The National Deer Association (NDA) recently got to work improving deer habitat and monitoring forest growth in the north country woods of Maine and New Hampshire, notably completing an element of the project one year earlier than expected. Accomplishing work ahead of schedule allows staff to tackle additional stewardship activities in the greater New England area and helps maintain NDA as a valuable conservation partner that consistently executes above expectations.
In July 2024, the NDA signed off on a 20-year landmark agreement with the USDA Forest Service (USFS) encompassing numerous ecosystem restoration projects across the Northeast and Upper Midwest, all aimed to reduce risks of wildfire, protect communities, repair infrastructure and improve the health and resiliency of our public forests. As part of that larger effort, NDA partnered with the 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) to increase their workforce capacity by specifically assisting with the administration of post-harvest site preparation on nearly a dozen management units and facilitating over 18,000 acres of forest stand inventory.
“The White Mountains are the easternmost National Forest in the federal system, and that landscape is at the northern limits of the whitetail’s range. Weather conditions there test their survival and productivity like no other place,” said Matt Ross, NDA’s Senior Director of Conservation. “We’re glad to be able to help the Forest Service staff get more work accomplished, and we are especially proud to improve even a few acres of wildlife habitat there, because every little bit makes a difference.”
Site preparation treatments on WMNF included the non-commercial cutting or girdling of thousands of sub-merchantable or undesirable hardwood trees, mostly smaller (2 to 5 inches in diameter), diseased or poorly formed beech, birch and maple. The overall objective was to release regenerating oaks, spruce, pine and groves of aspen over three field seasons, providing the desirable, more wildlife-friendly species with adequate light and space to grow free from competition. All snags were retained as well.
Crews used brushsaws and chainsaws to cut down any unwanted trees; no herbicide was applied. These activities followed commercial timber harvest operations that removed many of the larger, more valuable trees. NDA staff implemented the site preparation work during fall 2024 and 2025, encompassing 125 total acres of treatment on 11 units ranging from 3 to 28 acres in size. Importantly, streamlined processes and ongoing internal efficiencies at NDA provided enough support that treatments earmarked for 2026 were completed this past October.
In addition, NDA is currently assisting by implementing nearly 13,000 acres of forest inventory and analysis for the WMNF (1,976 plots), with an additional 5,700 acres scheduled for 2026. Common Stand Exams (CSE) are a consistent way of collecting forest information necessary for monitoring site-specific forest resources, such as vegetation composition, structure and productivity. NDA’s trained foresters and/or contractors walk transects, stopping at regular intervals to evaluate forest health, identify threats from pathogens or disease, assess fire risks, and document the average tree diameter, height, canopy density, and understory, plus more at each plot location.
With detailed forest inventory data, the USFS will be able to make data-driven, spatially referenced land management decisions and implement sustainable management strategies to maintain forest health and enhance ecosystem resiliency on more locations within WMNF.
Thanks especially to the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for financial support of NDA’s Public Lands Initiative and this project, which aims to address access, hunting and forest health issues across North America.