Forest Society Conserves 100 Acres on the North Side of Bartlett Mountain
Concord, NH, September 9, 2009 — The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has conserved 100 acres on the north side of Bartlett Mountain in Bartlett.
Nearly everyone who travels NH Route 16 between Conway and Jackson has seen and likely admired this picturesque mountain. Rising from the western ridge of the more often visited Mount Kearsarge to the south, it faces the Presidential range to the northwest and dominates Bartlett village.
“This land is surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest on three sides,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “We hope that this parcel will one day be incorporated into the White Mountain National Forest as a logical addition.”
While the land is only a hang-glide away from busy Route 16, the old growth yellow birch, spruce, and fir above, and the fern- and woody debris-covered understory below make the place feel like a truly wild refuge. The moss- and duff-covered ground benefits from the groundwater seeps from the mountain’s cracked granite and provides habitat for a variety of wildlife.
This wild haven was created more than a century ago to settle a land dispute. A combination of six members and representatives of the Cassidy family delivered to the Forest Society their fractional interests (ranging from 14/215ths to 10/43rds) on the north side of the peak. The sellers, represented by their broker at Fountains America, their land managers at Prentiss & Carlisle, and their attorneys at Pierce-Atwood, exercised tremendous patience throughout the process.
Conserving this wilderness also required the cooperation of federal, state, and local officials. The NH Department of Resources and Economic Development’s Trails Bureau in particular provided vital support.
“This conservation success story is a demonstration o the New Hampshire way of taking care of business,” said Difley. “The leading federal, state, and non-profit conservation entities worked with skilled private professionals to ensure the protection of another important piece of the White Mountain landscape.”