The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) has selected Ann and Marc Davis of Wilmot as its 2024 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year for the Northeast Region. The region extends from Maine to Maryland.

In 2022, the Davises were New Hampshire’s Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. Established in 1941, the ATFS is the oldest family forest certification program in the United States. ATFS certification, which is internationally recognized, works to sustain forests, watershed, and healthy wildlife habitats.

“The dedication Ann and Marc have shown in making sure Woods Without Gile is a model Tree Farm is inspiring,” said Greg Jordan, chairman of the New Hampshire Tree Farm Executive Committee. “Their thoughtfulness over two decades as they worked to achieve their goals exemplifies the Tree Farm program spirit.”

Straddling Springfield and Wilmot, the Davises’ 500-acre tree farm, Woods Without Gile, is a working forest that implements the four pillars of the Tree Farm program: wood, water, wildlife, and recreation. The Woods Without Gile has been a certified New Hampshire Tree Farm since 2009.

“When we purchased the property in 2002, the forest was dense and had been severely damaged by the 1998 ice storm,” said Ann Davis. “Working with Tim Wallace, a licensed New Hampshire forester, our goal was to improve the forest by extricating some of the damaged hardwood. This work has allowed existing conifers to regenerate and flourish.

“Over the years, we have connected with more than 1,000 people through more than 25 tours and workshops at the property,” Ann Davis said. “Some of these visitors have purchased woodlots of their own and become Tree Farmers.

“In 2023, during a survey of nesting birds, a professional biologist found 72 species nesting on the property,” she added. “He will do a follow-up survey in 2026 to determine what impact a timber harvest will have on populations of Eastern Wood Pee-Wee and Wood Thrush.”

Marc Davis noted, “One objective we’ve had is to expand habitat diversity for wildlife, including deer, moose, and birds. To accomplish this, we’ve planted trees and fruity shrubs, inventoried snags and downed woody materials that provide food and shelter for a variety of animals and birds. We’ve also created a meadow near a historic cellar hole and completed patch cuts that have created foraging sites for beaver.”

Woods Without Gile’s wetlands include a five-acre beaver pond and associated sedge meadow, two streams with several beaver dams, sphagnum moss bogs, vernal pools, an upland red maple swamp, and intermittent and year-round streams. It is highly rated for habitat diversity on New Hampshire’s Wildlife Action Plan.

The Davises keep Woods Without Gile open to the public for cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and other non-motorized, non-wheeled recreation. To help facilitate these activities while keeping the forest healthy, the Davises established eight miles of trails and installed six permanent bridges over stream crossings. Proceeds from timber harvests on the property have helped establish the trails, pay property taxes, purchase skidder bridges, install gates, and make other improvements.

As is required for all certified tree farms, a written forest management plan for Woods Without Gile is in place. It was updated in 2022.

With a long-range goal of ensuring that their Tree Farm remains a working forest in perpetuity, the Davises placed a conservation easement on the property that is held by Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust. They purchased their property, in part, because it abuts another protected parcel, the 6,725-acre John F. Gile Memorial State Forest, which is owned and managed by the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands.

The Davises learned about managing their woodlot by attending multiple educational workshops, many of which were offered by the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association (NHTOA), New Hampshire Tree Farm Program, or UNH Extension. They are long-time members of New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation and the NHTOA. Ann Davis served on the NHTOA Board from 2005 to 2013 and was Board President from 2010 to 2012.

Participating in the New Hampshire Tree Farm Program are 1,450 certified Tree Farms, totaling 500,000 acres. New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands, the Granite State Division of the Society of American Foresters, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the NHTOA, and UNH Extension sponsor the New Hampshire Tree Farm Program. 

The Program is based on the ATFS tenets and is operated by volunteers through the New Hampshire Tree Farm Executive Committee. For more details about the New Hampshire Tree Farm Program, visit nhtreefarm.org.