FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Richard Ober
September 6, 2005 (603) 357-0600
MONADNOCK CONSERVANCY GREETS 160 AT ANNUAL MEETING
(KEENE)—Welcoming approximately 160 members, guests, and friends to the Historic Meetinghouses in Jaffrey Center, the Monadnock Conservancy held its 16th Annual Meeting on August 27, 2005. The event was hosted locally by the Jaffrey Center Village Improvement Society, with assistance from Jaffrey Historical Society, Jaffrey Conservation Commission, Town of Jaffrey Cemetery Committee, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc., and many volunteers.
Donald Shumway, president of the Crotched Mountain Foundation, presented the keynote address, “Collaborations and Corridors.” Mr. Shumway talked about why and how the Crotched Mountain Foundation is considering protecting up to 1,000 acres of its land in Greenfield, Francestown, and Bennington. He and Conservancy Executive Director Richard Ober also described efforts to establish a conservation corridor from Crotched Mountain south to Temple Mountain. In addition, Mr. Ober briefed attendees on several of the Conservancy’s other projects.
Two special awards were presented at the Annual Meeting: The Abe Wolfe Land Protection Award, presented to an individual, group, or organization that has shown outstanding leadership in land protection in the Monadnock Region, was given to John and Jean Hoffman of Sullivan for their tireless efforts in land conservation. The new Philip Faulkner award, which recognizes an organization, group, or individual that achieves significant conservation of natural resources in the community or region through a collaborative process that engages multiple stakeholders in the process, was given to the Town of Temple in recognition of its collaborative efforts to preserve several special properties in that town. Accepting on behalf of the town were Sherry Fiske, from the board of selectmen, and Paul Quinn, chair of the Conservation Commission. Also present were Priscilla Weston and Lisa Beaudoin, grantors of conservation easements on the Bicentennial Farm and General Miller homestead, respectively.
Nearly 50 people took advantage of the beautiful day and visited recently conserved properties and a small portion of the Crotched-to-Temple Corridor on the three optional field trips to Mead Brook Easement, Jaffrey, Mountain Brook Reservoir Easement, Jaffrey, and Temple Mountain, Temple.
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. For more information about the Monadnock Conservancy, contact - Richard Ober.
