On December 19th the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust and The Nature Conservancy announced the protection of 440 acres of critical wetlands and wildlife habitat, allowing salamanders, turtles, migratory birds and other wildlife that live along Schoodac and Knights Meadow Brooks in Warner and Webster to breathe a little easier.

For the past four years, The Nature Conservancy and Ausbon Sargent have worked in partnership to advance protection of the Schoodac Brook watershed.  The area harbors a remarkable combination of stream-side wetlands, ponds, and productive working farm and forest lands that provide well-documented habitat for several wildlife species of conservation concern, and has been identified to support high quality habitat in the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan.   The partners have worked most directly with the four siblings that make up the Courser Family Trust.  The Courser family has a long history of land ownership in the Schoodac Brook watershed, beginning with property acquired in the 1830-40s by William B. Courser, great-great grandfather of the current siblings.  The Trust now owns several large tracts in the area, and two of the siblings operate a diverse farming and forestry operation. 

Under the current project, the Courser Family Trust conveyed three conservation easements to Ausbon Sargent, totaling 440 acres along Schoodac and Knights Meadow Brooks in Warner and Webster, NH.  All three parcels were highlighted as conservation priorities in a scientifically-based watershed conservation plan produced by The Nature Conservancy in 2002.  Cumulatively, the groups’ collaboration with the Courser family has now resulted in the protection of more than 895 acres of important habitat at Schoodac Brook. 
 
“The Courser family is pleased about the completion of these three conservation easements,” noted Rebecca Courser. “We would like to thank all of the organizations and agencies involved, the towns or Warner and Webster, and the individuals that have donated to this important and ongoing project.”

The three tracts in this phase expand and enhance existing conservation lands (see map above right).  The 109-acre “Knights Meadow Marsh Tract” abuts and expands the NH Fish and Game Department's Knights Meadow Marsh Wildlife Management Area.  The 146-acre “Remainder Farm Tract” and the 185-acre “Poverty Plains Tract” abut the previously protected Courser Farm property. 

The total project cost of $534,000 was funded by grants from the NH Fish & Game Department ($203,000); the New Hampshire Land & Community Heritage Investment Program ($56,000), the Town of Warner ($75,000), and the Town of Webster ($10,000).  In addition, a foundation and many private individuals, including the Courser family, provided vital contributions. 

According to Charles Bridges, NH Fish & Game Habitat & Diversity Programs Administrator, "Protection of these parcels achieves the permanent conservation of habitat for several wildlife species at risk, as identified in the NH Wildlife Action Plan. NH Fish & Game is pleased to have provided a grant of federal funds to the project through the Landowner Incentive Program. We applaud the success of TNC and ASLPT in accomplishing this phase of the Schoodac Brook initiative and thank the Courser Family for their continuing commitment to long-term habitat conservation."

The partnership between The Nature Conservancy and Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust (ASLPT) has leveraged the complementary skills and strengths of each organization.  Executive Director Debbie Stanley stated that “Protecting the Course family lands is a perfect example of how a regional land trust like Ausbon Sargent works with a global-scale organization like The Nature Conservancy sharing expertise and land conservation knowledge.  Everyone understood the importance of these lands and that it would require multiple partnerships and pooling fundraising sources. With a membership base of more that 1,050 households, the ASLPT was able to spread the word about this project resulting in significant dollars raised.”

Ausbon Sargent has been the primary easement negotiator, raised considerable funds from interested community members, assumed much of the responsibility of completing the due diligence required to complete the transaction, and will hold and monitor the easements in perpetuity.  The Nature Conservancy completed the science-based conservation plan that guides land protection in this area, raised private funds, provided technical assistance on easement drafting, and provided science, mapping, and administrative support necessary to secure the public funding that has been a key element of success.

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The mission of the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust is to preserve and protect the rural landscape of the Mt. Kearsarge/Lake Sunapee region for public benefit through conservation agreements, stewardship, partnerships and education.  Memberships and other gifts support the Trust. Since being founded in 1987, the Trust has protected 6,203 acres, including more than 4,000 feet of frontage on Lake Sunapee. For more information, visit www.ausbonsargent.org.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.  To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 83 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Since 1961 The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire has helped protect more than 265,000 acres of ecologically significant land and currently owns and manages 28 preserves across the state. For more information, visit www.nature.org/newhampshire. 

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right) Recently conserved Knight's Meadow Marsh tract. Beth McGuinn, photo. Rebecca Courser signing the conservation easement documents while her brother, Bill Courser, looks on. Dick Katz, photo.