Rt 12 Rest Area – Red Pine Harvest

The Conservation Commission (www.WalpoleOutdoors.org) has been watching the approach of an invasive insect, the red pine scale, toward the planted red pine monocultures on Town-managed forests.  The Commission wants to be proactive in managing these highly vulnerable sections of forest before the scale kills all the trees. Working with our forester, we have thought through different scenarios and developed response options.

With the red pine scale now confirmed in Keene, the Commission is moving ahead with a pre-emptive salvage of ~ 4.4 acres of the planted red pine that is behind the rest area pull-off on the west side of Route 12.  Read in the Sentinel article how Keene is managing the scale.  This harvest of the red pine will allow a diverse mixture of native trees to grow.

We will be hosting an informational walk at the site on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 10am. We look forward to hopefully seeing you there, answering questions, and getting community input for the future of the woods there.

To learn more about Red Pine Scale see:  

Tagged: CONSERVATION COMMISSION, EVENTS