MANCHESTER, N.H. – The task force charged with finding an appropriate way to honor the fallen Old Man of the Mountain will recommend against creating any kind of replica on the cliff face.

Former Gov. Steve Merrill, who chaired the 12-member task force, told the New Hampshire Sunday News that the group instead will endorse several ideas for commemorating the state symbol, which fell May 3.

He said the group was charged with an impossible task.

“We cannot replace that which is irreplaceable, and so we’ve done our best to find alternatives that are consistent with the New Hampshire spirit,” Merrill said.

The group’s recommendations, which are to be presented in a draft report to Gov. Craig Benson on Monday, include:

. An expanded museum exhibit at Franconia Notch State Park.

. Viewfinders that recreate the image of the Old Man from roadside parking areas along Franconia Notch.

. Awards, featuring the Old Man’s profile crafted in granite, given to individuals, communities and organizations that have honored New Hampshire’s heritage or treasures.

. A traveling display that would visit schools and libraries to teach about the geology and significance of the Old Man.

The task force met four times to discuss the Old Man, which graces state highway signs, license plates and even the New Hampshire commemorative quarter.

Merrill said the group was swayed by geological and environmental reasons, as well as public opinion, not to try to restore the Old Man. “The public comment has been overwhelmingly opposed to rebuilding on the face,” he said.

He said a trip to the top of the mountain was all it took to convince him it couldn’t be done.

“Until you’ve stood on the mountain and looked over at what was the Old Man, you can’t imagine the difficulty in placing any kind of a replica at that height, considering the rock formation. It’s extremely formidable,” Merrill said.

A separate task force was formed to raise money to implement the recommendations of Merrill’s committee.

The lone proponent of creating a replica on the cliff itself was Wayne Presby, co-owner of the Mount Washington Hotel.

He said he still would like to see a professional artist create the likeness of the Old Man in fiberglass and aluminum or other lightweight materials. “To the naked eye, you couldn’t tell the difference,” he said.

“My feeling is that the Old Man meant a lot more than just its natural significance to particularly the people that were born and raised here, and that it stands a lot for the psyche of people in New Hampshire,” Presby said.

“I always look at people from New Hampshire as being determined, stubborn, creative, resourceful, that sort of thing, and I think the Old Man stands for a lot of those things in people’s minds,” he said.

But task force member David Nielsen, whose family served as caretakers of the Old Man for decades, said he is pleased with the decision not to replace the Old Man.

“I believe it was created natural, lived natural and died natural,” Nielsen said. “Leave it alone. When your grandfather died, you didn’t try to rebuild him.”

Asked what he hopes people 100 years from now will experience when they visit the site the Old Man once guarded, Merrill answered, “I hope it will be similar to visiting a battlefield, where although those who fought there have passed on, there is still a vivid memory of what this means to our state.”