MMRG NEWS

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

Sunday, February 26; 1—3 pm

Snowshoe Tracking

Winter Outing; Farmington (exact location TBA)

Join naturalist Sally Cornwell for this favorite winter excursion. $5/person, $10/family. Sponsored by Trager by Kari Lygren. Space limited!
Please PRE-REGISTER.

Saturday, March 10, 2012; 2—4 pm

What’s the Buzz? Listen to the Honeybees!

Wolfeboro Public Library

Join us to watch the fascinating film “Queen of the Bees: What the Honeybees are Telling Us” and to hear from a local beekeeper. FREE!

Sunday, April 22; starts @ 1 pm

2nd Annual Earth Day Spring Cleanup and Potluck

Branch Hill Farm, Milton Mills

A community-building event: pick up trash on Applebee Road then celebrate with shared food! Please call ahead..

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 requested. Pre-registration required.

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!

MORE INFO

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RECENT EVENTS

Jones Brook Walk with MMRG

On a cold and windy day close to 30 people attended a snowshoe outing led by Charlie Bridges and Rich Cook of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The walk was from Piggott Hill to the Jones Brook Fish Hatchery in Milton and was in celebration of the completion of a conservation easement on 358 acres of land along Jones Brook. Charlie Bridges stopped frequently to point out signs of wildlife to the group: a small hemlock tree that had been browsed by deer, a flying squirrel hole high on a tree trunk, a pile of porcupine scat around the base of a tree trunk and the porcupine itself crouched out on a high limb of the same tree.

Rich Cook talked about the history of the property and fish hatchery and pointed out the 10 long sluiceways next to the Brook that used to hold ponds for breeding fish. The conservation was accomplished by an interesting trade of 7 acres belonging to Fish and Game containing the fish hatchery for the easement on 358 acres belonging to the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust.

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Salmon Falls Watershed Event Attracts Local Leaders and Landowners

More than ninety landowners and community leaders attended a recent program titled “Your Land, Clean Water, Your Legacy” at the Governor’s Inn in Rochester. The panel discussion and social hour was presented by the Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative and the NH Association of Conservation Districts, as well as several regional non-profit organizations, including the Acton Wakefield Watersheds Alliance, Moose Mountains Regional Greenways, and the Strafford Rivers Conservancy, with assistance from UNH Cooperative Extension.

The Piscataqua/Salmon Falls Watershed was recently identified by the US Forest Service as the watershed most at risk in the US to suffer a reduction in water quality due to potential loss of forested land to development within the next twenty years. Program participants heard from a panel of local landowners, foresters, and staff of state and regional conservation organizations about proven practices that can protect the water quality of the Salmon Falls Watershed. Such practices are completely voluntary and can be implemented with financial and technical assistance that is available from non-profit, town, county, state and federal sources.

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MMRG and the Forest Society Join up for Moose Mountain Guided Hike

Mike Speltz, Land Protection Specialist for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, led a guided hike up the north side of Moose Mountain, in Brookfield, recently. This free event was presented by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways and the Forest Society and sponsored by Moose Mountain Recreation, LLC. Twenty seven people participated in the half day informative event. The first portion of the hike was a strenuous uphill climb gaining 900 feet of elevation in a little over a mile. Several stops were made along the way so that Mike Speltz could answer questions about the beech understory, mast years and life cycles of squirrels. The hike up provided views of Mt. Chocorua, Kingswood Lake and Lake Wentworth.

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