Sumner A. Dole III
Sumner Dole, a founder of the Belknap Range Conservation Coalition, passed away on January 7th at the age of 74. Most people knew Sumner as the Belknap County Forester, a position he held for nearly 30 years. He was always available to share his knowledge during a walk in the woods with landowners and was very familiar with the Belknap Range. In 2005 several residents of the Belknaps recognized the need to conserve more of the range and to identify land conservation organizations that would be willing to hold an interest in that land. Sumner Dole, and other Cooperative Extension members met with these residents and began discussions about an organization that would eventually become the Belknap Range Conservation Coalition in 2008. Since those original meetings in 2005, nearly 4000 acres have been conserved in the Belknap Range. We are thankful for Sumner’s help and encouragement in laying the foundation for this important work.