Center for the Environment

The Center for the Environment has been involved in a research project to analyze the social, economic, and ecological effects of second home development in the Northern Forest region. Second home ownership is a prevalent land use in the region. Working with Cornell University, University of Vermont, University of Maine, and Penn State University, the project focused on:

1. Describing the distribution of recreational homes,
2. Identifying the causes of recreational home growth and create forecasting models,
3. Identifying social, ecological, and economic effects,
4. Using this information to help policy makers develop responsive programs to help maintain the northwoods region’s imagery and enhance regional well-being.

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Hubbard Brook Research Experience for Undergraduates: The Center for the Environment and Hubbard Brook Research Foundation manage a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBRF) under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program emphasizes the societal relevance of ecology and ecosystem science, and also provides opportunities for an outreach partnership with an organization. Eight undergraduate students from colleges and universities around the United States spend the summer at HBRF in the White Mountain National Forest. The students work with research mentors on projects in the major areas of ecosystem research at Hubbard Brook and also participate in a science communication project that serves a nonprofit organization, local government, or public agency.

CFE has been involved in the Newfound Lake Watershed Master Plan project from 2008-2011. A watershed plan is often a key component of managing water resources by providing a holistic framework to watershed communities for the application of management tools that meet water resources goals for the entire watershed. As watersheds typically cross town lines, the development of a watershed plan is a collaborative process involving multiple stakeholders.

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Brian Eisenhauer, associate director of the Center for the Environment and assistant professor of sociology, along with a team of other researchers from universities throughout New England, participated in a two year project called “Changing Homeowner’s Lawn Care Behavior to Reduce Nutrient Runoff in New England’s Urbanizing Watersheds.” This project was funded from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

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CFE organized an educational workshop on monitoring river water quality for volunteers from the Rey Center in Waterville Valley, NH. Laboratory Technician Adam Baumann assisted the volunteers with sample collection and analysis of the samples was completed in the Environmental Research Laboratory. Samples were taken from Snow’s Brook and the Mad River at locations both above and below development to monitor water quality.

Associate Director Brian Eisenhauer and five PSU graduate and undergraduate students completed a survey for the Town of Sandwich’s Historic District Commission during the spring of 2008. This research project developed an informed awareness of community attitudes about the historic district and the services provided, as well as addressed issues of growth, sustainability, and development.

• Information for Planning in the Sandwich Historic District: Results from a Survey of Community Residents (April 2008)