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White Mountains preservation gets a few big boosts

Those who want to preserve the White Mountain National Forest got two pieces of good news Wednesday.

The U.S. Senate passed an act that expands the amount of the forest considered untouchable wilderness area, and a federal judge reinstated a

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Keep in mind this also means no improvements to those areas either. While this bit doesn't really effect a particularly noteable area, these wilderness areas prevent things such as public transportation and contruction of decent trails to take place. It also goes further to make it inaccesible to all but the avid outdoor adventurist, and causes more tourist development on the fringes and accessible areas.

i don't see the issue with this. leave it for the avid outdoorsman, they tend to take better care of the wilderness than your average weekend tourist who just wants pictures of mountains and tosses his mcdonalds bags out the window ruining one of the last remaining truly natural areas of new england.

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Then why preserve it at all? Let them buy it up - if the public can't use it, why should the public pay for it?

I myself love the Whites. And I understand the issues they had in the past with all the logging, that forced it to become a natural forest in teh first place. But over the years I have watched it become less accessible, less valuable as a natural wonder and more of a political statement - kind of an environmental toy to tease people with. I have always dreamed of making the Whites more European - I picture a good train network that servs hilers and tourists and gets them out of their cars, that let's people enjoy, and thus see the value of, these beautiful areas. I hate to see it turn into something like the parks out west, which have some really beautiful spots in them, but either get surrounded by trash or become too much a plaything for the rich or retired. I think New England is really special in that it's nut just a few natural features, but so much in such a workable area that it needs a more unified, regional plan.

the white mountains are hardly a plaything for the rich and retired. there's plenty of roads through them and tons of hiking trails. they're just not going to add more, and i don't blame them. they do keep up many of the roads. the kancamangus, for example, was recently re-paved.

i spend a lot of time in new hampshire with my fiancee who grew up in wolfeboro. while i do spend most of the time in the lakes region, i do get up to the mountains as well. the lakes region has been overrun by tourism. try getting around any of those towns in the summer and you'll find it nearly impossible because there's so many people packed into these really small towns. the white mountains should not end up like these places, and the more accessible they become, the more they will turn into tourist pits.

any remaining natural regions should remain that at this point. we've ruined everything else there is.

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That's just it. It's not just roads that get blocked. ANYTHING gets blocked. Acceible trails. Parking. Rangers stations and information centers, toilets, whatever. And anything in there will have to be taken out. For instance there is a big debate over the last few remaining elements of the logging trestles, which technically have to be taken down. As far as tourism goes, all the more reaosn why they need to make a better transportation system than cars. The railroads already were there, in fact much of it still is! But it is not used effectively as an alternative.

The state has lobbied very hard to keep the area from becoming a National Park, b/c of your very concerns. Obviously there has to be some balance between good things like new trails and visitors centers, and environmental concerns.

A good example is the Franconia Notch Parkway. The state pushed for years to extend 93 thru the very scenic Franconia Notch area, but environmentalist were very ardent in their opposition. The compromise, built in the 80's, is the Parkway which is only two lanes, but still moves traffic thru well and has a much more limited environmental impact than a typical interstate highway.

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The Wilderness bill suddenly looks doomed :angry: .

Rep. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, successfully blocked the legislation today. The problem is the bill included addional protections for the Green Mountains, setting aside a larger chink - 47,000 acres - there as off-limits wilderness area. Unfortunately the VT protections never had the concensus the NH ones did, the logging groups and the towns themselves were against it. So VT's gov. sent a letter to the Republican leadership expressing the concerns. The leadership bowed to the gov and separated the bills, one for NH where everyone including the loggers were on board, and one for VT where there were more concerns. But Sanders managed to block the NH bill, fearing if it passed it would doom the VT bill. The end result is we have no bill :(

Forest bills sputter in House; N.H. reps rip Sanders

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/a...ps_rip_sanders/

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  • 4 weeks later...

First phase of Loon Mountain development sells out "immediately"

A Texas development company said yesterday it immediately sold out the first batch of condominium units it has planned for South Peak Resort on Loon Mountain in Lincoln.

The company wouldn't disclose exact financial information about the sale, but said the 40 condos ranged in price from the mid-$400,000s to the mid-$700,000s, putting the deal at approximately $20 million to $25 million. Many buyers were from Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England, while others were from as far away as Louisiana and Florida, the company said.

The units were all sold within the two sale days Centex held on Oct. 14-15, the company said.

Full Story

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?he...ad-6a330f5b29d6

Centex plans to build 800 total condominium units in the South Peak development, essentially a town in itself.
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