News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2007

CONTACT: Richard Ober
(603) 357-0600

STATE BUDGET FUNDS
TEMPLE MOUNTAIN RESERVATION

3-year campaign to save former ski area nears goal

( KEENE) – The two-year capital budget passed by the New Hampshire legislature last week includes $435,000 to establish a major new state reservation at the former Temple Mountain Ski Area. Combined with other funds already committed, the Monadnock Conservancy and its partners have now secured all but $60,000 needed for the $1,070,000 project. The Conservancy has led a coalition of individuals and groups working to protect the mountain since 2003.

“ Temple Mountain is one of the most visible and cherished landmarks in southern New Hampshire,” said Richard Ober, executive director of the Monadnock Conservancy. “Our hats are off to Governor Lynch for putting the money in his budget, and to Representative Anne-Marie Irwin and Senator Peter Bragdon for leading the way in the legislature.” Ober also noted that scores of area residents, local and state officials, recreation organizations, the state’s Congressional delegation, and Temple Highlands LLC, which owns the mountain, have been instrumental in the effort.

The Conservancy is seeking to raise the final $60,000 and is accepting donations of any size. “Thousands of New Hampshire residents grew up skiing and hiking Temple Mountain,” Ober said. “We want everyone to participate in this exciting conservation project, whether they can donate one dollar or a thousand.” Ober said that contributions can be sent to Monadnock Conservancy – Temple Mountain Fund,
P.O. Box 337, Keene, NH 03431. The telephone number is 603-357-0600.

Temple Mountain, site of one of America’s first downhill ski areas, is adjacent to Route 101 in the towns of Temple, Peterborough, and Sharon. It includes 352 acres of forest, stunning views, a prominent ridgeline, extensive hiking trails including the Wapack Trail, and great wildlife habitat – all within a short drive of Nashua, Manchester, and Keene. The property abuts Miller State Park, New Hampshire’s first state park. The ski area closed in 2001.

Once it is acquired by the state, Temple Mountain State Reservation will be managed by the Department of Resources and Economic Development for passive recreation, wildlife, sustainable forestry, and protection of scenic quality.

A high priority in its own right, Temple Mountain also is the southern anchor in the proposed Temple-to-Crotched Community Conservation Corridor. The northern anchor is 1,200 acres owned by Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, which is proposed for a conservation easement funded through the federal Forest Legacy Program. As envisioned by the Conservancy and its partners, the 15-mile corridor would link these two new conservation areas on Temple and Crotched Mountains with a network of easement-protected land winding through Greenfield, Peterborough, and Sharon.

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.