MMRG NEWS

Photo One: Thanks to surveyor Charlie Karcher for donating his time and skills to complete the monumentation on Darayl Remick's conserved Wakefield property.

Photo Two: Charlie Karcher on the left, was assisted by landowner, Darayl Remick and volunteers, Rolfe Barron and Kari Lygren, along with Cynthia Wyatt, who also took these photos.

Grant Awarded to Moose Mountains Regional Greenways

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) announces that is has received a $5,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF) to develop a new Strategic Plan. Funding for this project is provided by the Annalee Davis Thorndike Fund and the John F. and Dorothy H. McCabe Environmental Fund of NHCF.

According to MMRG Executive Director, Virginia Long, “MMRG has been ambitious in its goals and successful in accomplishing them. Since we were founded over ten years ago, we have facilitated the conservation of more than 4,000 acres, increased our staff from one to three part-time employees, and now offer monthly outreach events. The goal of this Strategic Planning process is to achieve more land conservation, increase the effectiveness of our education and outreach, and to become even more valuable to the communities that we serve.”

“The grant monies will be used to interview MMRG’s stakeholders and partners about possible future directions for the organization and about how to build on our organizational strengths and overcome our limitations. Funding also will be used for consultations with outside experts.”

Added MMRG Chair, Art Slocum, “The leaders of MMRG look forward to planning our future and outlining our strategic objectives so that we can accomplish our goals in the seven towns that we serve. We are grateful for receiving this grant so we can receive outside help during this process and hear some new thoughts on how we can do our job more efficiently.”

Throughout the year, MMRG offers many educational opportunities to inform all ages about the benefits of our region’s natural resources. See our calendar of upcoming events on this website or call the Education Coordinator at (603) 978-7125. If you wish to learn about options to protect your land from development, email info@mmrg.info or call the Director of Land Conservation at (603) 817-8260.

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation serves communities throughout New Hampshire, southeastern Maine and eastern Vermont. More information is available at www.nhcf.org or by calling (603) 225-6641.

CONSERVATION NEWS

MMRG Helps Conserve 212 Acres in Wakefield

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways has announced that 212.8 acres in Wakefield are now protected forever by a conservation easement, thanks to the efforts of Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, its partners, and landowners.The land includes mature forests and a portion of a high quality wetland complex that is part of the Salmon Falls watershed. Because MMRG honors its close and confidential relationship with landowners, who in this case asked that publicity be kept to a minimum, the organization will not be disclosing the exact location of the property.

Says MMRG Director of Land Conservation Keith Fletcher, “Protection of this parcel adds substantially to the conservation lands in Wakefield. It protects and restores important water resources and functions. It also meets the landowners’ goal of protecting their cherished land in perpetuity.”

The land was protected through the federal Wetlands Reserve Program, a program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which provided funds to purchase the easement and for future wetlands restoration work on the property. MMRG matched up the landowners with the WRP program and then worked closely with NRCS and the landowners to facilitate the deal, delineate the wetlands, and survey the land. In addition, MMRG provided matching funds to help the project succeed via a generous grant from an anonymous private foundation. These funds, which will help fund the wetlands restoration work, were critical in securing a high score for the project, thereby gaining the federal funds needed to complete it.

MMRG is grateful to the landowners for their kind patience with the process, and for following through with their vision of preserving their beautiful land for future generations.

To learn more about conservation options for your property, contact Keith Fletcher at (603) 817-8260 or email info@mmrg.info.

MMRG Applauds Renewal of Conservation Tax Incentive

Congress has just renewed a tax incentive that can benefit private landowners and working family farmers who wish to protect their land with a voluntary conservation agreement. The incentive, previously in place between 2006 and 2009, has helped Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) work with willing landowners to conserve close to 1000 acres of productive agricultural lands and natural areas.

Conservation-minded landowners now have until December 31, 2011 to take advantage of a significant tax deduction for donating a voluntary conservation agreement to permanently protect important natural or historic resources on their land. When landowners donate a conservation easement, they maintain ownership and management of their land and can sell or pass the land on to their heirs, while foregoing future

development rights. The value of the donated easement is essentially the appraised value of the development rights.

The incentive applies to a landowner’s federal income tax. It: (1) Sets the deduction a landowner can take for donating a voluntary conservation agreement to 50% of their income in any year; (2) Allows farmers to deduct up to 100% of their income; and (3) Allows donors to take these deductions for up to 16 years, or until the full value of the donated easement has been deducted.

“Our whole community wins when thoughtful landowners conserve their land this way, protecting wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, scenic landscapes, recreational spaces, and productive agricultural lands,” said Keith Fletcher, MMRG’s Director of Land Conservation. “Conservation agreements have become an important tool nationally for protecting our watersheds, farms and forests, increasing the pace of private land conservation by a third–to over a million acres a year. Moose Mountains Regional Greenways joins America’s 1,700 land trusts and conservation organizations and their two million supporters in thanking Congress for making this important conservation tool available,” he commented.

According to the Land Trust Alliance, the national organization that provides a voice for land trusts in Washington DC, last year’s bills to make this incentive permanent had 274 House and 41 Senate co-sponsors from all 50 states, including majorities of Democrats and Republicans in the House. This legislation was supported by more than 65 national agricultural, sportsmen’s, and conservation organizations.

In the communities served by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, the tax incentive has had a real impact. For example, it was an important contributing factor in the decision made by Steve Panish, MMRG Board member, to donate an easement on his 87 acres of mixed blueberry fields and forest in Milton in 2006. “The tax factor was crucial”, noted Panish. “Being able to deduct 50% of my income for up to 15 years in a row meant that even with my moderate income I could deduct the entire value of the donated conservation easement. I love this land and I'm very happy that I was able to conserve it with the help of the federal tax incentive. With the renewed incentives, conservation is a real option for people with average incomes, not only for the rich.”

Landowners interested in learning about options for placing an easement on their property are encouraged to call Keith Fletcher at 603-817-8260.

Calendar of Outreach Events

Saturday, May 5, 2012; 9 am—12 pm

What is Forestry and Why Do It?

Greater Wakefield Resource Center, Wakefield

Charlie Moreno, licensed Forester, will present this workshop on how and why to manage your wood lot. Following an introductory lecture/slide show, he will take participants to thenearby managed forest on the Jones Brook Property owned by the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust. Co-sponsored by Branch Hill Farm/CSFCT. FREE. Pre-registration required.

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Saturday, May 26, 2012; 10 am—2 pm

8th Annual Branch River Paddle

Branch River boat launch, Milton

Bring your kayak or canoe for this scenic paddle along the conserved banks of the Branch and Salmon Falls Rivers and an introduction to saving land for water quality by Kira Jacobs of the Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative. Boat transport and picnic lunch provided. $10 Donation suggested. Pre-registration required.

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Sunday, June 24, 2012; 2—4 pm

2nd Annual Water Quality Cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee

Wolfeboro Town Docks

Bob Craycraft of UNH-CE and Linda Schier of AWWA will discuss water quality issues and demonstrate water sampling techniques. Live music on board. Pre-Register. Cost:TBA

Saturday, August 11, 2012; 10 am—3 pm

10th Annual Woods, Water and Wildlife Festival

Branch Hill Farm, 307 Applebee Rd, Milton Mills
This family-friendly celebration of the natural world features fun and educational outdoor activities. Take a hayride to the river, observe and learn about NH wildlife, explore the corn maze, take a discovery walk, watch demonstrations of traditional skills, try your hand at fishing, do crafts with your kids, and more! $5/person, $10/family; Free to kids 12 and under and to MMRG members. Event sponsorships available!

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> Back to Events Calendar

RECENT EVENTS

MMRG Joined NH Farm Museum to Celebrate Earth Week

Families from far and wide traveled to the NH Farm Museum in Milton to enjoy fun and educational outdoor activities for a three day celebration of Earth Day, April 25–27, co-sponsored by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways and Branch Hill Farm (BHF).

MMRG’s Education Coordinator Kari Lygren led groups of up to 20 children and parents on a meandering loop walk through the Jones Forest, captivating their attention with her enthusiasm for the natural world. She pointed to piles of scattered pine cones, evidence of squirrel feasts, and to twisting vines of oriental bittersweet, an attractive but destructive invasive species that strangles the trees it climbs.

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Farmington Land Conservation Workshop Draws Crowd

More than thirty people came to the old town hall in Farmington to learn about land conservation and conservation easements at a workshop sponsored by the Farmington Conservation Commission (CC) and Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG). Audience members–including many landowners interested in conserving their land–heard presentations and asked questions of four experts on the panel. David Connolly, Farmington CC Chair and the lead event coordinator for the Commission, introduced each of the four the panel members.

The first speaker, Phil Auger, a consultant and long time educator in land conservation, presented research demonstrating that land conservation can help keep property taxes low. The usual assumption that development lowers taxes is, in general, just the opposite of what actually happens, said Auger. He added, ‘This data turns that common assumption on its head.’ Studies in New Hampshire and New England show that in most cases, the increase in revenue from development is more than offset by increased costs of services such as schools, police, and fire protection.

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What are the Bees Telling Us?

The buzz about bees attracted 40 people to the Wolfeboro Public Library on Saturday, March 10. Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) and the Library teamed up to host a free presentation of the documentary entitled “Queen of the Sun, What are the Bees Telling Us?”, described by the NY Times Critic Pick as “Revelatory” and by Roger Ebert as “Remarkable.”

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MMRG & Farmington Conservation Commission Winter Wildlife Walk

On Sunday, February 26, naturalist Sally Cornwell led a Winter Wildlife Walk on the Farmington Town Forest land. The event was presented jointly by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways and the Farmington Conservation Commission. Much of the acreage here belonged to the Waldron Family who harvested oak trees for barrel making. Years ago the river was dammed and the water would be released in the summer to power the brush factory in town. The mill pond still held quite a bit of water back until the Mother’s Day flood which rolled some of the remaining chunks of cut granite down the river. Now there really is almost no pond left.

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