Mowing at Blue Job State Forest to Improve Wildlife Habitat

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Mowing at Blue Job State Forest to Improve Wildlife Habitat

Contact:

Scott Rolfe, NH Division of Forests and Lands: 603-227-8741
James Oehler, NH Fish and Game: 603-271-0453

October 28, 2022




Farmington, NH – The NH Fish and Game Department (NHFG) in cooperation with the NH Division of Forests and Lands (NHDFL) is planning the second phase of a wildlife habitat improvement project on 21 acres in the Blue Job State Forest in the town of Farmington, NH. This project was postponed from last year.

Mowing with a brontosaurus machine will take place during the month of November to reduce the number of young trees present. The cutting will then be followed by a prescribed burn in either the spring or fall of 2023 to maintain the wild blueberries growing on the property.

Residents and visitors should be aware that the trails to the Little Blue Job summit will be closed during mowing operations and burning. If you are planning to hike, please check the information kiosk at the trailhead to confirm which trails are open.

This work will maintain important young forest and barrens habitat, which benefit a variety of wildlife, help maintain views of the surrounding landscape, and improve blueberry-picking opportunities for the public. It is part of an ongoing program to maintain habitat conditions on the top of Blue Job Mountain. The initial mowing and prescribed burn of this area was completed in 2016.

Blue Job Mountain has a long history of habitat improvement. NHFG and NHDFL have conducted several mowing and prescribed burning operations on the property since 1995. The area was also periodically burned over when it was a commercial blueberry operation prior to state ownership.

The NH Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife, and marine resources and their habitats.

For more information on habitat management conducted by NHFG visit:  www.wildnh.com/habitat/management.html

A part of the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Division of Forests and Lands protects and promotes the value provided by trees, forests, and natural communities.


For more information visit:  www.nhdfl.org or call 602-271-2217