The Strafford Rivers Conservancy

News & Events > Spring 2002 Newsletter

June 5, 2002

Dear Strafford Rivers Conservancy Members and Friends,

Spring greetings! Earlier this season, it appeared that we were headed for a drought, but today’s news reported that drought warnings for the area south of the White Mountains have been removed. That’s good news for our Strafford County watersheds as well as for the farmers, the fishery, the gardeners, the river enthusiasts, the mosquito larvae and my son who likes long showers!

There is much to report as December 2001 passed without our year-end newsletter. This correspondence will summarize the year-end report given at our annual meeting held at the Firehouse Restaurant in Dover in December as well as provide an update on year-to-date activities.

Year-in-Review
2001 was a very busy year that brought several exciting land preservation opportunities in which the Conservancy played a pivotal role. In January we finalized an executory position backing up the NH Fish and Game Department on an easement protecting 62 acres along the Mad River in Farmington. This easement was featured in an issue of the New Hampshire Coastal Program Tidelines publication and hopefully will be the first of two future easements along other undeveloped portions of this magnificent watershed.

In July the Huggins Trust easement was finalized preserving in perpetuity 64 acres of the beautiful and historically significant salt-water farm on the Bellamy River. This parcel is adjacent to a 40-acre parcel eased to the National Audubon Society.

In the fall the Conservancy accepted an easement on a 10-acre parcel of waterfront land on the Salmon Falls River from Jack Davis. This parcel has 930 feet of frontage on the river with particularly beautiful vistas from the shore and from the white pine/oak uplands. It is two parcels north from the 17-acre Three Rivers Farm/Rollins Trust easement that the Conservancy accepted two years ago. We hope to work with the owners of the adjoining parcel to create a comprehensive open space preserve. A Wildlife Management Plan for the Three Rivers Farm parcel completed last fall by Board Members Don Bailey and Kitty Miller documented the importance of this area for native and migratory birds (including osprey and eagle) as well as for deer, fox and other small mammals. We intend to use this report in future grant-writing for stewardship and wildlife habitat enhancement.

The Conservancy also accepted an easement on an 11-acre parcel of property owned by Suzanne and Dennis Meadows along the upper reaches of the Durham Mill Pond. This too is a remarkably beautiful piece of property just off Route 108 with significant geologic features and waterfront habitat.

With the completion of the easements accepted last year the Conservancy is now primary easement holder on 301 acres in the county. In addition, the organization holds an executory position on 289 acres.

Last year SRC continued its community outreach activities including attendance at local Conservation Commission meetings to raise awareness of the organization. Executive Director, Linda Hornyak-Grieve, represents SRC in the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership coordinated by Dea Brickner-Wood. The goal in this effort and in our work with the NH Land Conservation Coalition is to find synergies in carrying out our mission and in collaborating with state agencies such as the Coastal Program and Office of State Planning to maximize the resources for land protection in the region. Finally, through issuance of press releases on easements and representation at various events focused on land preservation we strive to have our presence known.

These wonderful accomplishments were offset by some challenges (or shall I say opportunities)? Last year SRC had the “opportunity” to defend a legal challenge of the Gagne conservation easement on the Salmon Falls River in Rochester. Although the outcome was legally favorable for the Conservancy, it was not financially favorable. An appeal went out for donations to offset the costs of defending the easement and, through the generous donations of some SRC members, $10,000 was donated to defray some of the legal costs. We are slowly paying down the balance of $4,431 and are confident that we can retire the outstanding legal fees in the next year. Nonetheless, the litigation has put a severe strain on the organization’s balance sheet and we welcome additional contributions to assist in paying down the balance of the legal fees.

Annual Meeting Election of Officers and Board Members
At the Board meeting in December, the Board of Directors elected the following Executive Board members for one-year terms: Nancy Carmer, President; Kevin McEneaney, Vice-President and Treasurer; Steve Dibble, Secretary.

Re-elected Board members for three-year terms are: Don Bailey, Shirley Curtis, Steve Dibble, Kevin McEneaney, Kitty Miller, and Kurt Olson. The Conservancy welcomes new board member Linda McGivern of Rollinsford who brings to the board non-profit fund-raising and administrative experience as well as enthusiasm and energy. Welcome Linda!!

What’s New?
This spring SRC accepted an executory position on two conservation parcels in the Allen Farm Subdivision on Packers Falls Road in Durham. This easement preserves a total of 41 acres. SRC is also currently working on an easement in Lee on the Lamprey River. Look for progress reports on that easement in future newsletters.

Also this spring SRC Board members attended the public forums offered by the Dover Open Lands Committee. We remain committed to partnering with this organization in their land conservation efforts in Dover.

In an effort to increase membership and boost our financial resources, the Board participated in a one-day budgeting and fundraising workshop for land trusts in southeastern New Hampshire. Chris Strong of the Strong Resources Group led the workshop. SRC was represented at the seminar by board members Kevin McEneaney, Art Corte, Ed Mullen and Nancy Carmer. This effort has resulted in an action plan with short- and long-term goals for fundraising and membership recruitment. At our last meeting each board member provided 10 new recruited members and discussed the addition of 2 to 4 new board members. This exercise has been both challenging and exciting. Without this critical organizational step we believe that our ability to continue the important role SRC plays in open space preservation in this region will become tenuous. If you are interested in assisting in any way, whether it be through easement monitoring, membership activities, accounting and budget oversight, leading a field trip, developing educational materials, awareness raising or other administrative help, we welcome your thoughts.

Flotsam and Jetsam
Thanks to Board Member Art Corte you can now learn about the Conservancy via the internet. Check us out at www.straffordriversconservancy.org. Keep in mind that we need to work more on information for the site and to increase our links to other organizations similar to ours. If you have ideas or wish to help us on further development of the site, please contact us.

Please take a minute to review your membership status. If you haven’t renewed it in the past year, we would be grateful for your continued support in our land protection efforts.

We always welcome your thoughts on initiatives, on potential easements, on soliciting new members, and in volunteering. If you have ideas or would like us to contact potential new members (either corporate or individuals), please contact our Executive Director, Linda Hornyak-Grieve, at 868-1494. Thank you for your continued support!

-Nancy M. Carmer, President