Bob, Jake, and Jim:
The attached spreadsheet lists the 70 Mohawk Pines that, as of yesterday, ENTS has confirmed to heights of 150 feet or more. The list obviously confirms my fanaticism over documenting these great trees - but was there ever a doubt of that? You may recall that Cook Forest State Park has somewhere over 100 of the 150-footers. I expect the number is between 115 and 120. The current official count for Cook is 101. There is one private property in New Hampshire that may have the largest number of 150s in the Northeast, but that property is not open to the public. Of the public properties, Mohawk Trail State Forest ranks #1 in New England and #2 in the Northeast. Other public properties with 150s have between 1 and 16. We may find a few more public properties in the Northeast with 150s, but the odds of one exceeding either Cook or Mohawk are extremely slim.
I truly believe that we have finally found all the existing 150s in Mohawk. However, next year, we should add 3 or 4 more, especially if we have another fine growing season. In terms of the distribution of the 150s, remembering that Monroe State Forest has one such pine , William Cullen Bryant Estate has three, and Ice Glen has three, and that's it for Massachusetts, the role of Mohawk Trail State Forest as the Bay State's forest icon is increasingly secure.
Incidentally, over the weekend mathematician and ENTS member John Eichholtz measured a hop hornbeam to 78.6 feet. This is a new record for the species for our state. The tree also represents the 17th state height champion for MTSF. The prior record was
78.2 for a tree in Monroe State Forest. So far as I am aware, Mohawk's 17 state champions is the highest number for any state or federal property in the Northeast, surpassing even Pennsylvania's icon Cook Forest State Park. Between Monroe and Mohawk Trail State Forests, the number of height champion trees and runner-ups is truly remarkable and reflects the excellent tree growing conditions that exist in parts of the Deerfield River watershed. As you know, those growing conditions and their quantification is the subject of our research in Mohawk - as approved by DCR.
On Sunday, a couple of friends and I checked on the bigtooth aspen grove in Monroe State Forest and I am pleased to report that the state champion bigtooth is doing just fine. I remeasured it and its statistics are now: circumference = 7.6 feet, height = 111.9 feet, spread = 26 feet. Big tree points equals 210. The Dunbar Brook Grove is remarkable. I know of no equal in the New England.
We look forward to doing the fundraiser for Mohawk on Oct 23rd. We will begin our advertising very soon. Caroline Cunningham, director of Wilbraham Public Access T.V. is handling the publicity.
Bob
Mohawk Trail State
Forest 150' Club Sept 07, 2004
|