Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Grows
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assisted by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, recently culminated an acquisition that began in 2003 to add an important new 50-acre parcel to the Pondicherry Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
The owner, Robert Tucker, was delighted to offer this land in Jefferson to the Refuge, where it would fill in a gap in the southeastern portion of the refuge in Jefferson, NH, between other Refuge land and property held by the Audubon Society of New Hampshire that extends to pristine Cherry Pond.
With 2,000 feet of frontage on both sides of Slide Brook, where it forms a broad wetland, the new Tucker addition protects valuable wetland habitat that adds depth and variety to the adjacent Refuge and Audubon lands. The area supports a wide variety of wildlife, including moose, bear, frogs, turtles, and 131 breeding species of birds that include warblers, flycatchers, and woodpeckers. The area is open to recreational activities including hunting and fishing in Slide and Mill Brooks, where eastern brook trout can be found.
“The Forest Society was pleased to facilitate this project in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “This is the most recent example of the success that can be realized through the collaborative efforts of public and private land conservation organizations.”
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Supervisor Janet Kennedy said this event illustrates the importance of partnerships and collaborations. “These acquisitions allow us to protect the connectivity of habitat for wildlife, and with so many of our conservation partnerships we do them together to achieve mutually beneficial conservation goals.”
Silvio Conte Refuge Manager Andrew French praised the assistance of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. “This tract of land is another piece of the puzzle we’re trying to assemble,” he said. “Without the critical assistance of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, it might not have happened.”
This success was made possible by generous donors to the Forest Society, who pushed the funding effort over the goal line, and by the willingness of the Forest Society to step in at a critical moment to keep the land available while the Refuge completed its funding and due diligence processes. This type of cooperation between government agencies and private, non-profit, land trusts are a hallmark of New Hampshire’s conservation successes.
The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established to conserve the abundance and diversity of native plants and animals and their habitats in the 7.2 million acre Connecticut River watershed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Long been known for its rich, diverse assemblage of wildlife, particularly birds, the Pondicherry Division includes Cherry and Little Cherry Ponds and the surrounding complex of wetlands and swamps located in Jefferson and Whitefield New Hampshire.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/.
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.