Karen Finogle (603) 224-9945
Efforts under way to protect 385 acres next
to Yatsevitch Forest
Forest Society kicks off grassroots campaign to extend
open space in Cornish and Plainfield
PLAINFIELD – Three tracts of land with 385 acres of critical wildlife habitat stand to gain permanent protection under a campaign launched by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
The land abuts the Forest Society’s 950-acre Yatsevitch Forest in Cornish and Plainfield. The protection of these additional acres will enlarge the existing block of protected lands to over 1,500 contiguous acres of enriched upland forest.
The Forest Society is currently raising funds to acquire 215 acres of land in Plainfield as part of this addition. The two tracts include thousands of feet of road frontage along scenic Penniman Road and all of Smith Hill. The predominantly forested tracts also include considerable wetlands and hundreds of feet along Blow-Me-Down Brook. Protecting the wetlands along the brook will significantly enhance the reservation’s important wildlife habitat.
The tracts also include areas of enriched soil, suspected to contain several rare plant species found elsewhere in the Yatsevitch Forest. The 215 acres will be added to the existing Yatsevitch Forest and managed for long-term, multiple-use objectives, including forest management, wildlife habitat protection, scenic value, and public recreation and education.
As part of the campaign, landowners with abutting property have generously offered to donate a conservation easement on their 170-acre parcel. The couple hopes their gift will encourage more people to donate to the Forest Society’s campaign, knowing that additional land will be protected beyond what is to be purchased. The Forest Society hopes to raise $300,000 by March 31, 2004 to protect all three of these important tracts of land. For more information contact Susanne Kibler-Hacker at or (603) 224-9945.
Founded in 1901, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is a 10,000-member, nonprofit organization that has helped protect more than one million acres. Visit www.forestsociety.org for more information, or call (603) 224-9945.
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