MEREDITH, NH (Oct. 25, 2017)—Land adjacent to a popular Community Forest in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region has been protected in the face of development, thanks to support from the Open Space Institute (OSI) and other public and private partners. Ranked as the nation’s highest-priority Community Forest project by the U.S. Forest Service, this project is the first to be completed since OSI relaunched its Community Forest Fund this spring.
This new project, led by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), adds 198 acres to the existing 567-acre “Page Pond Community Forest,” created in 2010. The expansive property is not only a popular retreat for outdoor recreation, but also protects productive forests and wetlands, streams, and surface water flowing into Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire’s largest lake.
“Thanks to the further protection of Page Pond Community Forest, the residents of Meredith can look forward to economic benefits from this new land, not to mention the community benefits from recreation, permanent public access and improved quality of life,” said Jennifer Melville, who oversees OSI’s Community Forest Program. “We congratulate the citizens of Meredith for their vision and determination to establish and then expand a model Community Forest for current and future generations.”
OSI’s Community Forest Fund helps communities across northern New England permanently conserve and manage forests to benefit directly from the land’s many economic, recreational, and environmental values. Community Forests help towns boost their local economies, protect drinking water and productive forests, and provide outdoor recreation and education to citizens and visitors. Local communities play a key role in forest management and decision making on their Community Forests.