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Lubberland Creek Preserve, Newmarket, N.H. - E. Aldrich photo
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Protecting Great Bay:
One of the last remaining large tracts around Great Bog in Portsmouth is now permanently protected from development. The Nature Conservancy Monday purchased 263 acres on behalf of the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership. The land adjoins 335 acres owned by the city of Portsmouth that were protected in 2001. The combined 600 acres form the largest block of permanently protected open space in the city. Great Bog, including the newly protected tract, is southeast of the I-95-Route 33 junction. “The Great Bay area is one of the most diverse and vibrant ecosystems not only in our state but in the entire Northeast region,” said U.S. Senator Judd Gregg. “However, it is also one of the most fragile and therefore it is critical we work to protect it. Fortunately, The Nature Conservancy and the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership understand the need to act now. They are again leading the way in carrying out this critical work. The benefits to protecting Great Bog are far-reaching. It will preserve a rare wetlands ecosystem, protect Portsmouth’s public water supply and enhance the enjoyment of this special place for everyone who lives in the region. I also want to thank the Griffin family for their role in the success we are celebrating. Their support has been key to this effort and will help strengthen New Hampshire’s reputation as a great state to live and raise a family.” “Portsmouth is very pleased with the most recent initiative of The Nature Conservancy and N.H. Fish and Game Department to preserve open space in Portsmouth’s Great Bog,” said Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand. “Not only will this nearly double protected land in the bog, but it speaks well of the city’s continuing partnership with these agencies. Acquisition of this land will create new public access opportunities, safeguard our water quality and protect the Great Bog’s unique natural resources.” << Learn more about this project >> June 29:
The Lubberland Creek project was made possible in part by a grant from Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, the largest corporate cash gift to the Conservancy’s New Hampshire chapter. On Thursday, June 29, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., the Conservancy will host an open house of its new office and lead a hike on new trails of the expanded Lubberland Creek Preserve. At 5 p.m. there will be a ribbon cutting for an official opening of the facility, followed by a barbeque. A donation of $5 for Conservancy members or $10 for nonmembers is suggested. Please RSVP by calling Megan Lepage at 603-224-5853, ext. 23. The facility now features a new trail that highlights grassland and estuarine habitat at the Conservancy’s Lubberland Creek Preserve, a new rock garden with native plantings, and a new outdoor spotting scope that allows visitors to see birds such as bobolinks, bluebirds, osprey, great blue heron, and meadowlarks. Joining members, staff and supporters of the Conservancy on June 29 will be several top officials from Lowe’s Home Improvement, along with others who’ve been working with the Conservancy to protect important habitats around New Hampshire’s Great Bay. Also on hand will be staff representatives of U.S. Senator Judd Gregg and N.H. Governor John Lynch. In December, the Conservancy purchased the 35.5 acres adjoining its Lubberland Creek Preserve on the Durham-Newmarket line. The property came with a small house that is now the Conservancy’s Great Bay office. From there, the Conservancy manages its Great Bay conservation efforts, including land protection, marine research and restoration, and stewardship of preserves. Long a priority for conservation, the project protects high quality salt marsh, 1,700 feet of frontage at the mouth of Lubberland Creek, and provides a key link in what’s now 2,300 acres of contiguous protected land. “The Great Bay estuary is one of New Hampshire’s environmental jewels,” said U.S. Senator Judd Gregg. “While being one of the most vital natural ecosystems in the country’s coastal regions, it is also one of the most fragile. For this reason, we must continue to make its protection a top priority. Fortunately, The Nature Conservancy and all the members of the Great Bay Partnership understand the importance of meeting this responsibility. The expansion of Lubberland Creek shows again how effective you have been. Because of this dedication, the people of our state will long be able to enjoy the beauty of Great Bay.” << Learn more about this event >>
N.H. Wildlife Action Plan: Note: Here's the start of a regular glimpse at the N.H. Fish and Game Department's newly approved Wildlife Action Plan. Completed by N.H. Fish and Game staff and conservation partners, including The Nature Conservancy, the plan is a comprehensive and pro-active effort to define and implement strategies to help keep species off of rare species lists, in the process saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Mandated and funded by the federal government through the State Wildlife Grants program, the plan provides New Hampshire conservation groups, local communities and other decision-makers with important tools for restoring and maintaining critical habitats and populations of the state's species of conservation and management concern. Over the coming months Granite State Glances looks at habitats, species, strategies and other aspects of the Wildlife Action Plan. The unifying feature of the Connecticut River watershed group is the Connecticut River mainstem and its smaller tributaries on both sides of the Vermont-New Hampshire border. Like the Merrimack River, the Connecticut River represents one of the few large river habitats in the state or in the region that has the potential to support the full suite of diadromous fish species, such as Atlantic salmon, river herring and sea lamprey. The Connecticut River watershed is the focus of rare species restoration and monitoring. For example, it is one of the few rivers in the world that still supports healthy and reproducing populations of the dwarf wedgemussel, a federally endangered species, and the cobblestone tiger beetle, a state endangered species. The Ashuelot River, a tributary of the Connecticut River, also supports the dwarf wedgemmussel. The Connecticut River has been the subject of rare diadromous fish restoration, focusing on Atlantic salmon. The Connecticut River Rapids Macrosite between Hanover and Claremont, is recognized for high concentrations of ecologically significant habitats and rare, threatened, and endangered species at both federal and global levels. Existing river management plans and GIS analyses indicate that non-point source pollution (especially sedimentation and stormwater runoff), altered hydrology, and invasive species are the primary threats to habitats in this watershed group. << Learn more about N.H.'s Wildlife Action Plan >> Learn about The Nature Conservancy's efforts to protect the Connecticut River: Water Quality:
The New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) has released a comprehensive water quality report that analyzes data from a wide range of sources on key indicators of water quality such as toxic contaminants, bacteria concentrations, and nitrogen loading for New NHEP Coastal Scientist Phil Trowbridge developed the report that was peer reviewed by a team of water quality experts. Trowbridge reports that “the overall condition of the water in the State’s estuaries is generally good compared to estuaries across the country; however, conditions are changing. Some of the changes are for the better, but more are troubling.” Toxic contaminants, such as lead, zinc, DDT and PCBs, are a constant concern; however, the several indicators included in the report suggest that concentrations of these harmful substances are on the decline. Monitoring efforts have shown that shellfish tissue samples (mussels, clams, oysters) have toxic contaminant concentrations below national guidance values. Since shellfish collect toxic contaminants in their flesh when they feed, low levels of contaminants in these creatures suggest the ambient toxic contaminant levels are relatively low. Data from the past eleven years suggest that toxic contamination levels are decreasing.midst the festive backdrop of an Earth Day celebration, the Conservancy’s New Hampshire chapter was honored with an award from the N.H. Fish and Game Commission. << Learn more about Seacoast water quality >> Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006 Great Bay will be the backdrop of this year’s annual meeting of The Nature Conservancy’s New Hampshire Chapter. The meeting will be Saturday, September 9 at the Sandy Point Discovery Center in Stratham. The meeting will be at Sandy Point’s Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center, with registration starting at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will include a keynote speaker, update on the past year’s conservation successes, lunch and field trips to Great Bay and other areas the Conservancy is working to conserve. Working together, we can ensure the diversity of life on Earth and enrich the quality of life in New Hampshire now and for future generations. You can make a significant impact by helping us preserve and steward land now, which will improve the quality of life for you, your children, your grandchildren and for the future of life on Earth. Please consider:
For more information, contact Tiffany McKenna, director of philanthropy, at 603-224-5853, ext. 15. Click here to find out how you can help The Nature Conservancy's conservation efforts in New Hampshire and beyond.
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