Key Conservation Projects to Receive Federal Funding
The federal fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill was recently passed by Congress. The bill included funding for several Forest Society conservation priorities:
- $1,200,000 from the U.S. Forest Service for the Forest Legacy Program to begin the conservation of Green Acres Woodlands, a 6,600-acre private working forest in Groton, Hebron, Rumney, and Plymouth;
- $1,000,000 from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to conserve additional land around Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge at the northernmost tip of the state;
- $100,000 in new funding from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support an ongoing Forest Society effort to conserve ecologically significant undeveloped land along the Merrimack River, such as the recently conserved March Pond Forest in Danbury and Andover.
Funding for all three projects was requested by U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, who has been a longtime supporter of these and other land conservation projects throughout New Hampshire, and supported in the House by Congressman Paul Hodes, whose district includes Lake Umbagog, the Green Acres Woodlands project, and most of the Merrimack River watershed.
“New Hampshire is home to some of the most diverse and ecologically significant ecosystems in the nation,” said Senator Gregg. “Our state has earned a reputation for making the conservation and protection of these special places a top priority. Unquestionably, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests clearly recognizes the importance of meeting this responsibility and has been the leading advocate on conservation projects throughout New Hampshire.”
“The Forest Society continues to be deeply grateful to Senator Gregg for making land conservation a personal priority as a Senator, both by directing funding to specific projects here in New Hampshire, and by fostering national programs like Forest Legacy and the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “These programs have made possible the permanent protection of thousands of additional acres of working forests, watersheds and places of special scenic beauty in the Granite State. Senator Gregg’s commitment to conservation has spanned his entire public career—as a Senator, Congressman, Governor and Executive Councilor—which is why the Forest Society awarded Senator Gregg its “Conservationist of the Year” award.”
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 forests of New Hampshire by establishing permanent conservation areas and promoting the wise stewardship of private lands. For more information, visit www.forestsociety.org.