The Ossipee Pine Barrens - A Unique Landscape

When you think of New Hampshire landscapes, most people think of the rugged mountains of the Presidential Range, the rocky shoreline of the Seacoast, or the peaceful beauty of Lake Winnipesaukee. When thinking of New Hampshire, though, it is important not to forget the unique landscape of the Pine Barrens.

Stretching through over 2,200 acres in Madison, Tamworth, Ossipee and Freedom, the Ossipee Pine Barrens are a unique ecosystem, the last of its kind in New Hampshire. There used to be a large tract near Concord, but that area has shrunk to a mere 450 acres. Thankfully, these areas are now carefully protected by The Nature Conservancy.

What are the Pine Barrens, anyway?

The Pine Barrens were originally formed by melting glaciers pouring down water filled with sandy soils into a huge valley. When the water drained away, the sandy soil remained. It is interesting to think that parts of Ossipee, Tamworth, Madison and Freedom used to be one big lake!

Pine Barrens are made up of mostly Pitch Pine, Scrub Oak, and wild blueberries. It is a unique appearance, with the pine stretching tall and narrow, the scrub oak growing only five or six feet tall, and the haze of blueberries at ground level.

In Colonial days, these areas were deemed `barren` by the settlers as the sandy, acidic soil is not ideal for crops. The pitch pine was used, however, as pitch and caulking for British ships and boiled down into turpentine for medicinal purposes. The white birch found in surrounding areas was used for British shipbuilding (think of the names of local ski mountain`King Pine` and local school `Kingswood`), and Route 16 was the `mast road.` Unlike most old New England roads, Route 16 was built as straight as possible, and did not go through the center of any towns until it reached Portsmouth. This was to make the difficult task of transporting the long trees a bit easier.

Why are the Pine Barrens so important?

» The Pine Barrens are a filter for the Ossipee Aquifer that lies beneath them. The Ossipee Aquifer is the larget stratified drift aquifer in New Hampshire, and supplies a constant supply of drinking water to nearly everyone in the area. The natural filter is a huge concern, as the Aquifer is replenished by surface water. Local wells only need to drill down through about 30 feet of sand to reach the water. Anything that is on the surface, any pesticide sprayed on a lawn, any soap from a car being washed, is going to filter down to the water supply very quickly.

» The Pine Barrens are home to 17 rare moths and butterflies, and countless other songbirds and animals. The Karner Blue Butterfly, the official butterfly of the State of New Hampshire, is an endangered species. It thrives in the Pine Barrens, though, and just recently there were hundreds released into the Barrens in Concord.

How do we protect the Pine Barrens?

Believe it or not, the way to preserve the Pine Barrens is by burning them! Over the years there had been fires every 25- 50 years, until the areas around them became populated and fires were put out soon after they started. Because the soil is so dry and sandy, decomposition of leaves and twigs takes longer than in your average forest setting. This causes this matter to build up, which is prime food for fire.

Pitch Pine has thick, fire resistant bark, and it`s cones will open and drop seeds when exposed to fire. Scrub oak has roots that go very deep, making it easy to regrow after a fire. The low growing blueberries come back stronger after fire, as well. The Nature Conservancy did a controlled burn of the Pine Barrens in 2007 to get rid of the buildup of matter on the forest floor and to keep out invading species. They are currently working on a fire buffer along Route 41 in Madison.

There are wonderful trails off of Route 41 and from Camp Calumet that lead you through the heart of the Pine Barrens, and it is absolutely worth a trip, especially in late summer when the blueberries are out! Take a stroll and enjoy the unique landscape, listen for a whip-poor-whil, and keep an eye out for the Karner Blue Butterfly!

Thanks to The Nature Conservancy and New Hampshire Public Radio for the great history of the Pine Barrens!