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The Highlands are the headwaters of streams that provide drinking water to more than 20 communities. The 30,000 acres of roadless forest in the area provide a place for backcountry hiking, skiing and hunting as well as habitat for moose, black bear, bobcat and other wildlife.

Mount Sunapee State Park, first set aside in the early 1900s, contains the largest patches of ancient forest in New Hampshire outside of the White Mountains. More developed portions of the Highlands provide opportunities for family picnicking and camping, and serve as a source of timber for value-added hardwood products, especially furniture, which means jobs for surrounding rural communities.

However, the Mount Sunapee Highlands, and the people and wildlife that depend on them, face a variety of threats. A ski resort has been proposed for expansion into the few remaining pockets of ancient forest. The area's actively managed forests are at risk of being replaced by vacation home development.

The Highlands lakes have high levels of mercury pollution and the regions roadless core is under increasing pressure to be opened for use by off-road vehicles (ORVs). Sierra Club has partnered with diverse interests to safeguard the wild and working forests of the Mount Sunapee Highlands by expanding the acquisition of public lands and conservation easements in the region and fighting the expansion of ski resorts and destructive ORV trails.

For more information contact: Kurt Ehrenberg 603-224-8222.