Grants for the Granite State

By Forest Society Staff

In December 2022, Governor Sununu announced $4.3 million in matching grants to support 34 land conser vation and historic preser vation projects across the state. Provided by the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the grants will assist municipalities, nonprofits, and community groups in rehabilitating 17 historic structures and permanently conser ving more than 2,700 acres of farm, timber, and ecologically significant land in all 10 counties across the state “The Forest Society is grateful to receive $307,500 in LCHIP funding to support the Forest Society's land conservation projects in Canterbury, Concord, and Middleton, which will protect water quality and wildlife habitat in these communities,” says Brian Hotz, vice president for land conservation.

Grant recipients are required to match each dollar contributed by LCHIP with a minimum of one additional dollar and to complete the funded projects according to the program’s rigorous standards. The 2022 awards of $4 3 million will be matched by more than $15 million in funding from other public and private sources, infusing a total of more than $19 million into the state’s economy in direct project activity “It’s such a pleasure to…support the efforts of these organizations to preserve our state’s heritage,” said LCHIP board chair Ben Wilcox “The projects the grants support represent the heart of the Granite State They mean the preservation of our history, our culture, and our stories for generations to come.”

The Forest Society projects that received LCHIP funding are:

• Deepwood Forest Conservation Easement, Canterbury: A $180,000 grant will help conserve the 385-acre Deepwood Forest Dotted with pockets of verdant wetlands and more than 30 vernal pools, the property contains some of the highest quality wildlife habitat in New Hampshire and will be open to the public for recreational use.

• Morrill Dairy Farm Conservation Easement, Concord: The Forest Society has been awarded $72,500 to help purchase an easement on 208 acres of the Morrill Dairy Farm in Concord. The project will conserve 6,300 feet of frontage on the Merrimack River, 156 acres of prime farmland soils, and 162 acres of high-quality wildlife habitat The farm sells milk to Hood Inc., meats at their retail shop and at the Concord Farmers Market, and grows corn, barley, oats, and wheat for local distilling markets and feed

• Coskie Conservation Easement, Middleton: A $55,000 grant will help protect the 82-acre Coskie property in Middleton. This project will help conserve a crucial “donut hole” at the center of the Forest Society's 2,746-acre Moose Mountains Reservation Protection of this property will conserve important working forest and wildlife habitat, as well as ensure continued access and enjoyment of the property by the public.

“LCHIP is one of the most competitive grant programs in the state,” LCHIP Executive Director Paula Bellemore says. “This year we received 55 applications requesting $7.8 million in grant funding, with only $4 3 million available I am grateful for the 17 conservation and preservation experts who each volunteered over 100 hours reading proposals and crisscrossing the state visiting project sites, and for LCHIP’s Board of Directors who carefully considered each proposal before making the difficult funding decisions.”

Recipients of the 2022 LCHIP grants are expected to complete the funded work within two years.

To learn more about the progress of these ongoing land protection projects, and see our recent conservation accomplishments, visit forestsociety.org/current-projects.