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It sounds like figurative language suited for a promotional brochure. But in saying that has helped shape the New Hampshire landscape over the last century, the meaning is quite literal.

It鈥檚 been 100 years since the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands (NHDFL) and UNH Extension established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing Extension to provide education and technical assistance to private forest landowners and others throughout New Hampshire on behalf of the state forester.

In those decades since, it鈥檚 been Extension staffers walking wooded property lines and huddling with landowners to offer expertise and guide them toward appropriate resources, including beneficial services, programs that provide funding and specialized workshops and trainings with forestry experts.

The centennial anniversary of the pact with the state provides a natural opportunity to reflect on those efforts. For 100 years, Extension has served as a faithful steward of the land that makes the Granite State unique 鈥� with impact that branches out far beyond, well, branches.

鈥淲hen you think about forestry, you think about timber and trees, but forestry is so much more than that. So much of our landscape relies on an abundant and healthy forest resource, and a forest resource we can all access. It鈥檚 hiking, bird watching, skiing, leaf peeping 鈥� all the basis of our quality of life here in New Hampshire,鈥� says Steven Roberge, Extension state specialist in forest resources and professor of natural resources. 鈥淥ur forest resources are so significant, and it鈥檚 important that there are people out there educating folks on that and making sure people have access to the resources they need to make wise decisions.鈥�

That work is critical given the specific characteristics of the state鈥檚 land. New Hampshire is the second-most forested state in the country percentagewise, Roberge says, and approximately 73% of the forested landscape is owned privately, a significantly higher percentage than in many other parts of the country.

That 73% is made up of more than 100,000 landowners who control more than 3 million acres of New Hampshire land. Given that, the decisions made by those landowners have a notable influence on residents throughout the state.

鈥淭he collective decisions these people make at their kitchen tables or in their private lives significantly impact the public resource,鈥� Roberge says. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the audience 鈥� those are the people that we work with.鈥�

In droves, as it turns out. Roberge estimated that Extension staffers see between 750 and 1,100 landowners per year, covering some 100,000 acres of land. Additional offerings include 250 to 300 workshops, trainings and programs that allow Extension to interact with another 10,000 to 15,000 Granite Staters per year.

This work is in guided by the Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) of the US Forest Service, which provides support to state forestry agencies to connect private landowners with the information and tools they need to manage their forests. Uniquely in New Hampshire, Extension delivers the FSP, supported by a .

New Hampshire鈥檚 setup is uncommon, says Karen Bennett, who served in the role Roberge holds from 1996 to 2019 and worked for Extension for more than 40 years. Few extension programs have foresters who service woodlot owners one-on-one, she says, as in most areas it鈥檚 the state agency and not the university that takes that on.

That distinctive arrangement also creates rewarding interactions, and Bennett had no shortage of those in her decades working with Extension.

鈥淚n forestry we always talk about goals and objectives, but I always felt like I was helping people achieve their hopes and dreams,鈥� Bennett says. 鈥淎nd sometimes they didn鈥檛 even know what those hopes and dreams were until we went and looked at everything together. To me that was always a great part of the work.鈥�

That work has been not only beneficial but critical to preserving the natural beauty of New Hampshire鈥檚 forests, as Extension foresters are based in every county and able to respond to local requests and issues.

鈥淯NH Extension has had, and continues to have, a tremendous impact on the听state鈥檚 forest products industry. Without the dedication of their professionals and their team of听foresters and educators, our division could not fulfill its mission to support loggers, landowners,听foresters, wood-using industries and everyone who depends on healthy, productive forests,鈥� says New Hampshire State Forester Patrick Hackley.

The partnership between UNH and the state brings additional benefits, too. Roberge notes that because the university has strong programs in forestry and natural resources, Extension is able to leverage experienced faculty members and their research and share that expertise in workshops and trainings.

鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely foundational for the work that we do,鈥� Roberge says of UNH鈥檚 strong connection to the state. 鈥淚t gives us credibility with the people we are working with. It鈥檚 huge for us to have that connection 鈥� no other institution in the state has that power that we can deliver and allow forest landowners to tap into.鈥�

The key to the whole partnership, and what has most allowed it to thrive for 100 years, according to Roberge and Bennett, are the people behind it all.

Roberge was raised in the heavily forested area of northern New Hampshire, where he enjoyed 鈥渨orking in the woods, playing in the woods and living in the woods.鈥� Doing work that protects that landscape for neighbors throughout the state has been a fulfilling experience.

鈥淭o be in this position is pretty rewarding, because we can have such an impact on the forest out there,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut more importantly, it鈥檚 about the people that we鈥檙e working with. When you can expose people to the resources they need it gives them an appreciation for our forested landscape. And to get people excited about what鈥檚 happening in the woods and in the natural world leads to advocates protecting our forest land.鈥�

Adds Bennett: 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 one of our greatest strengths at Extension, is that we鈥檙e community based. We do our work by getting to know people. We鈥檙e connecting the community with research and resources and with what the university has to offer in a very practical, down-to-Earth way, and that鈥檚 sort of our superpower, I think 鈥� that we know the people.鈥�