New Hampshire: Expanding Production in White Oak’s Northern Range

In New Hampshire, efforts led by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and the NH Division of Forests and Lands have focused on increasing the state’s capacity to produce white oak seedlings. Central to this work was improving operations at the NH State Nursery, where staff were equipped with seed/nut vacuums and a nut planter tractor attachment that drastically increased planting efficiency—from a full day’s work for four employees to just 20 minutes with mechanized assistance. In parallel, 500 white oak scions collected from across the state were successfully grafted onto root stock as the foundation for a new white oak seed orchard. This living resource will support long-term restoration efforts and seed supply.

UNH Extension also delivered multiple educational opportunities to advance local knowledge of white oak restoration. Highlights included a regional silviculture tour and workshop with Stacy Clark and Callie Schweitzer (USDA Forest Service), a two-day grafting training with Laura DeWald (University of Kentucky) and Carrie Pike (USFS), and several community-level workshops on white oak ecology. These efforts are helping to build awareness and technical capacity for white oak conservation in the northernmost reaches of its range.