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U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, joined stakeholders for a visit to White Mountain National Forest's Bartlett Experimental Forest on Monday.

BARTLETT - Regarded as an essential national source of research data on forest growth patterns, the White Mountain National Forest's Bartlett Experimental Forest has remained under threat of closure from the Trump Administration for over a year.

On Monday, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, returned to the site alongside state environmental leaders and reported greater confidence that developments are heading in a favorable direction.

Among the 77 experimental forests on federal lands that guide industry logging methods, 55 faced proposed closure. Hubbard Brook experimental forest in Thornton appeared on the closure list but will now stay open.

Shaheen noted that officials from the Secretary of Agriculture's office are advancing plans to handle deferred maintenance at the Bartlett facility, including upgrades to a bathroom and bunkhouse.

"The Forest Service provided an update that under the Great American Outdoors Act they are directing funds toward bunkhouse improvements and addressing the bathrooms that require repairs," she said.

Discussions also covered the value of ongoing research at the site and the continued necessity of keeping the lab and conference room accessible for studies and collaboration.

"I viewed it as a constructive session. I believe the stakeholders present felt reassured by the commitment," said the soon-to-be-retiring Shaheen, who opposes the closure.

Those joining Shaheen on Monday included Matt Leahy, policy director for the Society for the Protection of NH Forests; Jim O’Brien, director of government relations for The Nature Conservancy; Sarah Garlick, conservation director for The Nature Conservancy; Chris Thayer, director of external affairs for the Appalachian Mountain Club; Mark Ducey, natural resources and the environment professor at the University of New Hampshire; Mike Morin, NH/VT program director for the Northern Forest Center; Jasen Stock, executive director of the NH Timberland Owners Association; Steve Fay, a retired soil scientist on the tract; and former wildlife biologist and site manager Mariko Yamasa.

Shaheen observed that the facility currently lacks operating staff and has had none since 2025, highlighting that sustained staffing remains an essential requirement.

The group examined the funding approach used at Hubbard Brook, where multiple partners, including a private one, have contributed support. Shaheen emphasized the tract's research significance to New Hampshire's tourism sector, logging and timber operations, and outdoor recreation.

"It holds real importance for New Hampshire, our culture, and our environment, ensuring access to research that cannot be duplicated," she stated in an interview with InDepthNH.org.

In June, U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH, also convened with United States Forest Service scientists and ecologists on the tract to develop a strategy for preserving it and the nearly century-old body of information gathered there.

The original 2,600-acre area was founded in 1932 to examine northern hardwood silviculture, the practice of cultivating healthy, high-quality forests. In 2005 the Bartlett forest grew to 5,789 acres to encompass the upper elevations of the Bartlett watershed.

Research over the past 30 years has extended to habitat studies for amphibians, small mammals, song birds, and bats, gaining added relevance for investigations into carbon and nutrient cycling.

Studies on silvicultural threats such as invasive pests have guided landowners on protective measures to safeguard value and assets.