The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) today released a request for proposals for its 2025 grant programs:
Land Conservation Grant Program, which funds transaction-related expenses on land conservation projects in the lower Merrimack Valley watershed of southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. The program underwrites transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation transactions that protect land identified as a priority in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan (2014). The MCP has $117,434 to re-grant in 2025 for this grant program.
Environmental Science, Education and Outreach Grant Program, which provides funding for environmental science, education and outreach activities related directly to the Merrimack River or its watershed. Funds can be used for activities such as youth or public environmental educational activities, development of outreach and educational materials, river clean ups, water quality testing and monitoring activities, and other related activities. The MCP has $25,000 to re-grant in 2025 for this grant program.
The grant programs are privately funded and administered by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests on behalf of the Merrimack Conservation Partnership. Non-profit land trusts, municipalities, and state agencies are all eligible to apply for an MCP grant.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a regional conservation alliance formed to protect the southern portion of the greater Merrimack River watershed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts through accelerated land and water protection, advocacy, restoration, outreach and education. The Partnership works by supporting and fostering collaboration, coordination, and innovation among partner organizations to strengthen our individual and collective efforts toward achieving the shared goal of a clean, healthy Merrimack River.
The Merrimack watershed is home to more than 2.6 million people–1.87 million in Massachusetts and 748,000 in New Hampshire. The 2010 U.S. Forest Service report, Forests on the Edge, identified the Merrimack River watershed as the most threatened in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forest land over the next twenty years.
Working together, the Partnership has developed a science-driven, consensus-based land conservation plan that integrates the best available natural resource data with expert judgment to prioritize land protection to protect water quality (especially drinking water supplies), preserve aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, conserve the region’s working farms and forests, and provide recreational open space. The Merrimack Conservation Plan identifies 1.3 million acres of land, representing about 54% of the watershed’s total land area, as a priority for conservation. As of the completion of the plan in 2014, only 23% of these priority acres was permanently conserved.
Before applying for an MCP grant, applicants should carefully review the request for proposals and application materials. These are available at the “Grants” section of the MCP website at http://merrimackconservationpartnership.org. The website also includes information on the Merrimack Valley region and conservation plan, maps, a list of towns in the region, etc.
Projects must be located in the towns listed on the website to be eligible to apply for funding.
Completed applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 29, 2025. Completed applications may be submitted electronically to ccolton@forestsociety.org. Completed applications may also be sent by mail and must be postmarked no later than August 29, 2025. Mail applications to: Connie Colton, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301. Successful grant applicants will be notified by October 10, 2025.
For all questions regarding the grant program and the application process, please contact Brian Hotz at (603) 224-9945 x 316 or bhotz@forestsociety.org.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2024 recipients of its eighth round of Environmental Science, Education and Outreach grants in the Merrimack Valley Watershed region of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In this round of grants, the MCP awarded grants totaling $25,000 to eight projects that will help fund environmental science, education, and outreach activities related directly to the Merrimack River or its watershed. Funds can be used for activities such as youth or public environmental educational activities, development of outreach and educational materials, river clean ups, water quality testing and monitoring activities, and other science, education, and outreach efforts.
In 2010, the Merrimack was identified by the US Forest Service as the most threatened watershed in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forestland over the next 20 years. The two-state region of the Merrimack Watershed spans a total of 2.1 million acres and 3,275 square miles, of which 54% is in New Hampshire and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, NH and flows through eight of New Hampshire’s largest cities, then continues into Massachusetts to its mouth at Newburyport.
Launched in 2012, the Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a collaborative effort of private organizations and public agencies working on land conservation in the Merrimack Valley Watershed. The partners share a vision of conserving (on a strictly willing-seller/donor basis) the region’s most ecologically significant forests and the key connections between them for wildlife passage and human recreation.
The 2024 Grant Award winners are:
Applicant: Merrimack River Watershed Council MCP Grant Award: $3,842 Total Project Costs: $76,779
Summary: Water Quality Program Analyst The Merrimack River Watershed Council’s Water Quality Program Analyst has a multi-faceted role with a number of activities that address water quality issues, especially in the lower Merrimack watershed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Funding will support the continuation of education programs in-classroom and outdoors exposing students to STEM career paths and environmental stewardship. The program analyst also coordinates trash clean-up events throughout the river system and surrounding lands, giving local volunteers a better understanding of the need for ongoing river restoration, and works on water quality monitoring with staff and volunteers to provide data to better understand the effects of changing environmental conditions and increasing human impacts.
Applicant: Appalachian Mountain Club MCP Grant Award: $3,842 Estimated Total Project Costs: $63,871
Summary: Living Downstream This project addresses the need to understand the extent of—and to communicate—environmental risk of mercury in the Merrimack River watershed, with a focus on engaging communities in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts, through hands-on, place-based environmental education. The Dragonfly Mercury Project is a national-scale research and monitoring project that has developed and is implementing sampling of aquatic dragonfly larvae that can be used as biosentinels, highlighting waterbodies at relatively higher or lower risk for mercury contamination in foodwebs. The Appalachian Mountain Club will continue to engage communities in sampling programs and developing educational materials based on their research.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2024 recipients of its twelfth round of Land Conservation Grants, which help underwrite conservation projects that protect the ecologically important Merrimack Valley Watershed region of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In the latest grant round, the MCP awarded grants totaling $116,304 to eleven projects that will conserve a total of approximately 1,543 acres of land. The total value of the land to be protected in these latest grant rounds is conservatively estimated at $10.4 million.
In 2010, the Merrimack was identified by the US Forest Service as the most threatened watershed in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forestland over the next 20 years. The two-state region of the Merrimack Watershed spans a total of 2.1 million acres and 3,275 square miles of which 54% is in New Hampshire and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, New Hampshire and flows through eight of New Hampshire’s largest cities, then continues through Massachusetts to its mouth at Newburyport.
Launched in 2012, the Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a collaborative effort of private organizations and public agencies working on land conservation in the Merrimack Valley Watershed. The partners share a vision of conserving (on a strictly willing-seller/donor basis) the region’s most ecologically significant forests and the key connections between them for wildlife passage and human recreation.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership Land Conservation Grants program underwrites transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation transactions that protect land identified in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan.
Below is a list of the 2024 grant recipients and a brief description of each of their projects.
Great Meadow – Follansbee Parcel in New Boston, NH
Applicant: Piscataquog Land Conservancy Acres to be conserved: 294 Protection Method: Land Purchase MCP Grant Award: $27,434 Estimated Total Project Cost: $536,750
Piscataquog Land Conservancy has entered into an agreement to purchase in fee 250+/- acres that comprise the last remaining unprotected shoreline of the Great Meadow in New Boston, NH. The acquisition will protect prime wetlands, including fourteen confirmed vernal pools, forest and agricultural soils, and a 6,150-foot riparian corridor along Buxton Brook. Once the parcel is placed into conservation, the entire area will encompass roughly 650 acres of unfragmented protected land with only one scenic road cutting through it. There are many recreational opportunities available to the public in and around this parcel, including an existing trail network on-site, which is used for hiking, biking, and snowshoeing and provides excellent opportunities for birdwatching, wildlife observation and fishing.
Baldpate Hill in Georgetown, MA
Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association Acres to be conserved: 75 Protection Method: Land Purchase MCP Grant Award: $7,796 Estimated Total Project Cost: $957,000
Essex County Greenbelt Association is partnering with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation to permanently protect 75 forested acres of land at Baldpate Hill in Georgetown, MA through a bargain sale. Acquisition of this property will expand Greenbelt’s existing 17-acre Baldpate Hill Reservation and ensure that its prime forestland, rare species habitat, wetlands and wellhead protection areas will be forever managed and protected. This project will also offer the opportunity to create public access to a previously landlocked conservation area and creation of recreational trails.
Society of Saint John the Evangelist South in West Newbury, MA
Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association Acres to be conserved: 28 Protection Method: Land Purchase MCP Grant Award: $4,422 Estimated Total Project Cost: $892,500
Essex County Greenbelt Association is working with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation to permanently protect 28 acres of land in West Newbury, owned by the Society of Saint John the Evangelist. Successful acquisition of this land will ensure that its critical natural landscape, multi-town drinking water supply, wetlands and prime forests will be forever protected. In addition, it will expand upon the adjacent Artichoke River Woods, a 45-acre Greenbelt property, to create a contiguous 70-acre conservation area with 2,500 feet of frontage along the Artichoke River. An existing trail network—free and open to all—accessed through the Artichoke River Woods conservation area will enhance public access.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) today released a request for proposals for its 2024 grant programs:
Land Conservation Grant Program, which funds transaction-related expenses on land conservation projects in the lower Merrimack Valley watershed of southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. The program underwrites transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation transactions that protect land identified as a priority in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan (2014). The MCP has $91,304 to re-grant in 2024 for this grant program.
Environmental Science, Education and Outreach Grant Program, which provides funding for environmental science, education and outreach activities related directly to the Merrimack River or its watershed. Funds can be used for activities such as youth or public environmental educational activities, development of outreach and educational materials, river clean ups, water quality testing and monitoring activities, and other related activities. The MCP has $25,000 to re-grant in 2024 for this grant program.
The grant programs are privately funded and administered by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests on behalf of the Merrimack Conservation Partnership. Non-profit land trusts, municipalities, and state agencies are all eligible to apply for an MCP grant.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a regional conservation alliance formed to protect the southern portion of the greater Merrimack River watershed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts through accelerated land and water protection, advocacy, restoration, outreach and education. The Partnership works by supporting and fostering collaboration, coordination, and innovation among partner organizations to strengthen our individual and collective efforts toward achieving the shared goal of a clean, healthy Merrimack River.
The Merrimack watershed is home to more than 2.6 million people–1.87 million in Massachusetts and 748,000 in New Hampshire. The 2010 U.S. Forest Service report, Forests on the Edge, identified the Merrimack River watershed as the most threatened in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forest land over the next twenty years.
Working together, the Partnership has developed a science-driven, consensus-based land conservation plan that integrates the best available natural resource data with expert judgment to prioritize land protection to protect water quality (especially drinking water supplies), preserve aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, conserve the region’s working farms and forests, and provide recreational open space. The Merrimack Conservation Plan identifies 1.3 million acres of land, representing about 54% of the watershed’s total land area, as a priority for conservation. As of the completion of the plan in 2014, only 23% of these priority acres was permanently conserved.
Before applying for an MCP grant, applicants should carefully review the request for proposals and application materials. These are available at the “Grants” section of the MCP website at http://merrimackconservationpartnership.org. The website also includes information on the Merrimack Valley region and conservation plan, maps, a list of towns in the region, etc.
Projects must be located in the towns listed on the website to be eligible to apply for funding.
Completed applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 30, 2024. Completed applications may be submitted electronically to ccolton@forestsociety.org. Completed applications may also be sent by mail and must be postmarked no later than August 30, 2024. Mail applications to: Connie Colton, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301. Successful grant applicants will be notified by October 22, 2024.
For all questions regarding the grant program and the application process, please contact Brian Hotz at (603) 224-9945 x 316 or bhotz@forestsociety.org.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2023 recipients of its seventh round of Environmental Science, Education and Outreach grants in the Merrimack Valley Watershed region of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In this round of grants, the MCP awarded grants totaling $15,000 to eight projects that will help fund environmental science, education, and outreach activities related directly to the Merrimack River or its watershed. Funds can be used for activities such as youth or public environmental educational activities, development of outreach and educational materials, river clean ups, water quality testing and monitoring activities, and other science, education, and outreach efforts.
In 2010, the Merrimack was identified by the US Forest Service as the most threatened watershed in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forestland over the next 20 years. The two-state region of the Merrimack Watershed spans a total of 2.1 million acres and 3,275 square miles, of which 54% is in New Hampshire and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, NH and flows through eight of New Hampshire’s largest cities, then continues into Massachusetts to its mouth at Newburyport.
Launched in 2012, the Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a collaborative effort of private organizations and public agencies working on land conservation in the Merrimack Valley Watershed. The partners share a vision of conserving (on a strictly willing-seller/donor basis) the region’s most ecologically significant forests and the key connections between them for wildlife passage and human recreation.
The 2023 Grant Award winners are:
Applicant:Upper Merrimack Watershed Association MCP Grant Award: $2,250 Estimated Total Project Costs: $33,586
Summary: Biological Monitoring in the Upper Merrimack River and Tributaries Since 1994, the Upper Merrimack Watershed Association’s (UMWA) Monitoring Program has been a volunteer-administered program providing data to municipal, state, and federal agencies. Each winter, volunteers are trained to identify and enumerate benthic macroinvertebrates, providing a long-term assessment of river conditions. Funding granted will be used to purchase stereo microscopes to offer expanded opportunities for volunteers to participate and generate accurate data. Information gathered will be provided to the upper Merrimack community through MerrimackRiver.org, events, media releases, email marketing, blog/forum and social media.
Applicant: Merrimack River Watershed Council MCP Grant Award: $1,125 Total Project Costs: $3,125
Summary: Urban Resilience Program Associate The Merrimack River Watershed Council’s Urban Resilience Program Associate works on environmental issues in the watershed, especially in environment justice urban communities, including youth environmental education, trash clean-up events that mitigate the degradation of water quality, and water quality monitoring. This grant will help fund the program associate’s time to create educational materials, programs and activities; organize outreach materials and recruit volunteers to implement trash clean-up events; and conduct water quality monitoring activities with volunteers through 2024.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2023 recipients of its tenth round of Land Conservation Grants, which help underwrite conservation projects that protect the ecologically important Merrimack Valley Watershed region of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In the latest grant round, the MCP awarded grants totaling $68,697 to six projects that will conserve a total of approximately 904 acres of land. The total value of the land to be protected in these latest grant rounds is conservatively estimated at $4.23 million.
In 2010, the Merrimack was identified by the US Forest Service as the most threatened watershed in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forestland over the next 20 years. The two-state region of the Merrimack Watershed spans a total of 2.1 million acres and 3,275 square miles of which 54% is in New Hampshire and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, New Hampshire and flows through eight of New Hampshire’s largest cities, then continues through Massachusetts to its mouth at Newburyport.
Launched in 2012, the Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a collaborative effort of private organizations and public agencies working on land conservation in the Merrimack Valley Watershed. The partners share a vision of conserving (on a strictly willing-seller/donor basis) the region’s most ecologically significant forests and the key connections between them for wildlife passage and human recreation.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership Land Conservation Grants program underwrites transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation transactions that protect land identified in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan.
Below is a list of the 2023 grant recipients and a brief description of their projects.
Hoyt Farm in Merrimac, MA
Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association Acres to be conserved: 120 Protection Method: Land Purchase MCP Grant Award: $10,000 Estimated Total Project Cost: $1,465,600
Essex County Greenbelt Association (Greenbelt) seeks to preserve Hoyt Farm by acquiring and owning these 120 acres. This farm, one of many former dairies in Essex County, is currently either in hay, corn or other vegetables, and is periodically grazed by 6 cows by the owner. Hoyt Farm is rich in natural resources: the headwaters to the City of Haverhill drinking water supply, intact mature forests, and farmland soils. The property shares its northern border with the Merrimac Town Forest and Greenbelt plans to extend trails from the Town Forest onto Hoyt Farm. Protecting Hoyt Farm will also expand a wildlife corridor mapped as Priority Habitat for Rare Species by MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
Evergreen Farm in Salisbury, MA
Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association Acres to be conserved: 36 Protection Method: Land Purchase MCP Grant Award: $10,000 Estimated Total Project Cost: $1,959,500
Essex County Greenbelt Association (Greenbelt) has an accepted offer to purchase a former Christmas Tree Farm adjacent to the Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Once Greenbelt has acquired the property, 18 acres will be protected via a sale to the Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game, expanding the Crane Pond WMA, and will be open to the public. The remaining 18 acres will be sold to a private party subject to a conservation easement permitting farming outside of wetland buffers with a farm conservation plan, wildlife habitat management, and passive recreational use.
Casella, Priest and Hallet Conservation Lands in Groton, MA
Applicant: Groton Conservation Trust Acres to be conserved: 199.73 Protection Method: Donated Conservation Restrictions MCP Grant Award: $1,197 Estimated Total Project Cost: $39,595
The Groton Conservation Trust (GCT) engaged in a partnership with the Town of Groton, MA in 2023 to permanently protect three parcels in Groton. The Town purchased the properties in fee and the GCT was granted the conservation restrictions for the three properties. This is the latest effort of a longstanding partnership between the Town and the GCT in which the two organizations share expertise and resources for the shared goal of permanent protection of local land with high conservation value. These parcels add to existing land held in permanent protection and include significant acreage of estimated habitat of rare wildlife. In addition, all three parcels are open to the public for non-motorized recreation and include trails maintained by the Town Trails Committee.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2022 recipients of its sixth round of Environmental Science, Education and Outreach grants in the Merrimack Valley Watershed region of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In this round of grants, the MCP awarded grants totaling $15,000 to eight projects that will help fund environmental science, education, and outreach activities related directly to the Merrimack River or its watershed. Funds can be used for activities such as youth or public environmental educational activities, development of outreach and educational materials, river clean ups, water quality testing and monitoring activities, and other science, education, and outreach efforts.
In 2010, the Merrimack was identified by the US Forest Service as the most threatened watershed in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forestland over the next 20 years. The two-state region of the Merrimack Watershed spans a total of 2.1 million acres and 3,275 square miles of which 54% is in NH and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, NH and flows through eight of NH’s largest cities, then continues into Massachusetts to its mouth at Newburyport.
Launched in 2012, the Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a collaborative effort of private organizations and public agencies working on land conservation in the Merrimack Valley Watershed. The partners share a vision of conserving (on a strictly willing-seller/donor basis) the region’s most ecologically significant forests and the key connections between them for wildlife passage and human recreation.
Applicant:Appalachian Mountain Club MCP Grant Award: $2,363 Estimated Total Project Costs: $53,478
Summary: Living Downstream This project addresses the need to understand the extent of and to communicate environmental risk of mercury in the Merrimack River watershed through hands-on, place-based environmental education. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) will continue its participation in the Dragonfly Mercury Project, a national-scale monitoring, research, education and community science project, to help reduce the community’s exposure to mercury through fish consumption. Staff of the AMC will partner with community organizations and schools, engaging Lowell and Lawrence youth in the scientific process, environmental education and outdoor experience, and in communicating environmental risk. They will conduct a Summer Institute to train educators to support data collection, train students in the use of the scientific method, and assess relative risk for mercury based on dragonfly and fish data. The following winter, they will work with students to develop and deploy a symposium to share scientific results and strategies.
Applicant: Ipswich River Watershed Association MCP Grant Award: $1,182 Total Project Costs: $17,328
Summary: Parker, Ipswich, Essex Rivers Restoration Partnership (PIE-Rivers) The Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) began the RiverWatch program to address water quality threats to the River. The PIE-Rivers Partnership was then created to increase collaboration around common restoration and water quality goals among regional stakeholders. IRWA will continue to provide training and materials to volunteers to perform river monitoring procedures. Results of that monitoring will be converted into a scoring system, forming the basis of the river health index. A data dashboard will be produced online describing the current state of the river with recommendations on how conditions can be improved.
Applicant: Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, Inc. MCP Grant Award: $2,198 Estimated Total Project Costs: $11,650
Summary: Community Conservation in our Waterways – Powered by People Lowell parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) staff, with help from trained volunteers, will engage youth stewards, intergenerational teams of volunteers, corporate groups, senior resident and local college student to contribute to community science while also learning how their stewardship contributes to our local water quality. Community conservation projects will include conducting fish surveys, monitoring endangered Blanding’s turtles, offering youth naturalist programs, and hosting river clean-ups and invasive removals.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2022 recipients of its eighth and ninth rounds of Land Conservation Grants, which help underwrite conservation projects that protect the ecologically important Merrimack Valley Watershed region of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In the latest grant rounds, the MCP awarded grants totaling $87,000 to eight projects that will conserve a total of approximately 1,035 acres of land. The total value of the land to be protected in these latest grant rounds is conservatively estimated at $3.85 million.
In 2010, the Merrimack was identified by the US Forest Service as the most threatened watershed in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forestland over the next 20 years. The two-state region of the Merrimack Watershed spans a total of 2.1 million acres and 3,275 square miles of which 54% is in New Hampshire and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, NH and flows through eight of New Hampshire’s largest cities, then continues through Massachusetts to its mouth at Newburyport.
Launched in 2012, the Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a collaborative effort of private organizations and public agencies working on land conservation in the Merrimack Valley Watershed. The partners share a vision of conserving (on a strictly willing-seller/donor basis) the region’s most ecologically significant forests and the key connections between them for wildlife passage and human recreation.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership Land Conservation Grants program underwrites transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation transactions that protect land identified in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan.
Below is a list of the 2022 grant recipients and a brief description of their projects.
Crystal Lake Watershed Conservation Initiative in Haverhill, MA
Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association Acres to be conserved: 86.6 Protection Method: Purchased Conservation Restriction, Land Purchase, & Land Donation MCP Grant Award: $13,000 Estimated Total Project Cost: $866,600
Essex County Greenbelt Association (Greenbelt) has the opportunity to conserve nearly 90 acres of forests and wetlands in the immediate vicinity of one of the City of Haverhill’s two primary water sources: Crystal Lake. Through the purchase of a conservation restriction on 54 acres, the purchase of 19 acres in fee, and accepting a donation of 15 acres, Greenbelt, in partnership with the City of Haverhill, will be permanently protecting surface water areas that impact the quality of Haverhill’s drinking water supply. These three properties also support extraordinary habitat, including eight vernal pools and will connect and expanding adjacent conservation areas, creating opportunities to grow the public trail system.
Northern Woods in Salisbury, MA
Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association Acres to be conserved: 15.7 Protection Method: Land Purchase MCP Grant Award: $7,000 Estimated Total Project Cost: $73,500
Essex County Greenbelt Association (Greenbelt) is working to preserve 15.7 acres of critical forest and marsh habitat bordering the Great Marsh in Salisbury. The forest and natural upland buffer is important for providing important coastal wildlife habitat and for absorbing storm surges. This property is part of a 200-acre area of contiguous forest with actively used trails on the edge of the Great Marsh. Although there are not currently trails on the property, it will be open to free public passive recreational access and Greenbelt hopes to make a trail connection across adjacent land in the future to allow trail users to access scenic views of the Great Marsh.
Clarkridge Farm in Goffstown, NH
Applicant: Piscataquog Land Conservancy Acres to be conserved: 70 Protection Method: Purchased Conservation Easement MCP Grant Award: $20,000 Estimated Total Project Cost: $907,500
Piscataquog Land Conservancy (PLC) has entered into an agreement to purchase a conservation easement on 70 acres that comprise a portion of the historic Clarkridge Farm. The conservation easement would conserve prime agricultural and forest soils and prime wetlands and wildlife habitat, as well as preserve a well-traveled scenic vista and add to an extensive mosaic of conservation land in the area. This is the latest in a long-running regional conservation effort between PLC, the Forest Society, the Town of Goffstown and others to protect the Harry Brook watershed. Clarkridge Farm is one of the last remaining working farms in Goffstown and it is expected the landowner will retain rights to maintain their farm in a sustainable manner. The farm invites the community to special events including Farm Days and Maple Open Houses. Non-motorized public access is allowed and it is expected that will continue under thr proposed PLC easement..
Deepwood Forest in Canterbury and Northfield, NH
Applicant: Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Acres to be conserved: 394.6 Protection Method: Purchased Conservation Easement MCP Grant Award: $12,000 Estimated Total Project Costs: $431,943
The Forest Society seeks to permanently protect the 395-acre Deepwood Forest by purchasing a conservation easement at a generous bargain sale. With the conveying of this conservation easement, diverse ecological features combined with responsibly managed recreational opportunities will be protected forever. The landowner purchased the land with the intent to expand and welcome public access and has already constructed a small parking area and improved and added trails for hiking, showshoeing, and nature observation. A snowmobile trail extends through the property. This land is located within a large block of unfragmented land and this project may be the catalyst for other abutting tracts to be permanently protected.
Derevya Farm in Allenstown, NH
Applicant: Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests Acres to be conserved: 116 Protection Method: Donated Conservation Easement MCP Grant Award: $8,000 Estimated Total Project Costs: $349,070
The Forest Society is working with the Trowbridge and Bonk family to protect their property in Allenstown with a conservation easement. This high-quality forested land is situated across the road from Bear Brook State Park and is adjacent to more than 9,000 conserved acres. The land was purchased in 1997 with the intent to prevent further development and protect the wildlife corridor to the north of the state park. They now want to ensure that this corridor is permanently protected. This project will also protect more than 1,200 fee of Little Bear Brook, part of the Merrimack River watershed. The public currently uses the land for outdoor recreation, such as hunting and hiking on the trail network and the conservation easement will guarantee public pedestrian access for outdoor recreation in the future.
Palmer Bartell Addition in Brookline, NH
Applicant: Town of Brookline Conservation Commission Acres to be conserved: 305.3 Protection Method: Land Purchase MCP Grant Award: $9,000 Estimated Total Project Costs: $1,209,178
The Town of Brookline has acquired a group of parcels from three landowners to permanently protect them from development and add 305 acres to an existing multi-town conservation block. This addition creates a conserved area of more than 2,000 mostly contiguous acres. This project adds land to a robust network of trails used by hikers, bikers, and in some cases snowmobiles. The project area contains 1.7 miles of a former rail bed which is now a trail heavily used by the public and which hosts the annual Ghost Train Trail Races which raise funds for the Brookline and Milford conservation commissions.
George Williams Hoyt Farm Conservation Donation in Merrimac, MA
Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association Acres to be conserved: 17.8 Protection Method: Land Donation MCP Grant Award: $9,000 Estimated Total Project Cost: $85,680
The George Williams Hoyt Family Trust is donating two parcels of land, remnants of the original family farm, to Essex County Greenbelt Association. The elder Mr. Hoyt may continue grazing his cattle on the land. But this practice will be phased out over the next 10 years and then no further agriculture will be allowed on the property so it can revegetate. Both parcels harbor wetlands and a seasonal stream that are part of the East Meadow River watershed supplying water for the city of Haverhill.
Tilander in Holden, MA
Applicant: Massachusetts Audubon Society Acres to be conserved: 31.2 Protection Method: Land Donation MCP Grant Award: $9,000 Estimated Total Project Costs: $244,868
In November 2022, Massachusetts Audubon acquired the fee interest in 31.2 acres through a bequest from the Edna Tilander Realty Trust, to be held be held as part of the Eagle Lake Wildlife Sanctuary. This project fills a gap in a block of protected land totaling more than 10,000 acres. This is particularly significant given that this is just outside a dense urban area where the threat of development is especially acute. This protects an area in a narrow corridor of land in which plants and animals may move through the landscape without human impediment. While there are no current plans to build a trail on this addition to the Wildlife Sanctuary, it could support an extension to the sanctuary trail network in the future and prevents development of land nearby, which would have degraded the visitor experience on Mass Audubon’s nearby trails.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) today released a request for proposals for a November 2022 round of its land conservation grant program.
This program funds transaction-related expenses on land conservation projects in the lower Merrimack Valley watershed of southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. The program underwrites transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation transactions that protect land identified as a priority in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan (2014). The MCP has $27,000 to re-grant in the fall of 2022 for this grant program.
This grant program is privately funded and administered by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests on behalf of the Merrimack Conservation Partnership. Non-profit land trusts, municipalities, and state agencies are all eligible to apply for an MCP grant.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a regional conservation alliance formed to protect the southern portion of the greater Merrimack River watershed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts through accelerated land and water protection, advocacy, restoration, outreach and education. The Partnership works by supporting and fostering collaboration, coordination, and innovation among partner organizations to strengthen our individual and collective efforts toward achieving the shared goal of a clean, healthy Merrimack River.
The Merrimack watershed is home to more than 2.6 million people–1.87 million in Massachusetts and 748,000 in New Hampshire. This represents 57% of the total NH population and 29% of the MA population (2014). The 2010 U.S. Forest Service report, Forests on the Edge, identified the Merrimack River watershed as the most threatened in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forest land over the next twenty years.
Working together, the Partnership has developed a science-driven, consensus-based land conservation plan that integrates the best available natural resource data with expert judgment to prioritize land protection to protect water quality (especially drinking water supplies), preserve aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, conserve the region’s working farms and forests, and provide recreational open space. The Merrimack Conservation Plan identifies 1.3 million acres of land, representing about 54% of the watershed’s total land area, as a priority for conservation. As of the completion of the plan in 2014, only 23% of these priority acres was permanently conserved.
Before applying for an MCP grant, applicants should carefully review the request for proposals and application materials. These are available at the “Grants” section of the MCP website at http://merrimackconservationpartnership.org. The website also includes information on the Merrimack Valley region and conservation plan, maps, a list of towns in the region, etc.
Projects must be located in the towns listed on the website to be eligible to apply for funding.
Completed applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 2, 2022 Completed applications may be submitted electronically to ccolton@forestsociety.org. Completed applications may also be sent by mail, and must be postmarked no later than December 2, 2022. Mail applications to: Connie Colton, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301. Successful grant applicants will be notified before December 31, 2022. For all questions regarding the grant program and the application process, please contact Brian Hotz at (603) 224-9945 x 316 or bhotz@forestsociety.org.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) today released a request for proposals for its 2022 grant programs:
Land Conservation Grant Program, which funds transaction-related expenses on land conservation projects in the lower Merrimack Valley watershed of southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. The program underwrites transaction costs—appraisals, surveys, title research, staff time, etc.—on conservation transactions that protect land identified as a priority in the Merrimack Valley Regional Conservation Plan (2014). The MCP has $87,000 to re-grant in 2022 for this grant program.
Environmental Science, Education and Outreach Grant Program, which provides funding for environmental science, education and outreach activities related directly to the Merrimack River or its watershed. Funds can be used for activities such as youth or public environmental educational activities, development of outreach and educational materials, river clean ups, water quality testing and monitoring activities, and other related activities. The MCP has $15,000 to re-grant in 2022 for this grant program.
The grant programs are privately funded and administered by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests on behalf of the Merrimack Conservation Partnership. Non-profit land trusts, municipalities, and state agencies are all eligible to apply for an MCP grant.
The Merrimack Conservation Partnership is a regional conservation alliance formed to protect the southern portion of the greater Merrimack River watershed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts through accelerated land and water protection, advocacy, restoration, outreach and education. The Partnership works by supporting and fostering collaboration, coordination, and innovation among partner organizations to strengthen our individual and collective efforts toward achieving the shared goal of a clean, healthy Merrimack River.
The Merrimack watershed is home to more than 2.6 million people–1.87 million in Massachusetts and 748,000 in New Hampshire. This represents 57% of the total NH population and 29% of the MA population (2014). The 2010 U.S. Forest Service report, Forests on the Edge, identified the Merrimack River watershed as the most threatened in the nation in terms of projected loss of private forest land over the next twenty years.
Working together, the Partnership has developed a science-driven, consensus-based land conservation plan that integrates the best available natural resource data with expert judgment to prioritize land protection to protect water quality (especially drinking water supplies), preserve aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, conserve the region’s working farms and forests, and provide recreational open space. The Merrimack Conservation Plan identifies 1.3 million acres of land, representing about 54% of the watershed’s total land area, as a priority for conservation. As of the completion of the plan in 2014, only 23% of these priority acres was permanently conserved.
Before applying for an MCP grant, applicants should carefully review the request for proposals and application materials. These are available at the “Grants” section of the MCP website at http://merrimackconservationpartnership.org. The website also includes information on the Merrimack Valley region and conservation plan, maps, a list of towns in the region, etc.
Projects must be located in the towns listed on the website to be eligible to apply for funding.
Completed applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 15, 2022 Completed applications may be submitted electronically to ccolton@forestsociety.org. Completed applications may also be sent by mail, and must be postmarked no later than September 15, 2022. Mail applications to: Connie Colton, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, 54 Portsmouth Street, Concord, NH 03301. Successful grant applicants will be notified by October 31, 2022.
For all questions regarding the grant program and the application process, please contact Brian Hotz at (603) 224-9945 x 316 or bhotz@forestsociety.org.
Merrimack Conservation Partnership 