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Conservation Commission

Conservation and More

              by Bruce B. Beckley

Issue #64, May 11, 1999
IF

Ten sibling heirs to an estate have just placed a good-sized woodlot on the market. It’s a nice piece of land lying between Joe English Brook and the Bicentennial trail. As you may guess, there’s probably 300 feet difference in elevation across the property. The flora ranges from pines and hemlock over two feet in diameter by the brook to some equally large oak and beech on the dry ledges above.

The fauna varies with elevation too. Beaver and other water-loving creatures travel along the brook while up slope, there are signs of deer, moose and porkies. As I walked the land, a great horned owl warned of my approach. Yes, they are around and do Whoo!! in the day time.

A couple of observations: 1) This land definitely qualifies for landscape scale conservation. Today it is not exceptional. In 50 years it would be if we could protect it today. Landscape scale conservation is based on the importance of open space, views, and habitat extensive enough to sustain a diverse species population. 2) If, a big word, if the warrant article to enable bonding for land purchase had passed this would be a candidate parcel for protection as a part of the Bicentennial corridor and greenway versus 10 house lots.

This situation suggests a possible win-win approach. We understand that some of the heirs would like to hold the family land while others wish to receive a cash settlement. If a conservation easement were sold by those wishing to hold the land and the proceeds used to buy out the others, what then? The land would remain in its natural state. A gap in the greenway corridor would be filled and the remaining owners would retain the right to relax and enjoy the brook and woods they grew up with. But even to enter this approach, the ACC would need more funds than we have. If there were only more zoofers (that’s old math for zeros) after our bank balance. IF.

Family-Rated Entertainment

Bring lunch and visit three reservations in Concord and Canterbury for an interesting, informative and relaxing day without any PG stuff.

Riverland Conservation Area -- Take I-93 to exit 17. Go west on Route 4. Turn right before crossing the Merrimack. Features: trail guide, ponds, woods, beach on the river. The wetland trail was closed by beavers but other trails were open. In the flood plain woods, high above today’s water level, we found a 30-foot long timber with 1½ - inch bolts and turnbuckles still connected. I wonder if this was part of an upstream covered bridge before the 1936 flood.

Hutchins Forest – Go north from Riverland (I-93 exit 17) on Route 132 to a small parking area on the right in 3 miles. Features: trail guide for a walk through a Forest Society tree farm. As we approached, frogs were singing in chorus from an abandoned beaver pond. It was easy to hear how some folks mistake the sound for ducks or even turkeys. The woods the trail passes through demonstrate the kind of forest management program the ACC is working towards here at home.

Les Clark Nature Trail – Located in Concord at the SPNHF Conservation Center on Portsmouth Avenue off Route 132. Features: trail guide written by Tudor Richards, varied flood plain habitats along the Merrimack and a quiet backwater. Lots of wildflowers soon.

Other Sites

Commission members suggest visiting:
Rich Hart will be updating the ACC web site at http://www.ultranet.com/~harts/acc/
Anne Krantz for gardening info suggests http://ceinfo.unh.edu/
Jan Woodbury reports that info on the Hartshorn Program can be obtained at http://www.town.amherst.nh.us/ under recreation.

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