The Monadnock Conservancy

LAND PROTECTION THE ORGANIZATION SECURED TWO PERMANENT CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON 86 ACRES OF LAND. THESE EASEMENTS PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING PUBLIC BENEFITS PROTECTION OF SIGNIFICANT WILDLIFE HABITAT AS IDENTIFIED BY THE NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN EXPANSION AND CONNECTION OF EXISTING CONSERVED LAND CONSERVATION OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE SOILS THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR BOTH FARMING AND FORESTRY AND PROTECTION OF WATER RESOURCES, INCLUDING STREAMS, WETLANDS, FLOODPLAINS, AND GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS. IT ALSO COMPLETED TWO AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS TO ADD 36 MORE ACRES OF CONSERVED LAND. THE ORGANIZATION INITIATED NEW EASEMENT PROJECTS, AND IT CONTINUED WORK ON NUMEROUS PREVIOUSLY INITIATED PROJECTS. Continued on Schedule O

LAND MANAGEMENT AND RECREATION STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS MONITORED 24 FEE-OWNED PROPERTIES TOTALING OVER 2,200 ACRES. STAFF PERFORMED BASELINE ASSESSMENTS FOR THREE RECENT ACQUISITIONS TO INFORM MANAGEMENT PLANS AND CONDUCTED INITIAL VISITS TO FOUR FUTURE ACQUISITIONS. THEY INITIATED A REORGANIZATION OF LAND MANAGEMENT FILES AND CREATED A SCHEDULE FOR MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATES. STAFF WORKED WITH COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO REPAIR TRAILS AND BRIDGES ON THREE PROPERTIES AND CO-LED TWO PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL WALKS. THEY IDENTIFIED AND RESOLVED HUNTING ISSUES ON ONE PRESERVE AND WORKED WITH A WETLAND SCIENTIST AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO REMEDIATE A PROTECTED PROPERTY IMPACTED BY AN INVASIVE PLANT AND ILLEGAL FILLING OF WETLANDS. STAFF WORKED WITH LOCAL CONSERVATION OFFICERS TO RESOLVE A MOTOR VEHICLE TRESPASS ISSUE AND OPEN FIRES AT ONE PROPERTY. THEY DOCUMENTED TRESPASS AND DAMAGE ISSUES BY MOUNTAIN BIKES ON THREE PROPERTIES TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. Continued on Schedule O

CONSERVATION EASEMENT STEWARDSHIP THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED AND COORDINATED 15 VOLUNTEERS AND FOUR STAFF MEMBERS TO MONITOR 232 CONSERVATION EASEMENT-ENCUMBERED AND DEED-RESTRICTED PROPERTIES TOTALING NEARLY 21,000 ACRES. STAFF RESOLVED ONE SIGNIFICANT CONSERVATION EASEMENT VIOLATION INVOLVING A NEIGHBOR CUTTING TREES IN A PROTECTED AREA AND FIVE MINOR VIOLATIONS INCLUDING SOIL EROSION, VANDALISM, IMPROPER POSTING, AND SMALL-SCALE TREE CUTTING. THEY REACHED OUT TO LANDOWNERS TO CONFIRM CONTACT INFORMATION AND SURVEY THEM ABOUT CHANGES IN LAND MANAGEMENT AND OTHER USES, OFFERING TO MEET WITH THEM ON THEIR LAND AND, WHERE APPROPRIATE, POINTING THEM TOWARD LAND MANAGEMENT RESOURCES SUCH AS TRAININGS, GRANTS, AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS. STAFF WORKED WITH SURVEYORS TO RE-MARK BOUNDARIES ON SELECTED PROPERTIES, AND THEY ASSISTED THE LAND MANAGEMENT AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WITH A PROJECT TO REMEDIATE A PROTECTED PROPERTY IMPACTED BY AN INVASIVE PLANT AND ILLEGAL FILLING OF WETLANDS. Continued on Schedule O