7. Protect natural resources (land, water, wildlife) to maintain the amount of carbon fixed or sequestered.
New Hampshire is the second most forested state in the nation with 84% of its landscape covered in trees, an area encompassing 4.8 million acres of forest . Forest lands support the state's vital natural resource-based economy and provide essential ecosystem services in the form of soil stabilization, water cycle regulation, flood mitigation, wildlife habitat, and nutrient cycling. Soils of agricultural and forest lands and the trees of forests play a critical role in carbon sequestration. New Hampshire can maintain and enhance the economic benefits and ecosystem services, including net greenhouse gas emission reductions, of agricultural and forest lands by managing them in a sustainable fashion. In forests, sustainable management promotes a renewable energy source, protects wildlife, and ensures long-term ecosystem health.