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September 02. 2012 8:28PM
Fremont buys 76 acres to add to Glen Oakes
FREMONT — The town recently purchased 76 acres of land next to the Glen Oakes Town Forest as part of an effort to protect the area around Spruce Swamp.
The land is expected to be added to the 313-acre town forest with voter approval and will remain in conservation and out of the hands of developers.
“We're doing our best to try to conserve this unique area,” said Bill Knee, chairman of the town's conservation commission.
The land was purchased from Richard and Robert Smith, who inherited it from their grandfather and refused offers from interested developers.
“They were gracious enough to turn down developer offers because they wanted to see the land conserved,” Knee said.
The newly purchased land is located on the eastern edge of Spruce Swamp, an area described by local conservationists as a forest-and-wetland combination that's one of the highest-quality wildlife habitats in the state.
The Glen Oakes Town Forest has trails that will allow walkers and others to access the Smith property and old cellar holes, diverse natural communities, animal pens and old stone walls. Wheeled vehicles aren't allowed on the property, Knee said.
With assistance from the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the land was purchased with conservation funds, money collected through taxes on land in current use, support from the state conservation committee's grant program, the state's Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, and several private foundations, including the Cricket Foundation, the Davis Conservation Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation and the William P. Wharton Trust.
A dedication ceremony will be held Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. at the Glen Oaks Town Forest kiosk, located at the end of Andreski Drive.
The dedication will be followed by a tour of the property led by Mike Speltz of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests accompanied by Chris Borg, forestry land agent.
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests will hold the conservation easement on the property.
jschreiber@newstote.com
The land is expected to be added to the 313-acre town forest with voter approval and will remain in conservation and out of the hands of developers.
“We're doing our best to try to conserve this unique area,” said Bill Knee, chairman of the town's conservation commission.
The land was purchased from Richard and Robert Smith, who inherited it from their grandfather and refused offers from interested developers.
“They were gracious enough to turn down developer offers because they wanted to see the land conserved,” Knee said.
The newly purchased land is located on the eastern edge of Spruce Swamp, an area described by local conservationists as a forest-and-wetland combination that's one of the highest-quality wildlife habitats in the state.
The Glen Oakes Town Forest has trails that will allow walkers and others to access the Smith property and old cellar holes, diverse natural communities, animal pens and old stone walls. Wheeled vehicles aren't allowed on the property, Knee said.
With assistance from the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the land was purchased with conservation funds, money collected through taxes on land in current use, support from the state conservation committee's grant program, the state's Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, and several private foundations, including the Cricket Foundation, the Davis Conservation Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation and the William P. Wharton Trust.
A dedication ceremony will be held Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. at the Glen Oaks Town Forest kiosk, located at the end of Andreski Drive.
The dedication will be followed by a tour of the property led by Mike Speltz of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests accompanied by Chris Borg, forestry land agent.
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests will hold the conservation easement on the property.
jschreiber@newstote.com
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