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 Wakefield, NH — With help from Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, local landowner Nancy Spencer-Smith has donated a conservation easement on 26 acres in Wakefield, NH.
Located next to the Gage Hill Conservation Area already under easement, this additional 26 acres will further expand the local conservation mosaic. The land overlies a stratified drift aquifer that may serve as a future public water supply for the Town of Wakefield. It also features an orchard with excellent farming soils.
Trends toward more sustainable living are increasing locally, regionally and nationally. Spencer-Smith chose to donate the conservation easement to ensure that suitable land for farming will be available for future residents of Wakefield and neighboring communities. Local farms produce fresher foods. Purchasing foods grown locally also helps keep local dollars within the community. Plus, rising energy costs will make it more expensive to ship food to New Hampshire from other areas of the country. The majority of food in New Hampshire grocery stores is currently produced in California.
“My goal was to save these soils to support local agricultural efforts and to maintain the quality of the aquifer below,” said Spencer-Smith. “I found that a conservation easement is the most effective way to accomplish that.”
A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization. When land is placed in easement, its development potential is extinguished. Strafford Rivers Conservancy will hold the conservation easement on the Spencer-Smith property in partnership with the Town of Wakefield. As the primary easement holder, Strafford Rivers Conservancy will work with the landowner to ensure that the conserved land remains in its natural state.
The Strafford Rivers Conservancy is a land trust dedicated to protecting and conserving the natural beauty, resources and character of Strafford County and southern Carroll County. For more information about the SRC visit www.straffordriversconservancy.org or call 603-516-0772.
Moose Mountains Regional Greenways is a non-profit conservation organization that works to conserve and connect the most special natural areas of northern Strafford and southern Carroll counties in New Hampshire. For more information call 603-817-8260.
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