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The Weeks Act of 1911 Led to the Establishment of the White Mountain National Forest
A resolution authored by U.S. Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH)
and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the
Weeks Act (S. Res. 679) was approved by the U.S. Senate. In addition to
celebrating the law’s centennial anniversary, the bipartisan resolution
provides deserving recognition to the law’s author, John Weeks, a
Massachusetts Congressman born in Lancaster, New Hampshire. It also
recognizes that the acquisition of the first 7,000 acres of White
Mountain National Forest was made possible using the authorities
provided by the Weeks Act. Lastly, the resolution acknowledges the work
and cooperation of local conservation groups, businesses,
industrialists, and the tourism industry to ensure passage of the
original law, and encourages further collaboration and continued support
for the White Mountain National Forest.
Senator
Gregg, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, stated, “Like many New
Hampshire citizens, I am proud to recognize and celebrate the centennial
anniversary of the Weeks Act. It was the single greatest law for the
protection of forests in the eastern United States and one of the most
important moments in land conservation history. Passage of the Weeks
Act led to the establishment of the White Mountain National Forest, a
truly special place in New Hampshire that draws millions of visitors
yearly. It is my hope that remembrance of this important law can
encourage ongoing collaboration among federal, state, and local
governments, as well as business, tourism, and conservation groups, to
continue preserving the many benefits of the White Mountain National
Forest so that future generations can appreciate its unique areas just
as we have.”
“The
importance of the Weeks Law to New Hampshire is difficult to
overstate,” said U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “Without it, the White
Mountain National Forest and the other eastern national forests as we
know them might never have come into being. Today, the Weeks Law
remains a source of inspiration for its foresight, the spirit of
cooperation in which it was conceived, and the vast tracts of national
forests it preserved for future generations.” In
2006, Senator Gregg co-authored legislation that established more than
34,000 acres of new wilderness in the Sandwich Range and the Wild River
areas of the White Mountain National Forest. Over his career, he has
worked to protect and preserve more than 337,000 acres of
environmentally sensitive land throughout New Hampshire.
Senator
Shaheen has been a staunch supporter of protecting New Hampshire’s
forests for current and future generations to enjoy. As Governor,
Shaheen led efforts to establish the Land and Community Heritage
Investment Program (LCHIP) which provides grants to protect New
Hampshire’s natural, cultural and historic resources. Since 2000, LCHIP
has helped to conserve over 220,000 acres of land in 107 New Hampshire
communities.
In
the Senate, Shaheen has led efforts in the Senate to fully fund the
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Forest Legacy Programs,
two of our country’s most important land conservation programs. These
programs were used to help protect additional forest lands in the Lake
Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, along the Appalachian Trail and the
Quabbin to Cardigan Initiative, which spans one hundred miles from the
Quabbin Reservoir northward to Mount Cardigan and the White Mountain
National Forest. |
