Media Contacts
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Crystal Paradis-Catanzaro
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire
Phone: 603-461-3674
Email: c.paradis@tnc.org
On Friday, June 12, The Nature Conservancy and Southeast Land Trust finalized the purchase and conservation of a working forest on Durham Point, securing long-term protection for land that supports wildlife habitat and connectivity in the Great Bay watershed. The LCHIP–funded acquisition ensures that the property will remain a well-managed forest and contributes to the region’s conservation landscape. In addition to LCHIP, the project received funding from the NH State Conservation Committee Moose Plate Grant Program, the Town of Durham, the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership and private donors.
The conserved property encompasses 28.6 acres of working forest, wetlands, and early successional habitat in Durham. While modest in size, the parcel plays an important role in a much larger conservation network, contributing to more than 6,500 acres of conserved and public lands across the community. Located just south of the 85-acre Langley Farm conservation easement and near a substantial block of protected land around the Crommet and Lubberland Creeks, the project fills a critical gap between existing conserved parcels. By doing so, it helps maintain an unfragmented forest block and strengthens landscape connectivity for wildlife moving through the Great Bay watershed.
This project may be modest in size, but its impact is meaningful.
“This project may be modest in size, but its impact is meaningful,” said John Plummer, Land Protection Specialist, The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire. “Protecting this well-managed forest helps connect existing conserved lands, supports wildlife habitat and strengthens the long-term resilience of the Great Bay watershed.”
“Partnering on projects like this allows us to build real conservation outcomes at the landscape scale,” said Lori Sommer, Coastal Watershed Land Conservation Manager, Southeast Land Trust. “By conserving this property, we’re helping protect wildlife movement, water quality and the character of Durham for generations to come.”
The land lies within the Great Bay watershed and includes wetlands that help protect water quality, benefiting both ecological health and surrounding communities. It is also situated within a priority habitat area for species such as the New England cottontail and near habitats identified as important for birds, reptiles, plants, and insects of conservation concern, underscoring the property’s value for biodiversity and long-term resilience.
Hi-resolution images of the property are available. Please credit © Jerry Monkman/EcoPhotography.
About New Hampshire’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program
The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) is an independent state authority providing matching grants to New Hampshire’s municipalities and non-profits, helping to preserve the state’s most important natural, cultural, and historic resources and ensure their contribution to the economy, environment, and quality of life in New Hampshire. LCHIP grants are funded by a $25 fee assessed when deeds, mortgages, and plans are recorded at the state’s ten registries of deeds.
Since 2001, LCHIP has awarded 646 grants, totaling over $68 million to nearly 350 communities and nonprofits across 210 NH communities. As of July 2025, the Program’s investment has helped to conserve more than 247,000 acres of land and rehabilitate 192 historic structures. Learn more about how LCHIP is helping to preserve and protect New Hampshire’s heritage at LCHIP.org, by following LCHIP_NH on Instagram, or LCHIPNH on Facebook.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. For more news, visit our newsroom or follow The Nature Conservancy on LinkedIn.