Mount Tecumseh Vandalism, Illegal Tree Cutting - Since 2011, Erin Paul has been unofficially volunteering his time to document illegal tree cutting on Mount Tecumseh, New Hampshire. And he reports any findings to Forest Service's law enforcement division. Forest Service is investigating this vandalism, and if they can determine who is doing it, they will hold them accountable. The higher elevations of the White Mountains are home to rare bird habitat. And Mountain birdwatch results indicate that between 2000 and ...

Mt. Tecumseh Trail, New Hampshire - This photography focuses on trail work. Since 2011, there has been an excessive amount of stonework done on the Mt. Tecumseh Trail. Sections of trail where four or five stone steps would have done the job have been transformed into one hundred foot long elaborate, unnatural looking, staircases. Trail stewardship groups preach that low-impact trail work entails building stonework in such a way that it looks natural and blends into nature, and man’s impact ...

Sustainable Trail Work, White Mountains - Here in New Hampshire, all we hear about is environmental friendly and sustainable trail work. And how important it is to conserve the trails for future generations. As an environmental photographer, I support this approach to preserving the trail system. And up until a few years ago, I have always believed that the organizations maintaining our trails practiced what they preached...[Continue reading] ...

Trail Work, Poor Trail Blaze Removal Practices - In October 2011, Erin Paul photographed newly painted trail blazing along the Mt. Tecumseh Trail in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. And sometime in the spring 2012, poor trail stewardship practices were used to remove one of the trail blazes. The bark where the blaze was had been cut and peeled away from the tree, and a large wound where rot, fungus, and insects could enter the tree was visible. Most trail maintenance ...

Trail Work Erosion, White Mountains - The included images show how a section of the Mt Tecumseh Trail in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire has elapsed over time. The first two images are from October of 2011 and the last image is from August of 2014. The intent of this visual journal is to record the progression of hillside erosion on the left side of the trail and to document how this section of trail holds up to...[Continue reading] ...

Repaired Trail Blazing, Trail Maintenance - Some of the issues along the Mt Tecumseh Trail in Waterville Valley New Hampshire have been addressed and corrected by Forest Service. I commend Forest Service for correcting issues along this trail. And it is satisfying to know they are taking the needed steps to improve the White Mountains trail system...[Continue reading] ...