Author

Paul Doscher

Paul Doscher

Paul Doscher is a former environmental science professor and retired conservation professional. Paul is also a longtime volunteer with Trout Unlimited and serves on its national board of trustees. He and his wife live on and manage a Certified Tree Farm in Weare.

COMMENTARY

Is wood in streams always good?

By: - March 6, 2023

In the face of long-term declines in the wild populations of our state fish, the Eastern brook trout, one of the actions being taken across the state and region is putting wood into streams. For many decades, it was assumed that getting wood out of streams was important to protect water quality, bridges, and river […]

COMMENTARY
A view of New Hampshire forestland from a hill

Forests are much more than carbon banks

By: - February 22, 2023

New Hampshire is blessed with forests. More than 80 percent of our landscape is covered with forest – some young, some middle aged, and a small amount very old. All but the very old forests have not always been forests but rather farm fields and pasture created by our European ancestors who claimed the land […]

COMMENTARY

The natural world is not a safe place

By: - January 17, 2023

Most people likely believe the natural world they live in is a safe place. Certainly, it’s a less dangerous place for humans than it was thousands of years ago when predators, diseases, infant mortality, and natural disasters meant average human life spans were measured in a just a few decades. Today in developed nations we […]

COMMENTARY

A tribute to John Harrigan, a legend of the New Hampshire North Country

By: - January 9, 2023

This story was updated on Jan. 10 at 2:45 p.m. Anyone who is familiar with the North Country of New Hampshire knows that John Harrigan, the former editor of the News & Sentinel in Colebrook and other well-known publications, has passed away. He died in December after a diagnosis of advanced cancer in November. I […]

COMMENTARY
Christmas trees covered with snow, with a blue sky in the background

The Christmas tree dilemma

By: - December 9, 2022

Every year about this time articles appear in various places that try to answer some version of the Christmas tree question: “Which is the better choice, real of artificial?” As a New Hampshire Christmas tree grower for the past 40 years, I know I’m biased and you can easily predict my answer to the question. […]

COMMENTARY

Invaders coming soon to a forest near you

By: - November 24, 2022

Forests define New Hampshire’s landscape. At more than 80 percent forested, our state is the second most forest covered state in the union, just after Maine. It hasn’t always been that way, as historians will remind us. When European settlers arrived, they found a forest that they assumed was primeval, or untouched. It was in […]