COOS COUNTY, N.H. (July 31, 2020)—The Open Space Institute (OSI) announced today the addition of key properties to community forests located in New Hampshire’s North Country.
The properties, a 2,020-acre addition to the Gorham Town Forest and a 679-acre addition to the Milan Community Forest, build on efforts the towns have undertaken to ensure citizens benefit directly from their forests. Conserved by The Conservation Fund, the additions to the community forests will provide economic resources for each municipality from sustainable timber harvesting, while also offering opportunities for new recreational access and protecting water quality and wildlife habitat.
The successful conservation of the properties also represents a funding milestone for OSI’s Community Forest. Since its creation in 2010, the Fund has also granted more than $2 million to support the creation and expansion of 25 community forests, conserving more than 40,000 acres across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.