Fall Mountain is a stronghold for northeastern bulrush, a federally endangered rare plant. The Nature Conservancy today purchased 950 acres on Fall Mountain, including wetlands that harbor the three best of New Hampshire's eight populations of the plant. Eric Aldrich photo © TNC.

CHARLESTOWN, N.H. — The Nature Conservancy today has purchased 950 acres on Fall Mountain in Charlestown and Langdon, ensuring that this critical habitat will remain protected for this and future generations.

Formerly owned by New England Power Company, the property includes the mountain's northern ridgeline, along with the entire watershed of a series of ponds and beaver flowages that comprise the headwaters of Mountain Brook. The property's wetlands support the best three of New Hampshire's eight populations of northeastern bulrush, a globally rare plant. The property's pristine ponds, streams and forests are also prime habitats for otter, deer, wild turkey, waterfowl and other wildlife.

The Conservancy plans to hold the property temporarily, and transfer it (possibly within the next few months) to the state of New Hampshire. State officials have preliminarily agreed to accept  the property and manage it as a new state forest. The Nature Conservancy would hold a conservation easement that would prevent development and ensure sound recreation and forest management practices to protect the federally endangered northeastern bulrush and other sensitive and exemplary ecological features.

"In southern New Hampshire, we rarely have an opportunity to protect in one fell swoop two pristine ponds and their entire watershed," said Mark Zankel, conservation programs director for The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire. "We are benefiting from New England Power Company's careful stewardship of the Fall Mountain property and the company's willingness to work with us on a conservation transaction."

"We are really fortunate to have The Nature Conservancy take the lead in protecting this property," said Philip Bryce, director of the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands. "We look forward to following through with our commitments on this property and carrying out stewardship here as we do with our other lands."

Meanwhile, the Conservancy continues to seek funds for the project. So far it has raised 70 percent of the $980,000 needed. Public funds so far include $200,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and two grants from the N.H. Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), totaling $350,000. The Conservancy has received more than $150,000 in private donations, including a $50,000 grant from the Austin Memorial Foundation.

"We still need to secure nearly $280,000 in gifts and pledges," said Tiffany McKenna, director of philanthropy for The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire. "Raising that amount of money is a challenge, but this is unique, beautiful and vital as an ecosystem. It's also a wonderful resource for Fall Mountain Regional High School and for community recreation."

Funding from LCHIP has played a key role in protecting Fall Mountain, said Daryl Burtnett, state director of The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire. "We want to recognize the importance of LCHIP in making projects like this possible," Burtnett said. "While we're glad that conserving Fall Mountain received grants in the last two rounds of funding, we are among many organizations and citizens who want to see meaningful funding restored to LCHIP. The program has established a phenomenal record in its ability to leverage state dollars with private and public funding sources to accomplish crucial conservation. We want to see that record continue."

The Fall Mountain project will ensure continued public access for traditional low-impact uses on the property, including hiking, hunting, fishing, nature observation and snowmobiling on designated trails. In addition, students from nearby Fall Mountain Regional High School will be able to continue using the land for athletic training, natural science projects and maple syrup production.

Editors: For photos of Fall Mountain, contact Eric Aldrich, 603-224-5853, ext. 26, or ealdrich@tnc.org.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. 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 1987 The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire has helped protect more than 121,000 acres of ecologically significant land and currently owns and manages 30 preserves across the state. For more information, visit www.nature.org/newhampshire.

The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire:
22 Bridge St., Fourth Floor, Concord, NH, 03301. 603-224-5853
Great Bay Field Office: 167 Exeter Road, Unit 1A, Newfields, N.H. 03856. 603-772-2203
Green Hills Preserve: P.O. Box 310, 2760 White Mt. Hwy, North Conway, NH 03860. 603-356-8833.

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