holes. Finally, they installed updated signs for location information and restored an original wooden USFS sign damaged by vandalism.

On November 16, five volunteers worked to improve recreational opportunities in the Mineral Collection Area at Moat Mountain. Volunteers installed five blue Carsonite posts to delineate the boundary of a dig area. They also hiked in with and installed a birdhouse kiosk in a dig area and installed two signs at a prominent kiosk with site map and common finds.

Thank you to the partners who made this possible:

• Midland USA
• Colony Hardware/Milwaukee Tools
• Ridgeback Guide Service
• Go Fox Adventures
• Home Base Foundation

The Deer Hill signage project was important in a couple of ways.   The new maps and minerals signs have important information on a high quality long lasting signage material.  This will help recreationists quickly find the information that they need, and will make it so the Forest Rangers do not have to worry about replacing signage for years to come.  
It was also great for me to tap into my woodworking and restoration skills to repair a vandalized routed rustic wooden sign back to its original condition.  This area sign would not have been in the national forest budget to replace for several years, but now it will last at least a decade to help the next generation of mineral seekers.”- Ron Harrington II, Ridgeback Guide Service Owner, TL! Ambassador of the Year for 2022

 “The work conducted at the mineral site in the White Mountain National Forest was of significant importance as it primarily focused on conserving the site and ensuring its continued existence as an affordable and family-friendly attraction. It was enlightening to discover the substantial growth in popularity of mineral collecting since 2020.” -Nick Beinar, Program Lead of Veteran Outreach & Brain Health, Home Base

“The work we did with TL! And the US Forest service was a real learning experience for me. My family and I have been coming up to this area for a very long time and I had no idea that this was even here. The knowledge that I gained from this day was amazing. Now I know that there is one more place for me to take my family. Much appreciated for the opportunity and look forward to many more.” -Ryan Casavant, Program Lead of Veteran Outreach & Peer Support, Home Base

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