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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 28, 2009
CONTACT:
Ryan Owens, (603) 357-0600
MONADNOCK CONSERVANCY PROTECTS 820 ACRES IN FOUR TOWNS
( KEENE)—The Monadnock Conservancy announced that it completed four new conservation projects in December in Peterborough, Greenfield, Dublin, and Swanzey. High priority ranking on local and regional conservation plans was a common theme of the projects, which together ensure that more than 820 acres of important forests, fields, water resources, and wildlife habitats will remain undeveloped forever.
“These projects demonstrate that neither an ice storm nor a recession can dampen landowners’ and towns’ generosity and enthusiasm to protect our most precious open spaces,” said executive director Ryan Owens. “The properties ranked among the most important to our region’s water quality, scenic views, and wildlife habitat.” Seven new conservation easements on the tracts help meet the goals of master plans and open space plans in all four towns, the NH Department of Fish and Game’s Wildlife Action Plan, and other regional conservation plans.
By donating or selling a conservation easement, landowners retain ownership of their property while permanently restricting its use to certain conservation purposes, which often include sustainable forestry and agriculture. Conservation easement lands remain on property tax rolls. The Monadnock Conservancy’s responsibility is to monitor the properties in perpetuity to ensure the restrictions are upheld. Currently the Conservancy oversees 147 easements covering nearly 12,000 acres in 23 towns. Following are descriptions of the recent projects.
Thomas Easements, Peterborough and Greenfield,
429 acres
Elizabeth and Stephen Thomas of Peterborough granted four conservation easements on 429 acres of Elizabeth’s property in eastern Peterborough and Greenfield, the 33 rd such family in Peterborough to do so. Elizabeth explained that conservation was something of a family tradition, saying, “Adding to our great pleasure is the fact that the land joins the Wapack National Wildlife Refuge—wonderfully wild land that was conserved by my parents one generation ago.” The property was ranked by the Peterborough Open Space Committee as one of the top 10 conservation priorities in town. It features a rare stand of black gum trees, also known as tupelo, one of the longest-lived species in New England and the only such known occurrence in Peterborough. The costs of the project were generously financed by grants from the towns of Peterborough and Greenfield.
Pullen Easement, Swanzey, 149 acres
Richard and Barbara Pullen donated a conservation easement on 149 acres of their property in the deeply forested southwest corner of Swanzey. The entire area, dominated by Bullard and Rattlesnake Mountains, is considered a conservation priority by the town of Swanzey’s Open Space Plan. The Pullen property features productive and sustainably managed forest, open fields with prime farmland soils, vernal pools, and more than 2,000 feet of Indian Brook, a tributary of the Ashuelot River. Enabling the easement donation was generous funding from the town of Swanzey to cover the costs of the transaction.
Eaton Easement, Dublin, 183 acres
The 6,750-acre block of protected lands encircling Mount Monadnock grew a little bit bigger when Hugh and Gay Eaton donated a conservation easement on 183 acres of their farm on Old Troy Road in Dublin. The property, which features diverse forested slopes, wetlands, open pastures, and more than 4,000 feet of Mountain Brook, fills a key gap in the protected lands around Mount Monadnock and comprises a significant portion of the scenic northerly view from the mountain’s summit. Due to its diverse habitats and water resources, the Eaton land was considered a high conservation priority by numerous local and regional conservation plans, including the town of Dublin’s Open Space Plan and “A Land Conservation Plan for the Ashuelot River Watershed,” a collaborative plan authored by The Nature Conservancy and other conservation organizations.
Beech Hill, Dublin, 62.7 acres
Also in Dublin just across Route 101, a multi-year effort came to a successful conclusion when the Beech Hill-Dublin Lake Watershed Association donated a conservation easement on 62.7 acres of the former Beech Hill Hospital, which closed permanently in 2001. With assistance from the Monadnock Conservancy, the Association purchased the property in 2006 using generous donations from more than two dozen private donors. It then proceeded to demolish six dilapidated buildings, dispose of significant quantities of asbestos, and remove a former open sewage lagoon. An historic home on the property remained and subsequently was sold to new owners who plan to restore it as a private residence. The new conservation easement will help protect the water quality of nearby Dublin Lake and an adjacent watershed, guarantee public pedestrian access to the trails and a scenic overlook on the property, and ensure that this iconic green backdrop for the village of Dublin will remain a scenic landmark of the Route 101 corridor.
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. More information about the Monadnock Conservancy is available by calling (603) 357-0600.
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