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UNH Extension plans timber sale and knotweed control on county land; commissioners defer NextEra electricity contract
Summary
UNH Cooperative Extension will coordinate a 30–40 acre timber sale and repeated cutting plus fall pesticide treatment for Japanese knotweed on county property; the board approved the plan and noted a May 16 chainsaw‑safety course. Facilities Director Bob Murray reported NextEra recommended locking in a four‑year electricity contract now, but the board deferred a decision.
Wendy Scribner of the UNH Cooperative Extension told the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on May 4 that she intends to coordinate a timber sale this year on roughly 30–40 acres in the northwest corner of county property and to run invasive‑plant programs to control Japanese knotweed. Scribner described the knotweed approach as repeated cutting through the summer followed by pesticide application in the fall and noted a chainsaw safety course for homeowners at the Annex on May 16. The board expressed approval of her plan.
Facilities Director Bob Murray provided an update on electricity‑supply options and reported that NextEra recommended locking in a four‑year contract now rather than waiting until the current contract expires in September. The commissioners chose to delay a decision and asked Murray to continue receiving regular updates from NextEra before committing to a new contract.
Why it matters: The timber‑sale and invasive‑plant work will affect county land management and long‑term forest health, and the NextEra contract decision could affect county energy costs over several years. The chainsaw course and invasive‑species work also represent direct public programming and risk‑reduction measures for homeowners and county property.
Next steps: UNH Cooperative Extension will proceed with planning the timber sale and knotweed control measures; Facilities Director Murray will return with further NextEra updates and pricing to inform a future decision.
