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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2007
CONTACT: Richard Ober
(603) 357-0600
PROJECT PROTECTS 450-ACRE GREENWAY BETWEEN TWO LAKES IN JAFFREY
( KEENE) – More than a mile of contiguous forestland will remain forever undeveloped between Frost Pond and Thorndike Pond in Jaffrey, thanks to conservation agreements completed recently by the Monadnock Conservancy. The area includes
450 acres of pristine shoreline, forestland, and walking trails.
The land was protected through conservation easements donated to the Monadnock Conservancy by Betsey and John Harris of Dublin and Pamela and Brad White of Jaffrey. The Harrises recently bought part of the land from Eunice Schmaltz of Jaffrey, who was supportive of the conservation plan. Easements leave the land in private hands while restricting future use to conservation purposes, such as wildlife habitat, sustainable forestry, and pedestrian recreation. The Conservancy agrees to oversee the land forever.
“This is a tremendous gift to the people of the region,” said Richard Ober, executive director of the Monadnock Conservancy. “We are very grateful to the Harrises and Whites for their vision and generosity in conserving this special corner of Jaffrey.” Ober noted that the newly protected land links two existing reservations for a total of 731 contiguous acres.
The area had been identified as a conservation priority by the Jaffrey Conservation Commission as well as the Conservancy and local residents. “It is only through partnerships, collaborations, and spreading the work around that projects like this are successfully completed,” said Jaffrey Conservation Commission chair Brenda Bhatti.
The protected area includes:
- More than 3,000 feet of scenic shoreline on a publicly accessible great pond
- More than 10,000 feet of streams and several wetlands
- 450 acres of unfragmented forest and wildlife habitat
- An historic stone causeway and old cellar holes along historic roads linking Jaffrey to Dublin
- Many trails for backwoods hiking and horseback riding
“For many years we have enjoyed walking on the trails and old roads of this extensive piece of land,” said Betsey Harris, who is also a trustee of the Conservancy. “We hope someday to have a network of new trails between the ponds, so that as our towns grow, there will always be a quiet and peaceful place for man and beast to enjoy each other’s company.”
Brad White, an avid hiker, has an even larger vision—
preserving the possibility of a west-to-east trail running from
Mt. Monadnock to the Wapack Trail in Sharon. “We were only too happy to follow the Harrises gracious lead and protect our land,” he said.
On an even larger scale, t he Jaffrey project lies within a high-priority area for the Quabbin-to-Cardigan Collaborative, a partnership of 23 groups in New Hampshire and Massachusetts that the Conservancy and four other groups founded in 2003.
Founded in 1989, the Monadnock Conservancy is a non-profit land conservation organization that serves 35 towns in southwestern New Hampshire. Its mission is to identify, promote, and actively seek protection of significant natural, aesthetic, and historic resources in the Monadnock Region; and to monitor and enforce the protection of lands in the trust.
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