Forest Society recipient of LCHIP Grant Funding
- Tags:
- LCHIP,
- Land Conservation
Forest Society Land Conservation Project Manager Leah Hart poses with Governor Chris Sununu (far left), LCHIP’s board chair Ben Wilcox, and LCHIP’s executive director Paula Bellemore at the ceremony. (Photo: Joe Klementovich)
Governor Sununu today announced $4.3 million in matching grants to support thirty-four land conservation and historic preservation projects across the state by the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP). The grants will assist municipalities, non-profit organizations and community groups in rehabilitating 17 historic structures and permanently conserving more than 2,700 acres of farm, timber, and ecologically significant land in all ten counties of the state, including land conservation projects in Canterbury, Concord, and Middleton that help protect drinking water resources and ecological habitat.
"It’s just fantastic that the state, through LCHIP, is able to award $4.3 million to these locally-driven conservation and rehabilitation projects," said Governor Chris Sununu. "Our state is rich in cultural and natural heritage. Preserving that heritage is a tribute to the past and a gift to the future.”
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has received three grant awards totaling $307,500 to support land conservation projects in Canterbury, Concord, and Middleton.
- Deepwood Forest Conservation Easement, Canterbury: A $180,000 grant to the Forest Society will help conserve the 385-acre Deepwood Forest in Canterbury. Dotted with pockets of verdant wetlands and more than 30 vernal pools, the Deepwood Forest property contains some of the highest quality wildlife habitat in New Hampshire and will be open to the public for recreational use.
- Morrill Dairy Farm Conservation Easement, Concord: The Forest Society has been awarded $72,500 to help purchase an easement over 208 acres of the Morrill Dairy Farm in Concord. The project will conserve 6300 feet of frontage on the Merrimack River, 156 acres of prime farmland soils and 162 acres of high-quality wildlife habitat. The farm sells milk to Hood Inc., meats at their retail shop and at the Concord Farmers Market, and grows corn, barley, oats, and wheat for local distilling markets and feed.
- Coskie Conservation Easement, Middleton: The Forest Society has been awarded $55,000 to help protect the 82-acre Coskie property in Middleton. This project will help protect a crucial "donut hole" at the center of the Forest Society's 2746-acre Moose Mountains Reservation. Protection of this property will conserve important working forest and wildlife habitat, as well as ensure continued access and enjoyment of the property by the public.
LCHIP grant recipients are required to match each dollar contributed by LCHIP with a minimum of one additional dollar, and to complete the funded projects according to the program’s rigorous standards. This year’s awards of $4.3 million will be matched by more than $15 million in funding from other public and private sources, infusing a total of more than nineteen million dollars into the state’s economy in direct project activity.
LCHIP Board Chair Ben Wilcox (President and General Manager of Cranmore Mountain Resort), remarked, “It’s such a pleasure to once again gather in person here in Concord to support the efforts of these organizations to preserve our state’s heritage. The grants announced today and the projects they support, represent the heart of the Granite State. They mean the preservation of our history, our culture, and our stories for generations to come.”
LCHIP Executive Director Paula Bellemore observed, “LCHIP is one of the most competitive grant programs in the state. This year we received 55 applications requesting $7.8 million in grant funding, with only $4.3 million available. I am grateful for the 17 conservation and preservation experts who each volunteered over 100 hours reading proposals and crisscrossing the state visiting project sites, and for LCHIP’s Board of Directors who carefully considered each proposal before making the difficult funding decisions.”
Recipients will be expected to completed the funded work within two years. A list of previously completed LCHIP-funded projects can be found at www.LCHIP.org.
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About New Hampshire’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program:
The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) is an independent state authority created by the legislature in 2000 to ensure the perpetual contribution of natural, cultural and historic resources to the economy, environment, and quality of life in New Hampshire. Since 2000, LCHIP has provided 564 matching grants to municipalities and non-profit organizations, investing over $58 million to help partners conserve more than 236,000 acres of land and rehabilitate 341 historic buildings. Grants have been awarded in all parts of the state and in 195 of New Hampshire’s 234 communities. The money for LCHIP grants comes from a surcharge assessed when recording documents at county Registries of Deeds. For more information about LCHIP, visit LCHIP.org or call (603) 224-4113