TAMWORTH – March 27, 2014 -- The Tamworth Foundation has provided a $15,000 grant to support the permanent protection of two parcels of land adjacent to the Gilman Forest in Tamworth, bringing the local fundraising effort to within $38,000 of its $155,000 goal.
The Tamworth Conservation Commission and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests are working together to raise funds to purchase 63 acres of land belonging to the Freeto family, and to purchase a conservation easement on the 103-acre Reich property, in order to protect both properties from development forever. This land is within a broad corridor of unbroken forestlands -- critical for wildlife movement between the Ossipee Mountains and the White Mountain National Forest – that the Tamworth Conservation Commission has been working with other conservation groups and the Bear Camp Trackers to protect for the past several years.
This initiative, called the Whites-to-Ossipee Wildlife (WOW) Connectivity, covers an ecologically rich swath of land that runs north to south through western Tamworth and eastern Sandwich. The Freeto and Reich properties are at the heart of this broad corridor, and next to a growing block of protected forestland that is reaching 900 acres. Once under conservation, these properties will be open to the public for non-motorized recreational activities. They will also continue to be managed as working forests that provide income for the town.
“This area has some of the highest quality wildlife habitat in central New Hampshire,” said Ned Beecher, chair of the Conservation Commission committee leading the local fundraising.
Established in 1937, the Tamworth Foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for all residents of the community by supporting a wide variety of initiatives.
“The Tamworth Foundation has once again provided critical help at a key moment,” Beecher said. “Their $15,000 infusion has put us onto the home stretch in this remarkable, cooperative effort. We're grateful to the Foundation and impressed with their targeted support of this and so many other worthy Tamworth projects."
The Foundation grant brings the total raised to more than $117,000 with just $38,000 left to raise by April 30. Donations can be made to the Tamworth Conservation Commission or the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org).
For more information about the project, visit www.TamworthConservationCommission.org.