Permanent Conservation of 90 Acres in Concord NH
Left to Right: Liz Short, Executive Director, Five Rivers Conservation Trust; Laura Sweeney, Paralegal, BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC; Cynthia Potter Johnson, Potter Farm
BCM is proud to announce they oversaw the legal conservation of Potter Farm on Oak Hill Road in Concord on August 14th. Laura Sweeney, BCM’s very own paralegal, finalized the conservation easement deed which outlined the conservation of 90 acres of land on Potter Farm to be held by Five Rivers Conservation Trust.
BCM represents Five Rivers Conservation Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving open space across the greater Capital Region of New Hampshire. Conservation easements help restrict future development of the land. The ultimate goal of a conservation easement is to protect the land’s renewable and natural resources over the long term. According to their website, Five Rivers is now the legal holder of more than 80 properties, totaling 5,700 acres. These properties represent a significant conservation asset for nearby residents and wildlife. Five Rivers envisions productive farms and forests, clean water, thriving wildlife habitats, and climate-resilient landscapes throughout our region. They envision communities where people access the outdoors near home, feel connected to nature, and understand and advocate for the benefits of land conservation.
For more than 200 years, generations retained in the same family at Potter Farm have been protectors of the land. For the land that is now under conservation, about 56 acres of the farm are forested and used for maple sugaring and timber; an additional 27 acres, which abut Turtletown Pond, are open fields used for cultivating hay and produce. At the Potter farm stand, vegetables and berries are available for retail sale, including cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, summer and winter squash, pumpkins and potatoes. They also produce maple sugar products, including a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup.
Five Rivers has been working with BCM for many years on this project. This conservation easement took on a life of its own, garnering support from national, state, and community funding partners. Taking on equal shares of the purchase price, The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Agricultural Land Easement Program and the City of Concord each contributed 50%. The New Hampshire State Conservation Committee “Moose Plate” Conservation Grant Program; and the Merrimack Conservation Partnership are included as other funding partners.
Conservation easements give future generations the opportunity to experience the land in its natural state for years to come.
References
Five Rivers Email Announcement
Five Rivers Website Our Story
https://5rct.org/who-we-are/our-story/
Five Rivers Facebook Post