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New Hampshire's Coastal Conservation Initiative

Photo: Jerry&Marcy Monkman

TPL's Coastal Conservation Initiative is a sustained effort to save natural, cultural, and historic resources throughout New Hampshire's coastal region. This area encompasses 46 towns and the state's piece of the Atlantic coastline, as well as expansive forests and wetlands, and substantial drinking-water resources. With more than 1,800 miles of waterways, the coastal plain is home to a wide array of indigenous plants and animals, including more than 130 rare species. It is also a popular place for people to hike, bike, fish, hunt, watch birds, and snowmobile.

But despite its coveted value, New Hampshire's coastal region is at risk. Poorly planned development is spreading at an alarming rate, degrading the region's unique character and the high quality of life that draws people to the area. Collaborative conservation action is urgently needed, particularly in southeastern New Hampshire, which is one of the fastest-growing areas in New England's fastest-growing state.

Since 2002, TPL has worked with local communities and conservation groups to complete six projects—Hurd Farm, the Piscassic Greenway, and Massacre Marsh, among them—that have netted 750 protected acres. During the next several years, TPL will invest significant resources in building more of the critical partnerships needed to complete future projects.

At the federal level, New Hampshire's U.S. Senator Judd Gregg is a champion of coastal conservation. Since creating the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) in 2002, he has worked with the rest of the state's delegation to secure over $12 million through CELCP to conserve coastal lands in New Hampshire.

TPL's newest effort is focused on Barrington's Stonehouse Pond, one of the few remaining undeveloped "Great Ponds" left in southeastern New Hampshire. Nestled within 250 acres of forested uplands, Stonehouse Pond is widely known as a unique trout fly-fishing hotspot that offers an experience akin to that found in a wilderness setting. Attempts during the past 15 years to conserve this precious place have failed, and developmental pressures are fierce. However, TPL recently secured an option to purchase the property and, working with town leaders and the Strafford Rivers Conservancy, must raise $810,000 to ensure that this informal outdoor classroom is be protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

Posted 6/2008