Acworth Town Forest Grows with Recent Land Purchase

February 15, 2012

Acworth Town Forest Grows with Recent Land Purchase

The Town of Acworth recently purchased 86 acres near Crescent Lake and has donated a conservation easement to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. The land is part of a large connected forest block that includes the 300-acre Gove Town Forest overseen by the Acworth town forester. The Forest Society also holds a conservation easement on this town forest.

While stonewalls attest to the property’s former use as farmland, today it contains a mix of maple, beech, and birch trees, with stands of pines and hemlocks that provide habitat for deer, moose, bear, smaller mammals, and birds. The land’s conservation also helps maintain the water quality of nearby Crescent Lake. The land has two large forested wetlands and two small streams that flow into the lake.  In addition, the property contains several foot trails and maintained snowmobile trails that are also used for hiking, wildlife observation, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, photography, and hunting.

This conservation of this land was made possible through grants from New Hampshire’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) and the State Conservation Committee’s Moose Plate program, which were matched by town conservation fund monies.

Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is the state’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. Supported by 10,000 families and businesses, the Forest Society’s mission is to perpetuate the state’s forests by promoting land conservation and sustainable forestry. For more information, visit www.forestsociety.org.