June, 1937] Land Utilization in New Hampshire 29 



this type of property under present conditions is to a considerable ex- 

 tent not closely related to local town activities and not very demanding 

 in the public services required. 



Roads 



There is some question as to the highway services economically justi- 

 fied for a forest area. This will depend on the intensity of manage- 

 ment but with State highways now available and under present condi- 

 tions of the forest cover and management practices, lateral roads could 

 largely be part of the timber management problem servicing only such 

 roads as are essential for operations in any one year. Roads for fire 

 protection and for summer residents are essential, but for the most part 

 good summer lateral roads are adequate. AVhere summer occupation 

 has possibilities, good summer roads may stimulate and poor impassable 

 roads discourage development. 



There is an opportunity in towns to direct the location of summer 

 residents in such a way as to encourage the use of land for recreational 

 development and at the same time restrict or discourage certain loca- 

 tions where one or more summer places may result in large social costs. 

 Many of the summer residents who seek places in such areas as this 

 prefer seclusion and require only a modest lateral road. 



One must recognize that present summer occupation is not necessarily 

 the best criterion in making decisions as to roads. Certain small areas 

 may develop summer resources and these possibilities should not be ig- 

 nored. 



On the other hand a large part of this area is not especially attrac- 

 tive to city people. Many of the desirable locations are not far from 

 State highways and their development would require little additional 

 public cost. Marked expansion of the summer occupation would soon 

 require the building of new houses, and the tendency would be the de- 

 velopment of new and more accessible sites. 



While roads are needed for these other purposes, the occupied places 

 representing 14.4 per cent of the valuations are responsible for the 

 greater part of the highway and other governmental services. 



The 289 year-round occupied places are responsible for a tax revenue 

 of $12,000 and a large portion of this will be required in snow removal, 

 on the 200 miles of roads, if no adjustments are made.^ 



In the area as a whole the valuations per mile of road averaged $1,718 

 for year-round occupied places, $1,820 for summer and recreation, and 

 $2,500 and $5,382 in power lines and wild lands. Values in occupied 

 and in summer places are concentrated in certain areas but widely scat- 

 tered in other areas. (Plate 6, p. 38.) For example, on 31/2 miles of 

 the main road from Canaan to Rumney and in Canaan are 15 occupied 

 places totaling $27,550 or nearly $8,000 a mile of road. On the other 

 hand on 5.6 miles of road in North Canaan and southwestern Dorches- 

 ter, the two occvipied places have a total valuation of $1,210 or $216 per 

 mile of road. On another road of about six miles through Alexandria 

 four corners, there is only an average valuation of $400 per mile of road 



^ Total road mileage in the area is estimated at 218 miles but some of 

 this is seldom used. Assessed valuations are based on real values. 



