Donor Hopes to Inspire Others to Give
HOOKSETT – Feb. 25, 2014 – In a surprise contribution, a Hooksett resident has donated $57,000 to the Merrimack Riverfront Project. The project is a joint effort of the Hooksett Conservation Commission and the Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests (Forest Society) to conserve about 130 acres of land with nearly three-quarters of a mile of frontage on the Merrimack River, offering scenic recreation and educational opportunities as well as prime wildlife habitat and historical value.
The anonymous donor joins many other groups and individuals committed to conserving the land – accessible off Merrimack Street -- since it was targeted as one of five priority conservation goals in the town’s 2004 Master Plan.
“It’s just a gorgeous piece of property - unspoiled, very diverse,” the donor said. “It’s one of the longest stretches of undeveloped river frontage south of Concord, and it’s very accessible, only half a mile from Hooksett Village and half a mile from Suncook Village.”
This contribution adds to more than $300,000 already raised from private foundations, the state’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), and the aquatic resources mitigation program (ARM) administered by the state Dept. of Environmental Services (DES), to purchase and protect the land from development through a conservation easement with the Forest Society. Other major donors include the Hooksett Heritage Commission, The McIninch Foundation and the Samuel P. Hunt Foundation, as well as individuals.
In December, the Forest Society accepted a conservation easement on 116 acres purchased by the town. In the next phase of the project, the town is seeking about $20,000 to support the purchase of abutting parcels totaling approximately 15 acres. The donor hopes his gift will inspire others to help. “It’s a property that opens up a great stretch of Merrimack River to public use,” he said.
The land is to be used as a town recreation and education area that will be open to hiking, picnicking, fishing, hunting and school programs, among other uses. Along with the 3,400 feet of frontage along the Merrimack River, the area already protected includes a two-acre island, fertile corn and hay fields and silver maple floodplain forest. It is also home to beaver, bald eagles and mink, among other wildlife.
The town is working with DES and the Hooksett Kiwanis Club to create a picnic area and new trails on the property, which will connect to the Heritage Trail and the greater Manchester regional trail system. There are four access points, three on Merrimack Street and one through a right-of-way off of Pleasant Street.
Protecting the land also protects the historically relevant site of the former Head & Son Brickyard. Bricks made there during the 19th Century built the Amoskeag millyard in Manchester and other major mills throughout New England.
“We’re glad to partner with the town and help protect a great property, and we’re very grateful to all the donors who have made this possible,” said Jane Difley, Forest Society president/forester. “The conservation easement we hold adds a permanent layer of protection for the property that will prevent anyone in the future from doing anything that would be contrary to a conservation purpose.”
The Hooksett Conservation Commission hopes to have the money raised to close on the abutting parcels by the end of the year.