Donated Easement on Canaan’s Clark Pond Provides Sanctuary for Bears, Pileated Woodpeckers, and Other Wildlife
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests recently accepted a conservation easement donated by Leslie Chalmers on 75 acres in Canaan. Located on the western shore of Clark Pond, the conserved land includes 1,300 feet of shoreline.
The property boasts 47 acres of highly productive forest soils. Lack of recent harvesting has created a large amount of coarse woody debris in some areas, enhancing wildlife habitat opportunities on the forest floor.
“This is a beautiful piece of productive forestland that offers exceptional habitat for wildlife,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “We are honored that Leslie has entrusted the Forest Society to share in its stewardship.”
Draining entirely to Clark Pond, nearly all the property is rated as Tier 1 (top 15% in the state) habitat by the NH Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Action Plan. The landscape varies from dry oak hilltop to hemlock-dominated forested wetland to pond-side wetlands, and is home to abundant moose, porcupine, pileated woodpecker, and bobcat. This beautiful land also harbors a bear and her two cubs.
The property has been in Leslie’s family for many years. At one point in his life, Leslie’s father had to do some extended writing. He needed peace and quiet, a place in which he could focus on his book. That place was the family camp on Clark Pond.
Numerous stone walls on the property speak to its past as a family farm. The land now raises pileated woodpeckers instead of chickens. While still a potential source of food and fiber, the land’s most important resource for the moment may be the sense of peace and renewal it imparts to anyone paddling alongside it on Clark Pond or admiring the view from the Dorchester Highlands.
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.