Washburn Family Donates Land to Forest Society, Adding to Washburn Family Forest
In the final days of 2008, siblings Mal Washburn, Dallas Chase, and Bruce Washburn donated a 6.8-acre tract in Clarksville to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Although small in size, the land has high conservation value and strategic importance: it abuts and extends the 2,107-acre Washburn Family Forest, bringing the total size of the Forest to 2,114 acres.
“This donation by the Washburn family is a very important addition to last year’s acquisition,” said Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley. “The land links two non-contiguous sections of the Washburn Family Forest. We are grateful to the Washburn family for their generosity.”
The Forest Society acquired the original 2,107 acres from the Washburn siblings last June. The family has a long history with the land, which their father managed for timber for nearly 50 years.
The parcel provides significant recreational opportunities, especially angler access to the adjacent Connecticut River. It contains an old skid road used as a trail by anglers to access the river frontage as well as a public parking area.
The land also offers important habitat for wildlife, including nearly 1,200 feet of river frontage in an area that deer rely upon in winter. Its conservation also enhances coldwater fisheries habitat.