News from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
December 21, 2005
Phone: (603) 271-3211
Email: info@wildlife.state.nh.us
For information and online licenses, visit
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us
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CONTACT:
Duane Hyde: The Nature Conservancy; (603) 224-5853, ext. 20;
dhyde@tnc.org
Edward Robinson: N.H. Fish and Game Department; (603) 271-2461
Peter Wellenberger: N.H. Fish and Game Department; (603) 868-1095
Dec. 21, 2005
PARTNERSHIP SET TO TRANSFER 12 GREAT BAY PARCELS TO N.H. FISH AND GAME
CONCORD, N.H. - In a sign of successful conservation around New
Hampshire's Great Bay, a dozen tracts of land - totaling 806 acres - will be
transferred next month from The Nature Conservancy to the New Hampshire
Fish and Game Department.
The N.H. Executive Council today approved the transfer of 12 parcels in
eight towns from The Nature Conservancy to the Fish and Game
Department, all parcels the Conservancy purchased on behalf of the Great Bay
Resource Protection Partnership. The Conservancy will also transfer
conservation easements from an additional two tracts, totaling 220.5 acres, to
Fish and Game. The actual transfer of the properties and easements will
take place in January.
The tracts and easements range in size from 10 acres to 359 acres and
were purchased by The Nature Conservancy from willing sellers between
1999 and June of this year. The tracts were identified and purchased for
their excellent habitat for waterfowl and other species and for their
value in protecting Great Bay's water quality.
"These coastal properties include critical habitat for many wildlife
species, particularly for waterfowl and marine resources in the state,"
said Lee E. Perry, executive director of the New Hampshire Fish and Game
Department. "With the lands protected, the people of New Hampshire will
benefit from the enhancement of water quality in the region, and from
the opportunity to explore and enjoy them for generations to come. We
thank our many partners who have worked hard to create this legacy."
Daryl Burtnett, state director of the Conservancy in New Hampshire,
offered his thanks to Gov. Lynch and the Executive Council, "who are
taking an important step in the protection and stewardship of the natural
character of the Great Bay region. By approving the transfer of these key
parcels, our leaders are following through on a promise to future
generations to keep Great Bay as one of New Hampshire's natural gems. This
effort is fueled by funding brought to New Hampshire by Senator Judd
Gregg and monies provided as part of the North American Waterfowl
Management Plan, and accomplished through the collective work of the Great Bay
Resource Protection Partnership. This combination of public and private
effort at the local, state and federal level creates a force for nature
of which we can all be proud."
The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership uses a comprehensive
approach to identify Great Bay's most critical habitats and to protect
them. The Nature Conservancy is lead acquisition agent, and partners
include Ducks Unlimited, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve,
Natural Resources Conservation Service, New Hampshire Audubon, New Hampshire
Fish and Game Department, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire
Forests, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
Since 1994 the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership has protected
some 4,000 acres of critical habitat in the Great Bay area. Local
communities and other organizations have protected an additional 3,020 acres
that the partnership has been able to use as match to leverage federal
funding. The leading sources of funds include the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, North American Wetland Conservation Act and
private donations.
Like many of the tracts previously protected on behalf of the
Partnership, the latest round of tracts is being transferred to the Fish and
Game Department because the Partnership deemed that the agency was the
best entity to hold and manage these parcels. Other Partnership-protected
tracts have been retained by The Nature Conservancy or have been
transferred to other principal or community partners.
Before any tracts can be transferred to the state, the N.H. Executive
Council has to approve the measure. Previous Partnership transfers from
The Nature Conservancy to the state have batched five to seven parcels
in each request to the Executive Council. Today's batch of 12 parcels
and two conservation easements is the largest Partnership transfer to
date. Next spring, the Partnership expects to request transfer of another
batch of parcels to the state.
The latest parcels to be transferred include clusters around Crommet
and Lubberland creeks in Durham, Tuttle Swamp and Shackford Point in
Newmarket, the Piscassic River in Exeter and Epping, and along the bay's
eastern shore near the Newington-Greenland town line.
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The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the
state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us.
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
1961 The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire has protected nearly
118,000 acres of ecologically significant land and has worked with partners
to protect an additional 148,000 acres in the state. The Conservancy
owns and manages 30 preserves across the state. For more information,
visit http://www.nature.org/newhampshire.
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Copyright 2005 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive,
Concord, NH 03301. Comments or questions concerning this list should
be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.
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