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.

Applicant: Merrohawke Nature School, Inc.
MCP Grant Award: $2,363
Total Project Costs: $103,200

Summary:
BOAT Camp
Merrohawke Nature School established their BOAT Camp summer program to foster nature connection and environmental education through a maritime lens. BOAT Camp runs for 9 weeks during the summer, when every day the F/V Erica lee departs from the Newburyport waterfront with 26 students to explore the Merrimack River, Isles of Shoals and area tide pools and beaches. Over the course of the summer, 300 students ages 9 and older spend their days visiting and exploring salt marshes, beaches, and river flats, haul lobster traps, fish, and examine sea life on the ocean bottom. Students learn about the unique ecology and history of the Merrimack River, as well as current threats to its water quality. Funding helps to support staffing and operations so that no student is ever turned away for financial reasons.A

Applicant:  Merrimack River Watershed Council
MCP Grant Award:  $2,363
Total Project Costs:  $3,549

Summary:
River Clean-Up and Outreach
Trash and debris in the Merrimack River is a persistent problem and contributes to the degradation of water quality and aquatic habitat. The Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) recognizes the need to coordinate consistent cleanup events in a strategic manner throughout our river system. In 2023, the focus for trash removal community events will concentrate on the following Merrimack River tributaries:  Beaver Brook in Dracut, MA, the Concord River in Lowell, MA, and the Spicket River in Lawrence, MA. These trash clean-ups will bring local volunteers to the sites, provide an education experience on trash removal and river restoration, and create a visual impact on the area. MRWC staff will identify trash hot spots, implement four cleanup events in 2023, and create an education handout and web page with information on issues affecting the river.

Applicant:  Nashua River Watershed Association
MCP Grant Award: $1,829
Total Project Costs: $5,069

Summary:
Nashua River Junior Scientist Program
During February 2023 school vacation week, Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) will lead this program for 20 children ages 9 – 13 at Nashua Public Library. With the river as their “outdoor laboratory,” participants will explore river issues using exciting hands-on activities related to river ecology, watershed protection and explore this important resource through the lens of climate change. Watershed stewardship and activism are key components of this program. Combining nature-based projects with stewardship activities helps urban children understand not only where their drinking water originates but also empowers them to participate in local environmental protection. “Junior Scientists” will design solutions and create a 3-D model of the river incorporating their inventions in miniature to demonstrate their solution to human and climate impact on the river and city. The 3-D model will be placed on display for library visitor viewing to educate the public about protecting our rivers.

Applicant:  New Hampshire Audubon
MCP Grant Award:  $1,182
Estimated Total Project Costs:  $19,908

Summary:
New Hampshire Audubon will deliver in-person education programming at Manchester’s Beech Street Elementary School to all 125 second-grade students, providng monthly classroom lessons and two field trip to NH Audubon’s Massabesic Center. Most Beech Street students come from low-income homes and several barriers (transportation, language, awareness of offerings) prevent these kids from experiencing time outside and near water. This project will educate and inspire students about nature and the important role the Merrimack River watershed plays in the world around them, while building transferable skills like water monitoring and overall appreciation for water quality. At the close of the school year, NH Audubon will host a capstone celebration inviting families to the Massabesic Center for a Community Science Event. The gathering will include opportunities for students to share work from the school year about water exploration and water study with families, peers, and community members.

Applicant:  Rindge Conservation Commission
MCP Grant Award: $1,520
Estimated Total Project Costs: $6,132

Summary:
Water in Pool Pond in Rindge is part of the Contoocook River watershed which contributes to the Merrimack River. Most residents of Rindge, however, are not aware of how the run-off from their homes can affect water quality downstream. The Rindge Conservation Commission (RCC) will use MCP funding to create and post educational signage, discussing watershed and water quality protection, native vegetation and wildlife, along a well-used trail within the 22-acre Contoocook Marsh Conservation Complex. They will also offer a watershed protection presentation with an expert on watershed protection, handouts, and a hike at the marsh. Handout information will be available on the Rindge website and at conservation events.

For more information about the MCP, please contact Brian Hotz at (603) 224-9945 or bhotz@forestsociety.org.  Information is also available at http://merrimackconservationpartnership.org.

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.

The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2021 recipients of its fifth 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 $29,593 to seven 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: $5,000
Estimated Total Project Costs: $51,903

The Dragonfly Mercury Project
The industrialized urban environment and legacy of pollution in the Merrimack River watershed has resulted in exposure of Lowell and Lawrence residents to mercury through recreational fishing and fish consumption. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) will engage teachers, students, community organizations and families 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 will partner with community organizations, students and teachers to conduct mercury testing using dragonfly biosentinels and then to develop education materials to inform the community of their research results.

Applicant:  Merrimack River Watershed Council
MCP Grant Award:  $5,000
Total Project Costs:  $9,375

Trash and debris are visible, demoralizing, and persistent harms to the Merrimack River and its tributaries. The Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) recognizes the need to coordinate consistent cleanup events in a strategic manner throughout our river system. The MRWC will a) build an informed multi-year trash reduction strategy, b) develop curriculum around plastic consumption, debris containment, and advocacy, c) prepare and implement four land-and-water cleanup events in 2022, and d) work with key municipalities to customize an approach, content and schedule for disseminating relevant information and the specific findings of our strategy. These efforts are vital for all communities, but particularly underserved individuals who might lack access to information about the health of the river and how to reduce plastic consumption.

Applicant:  Ipswich River Watershed Association
MCP Grant Award:  $2,500
Total Project Costs:  $17,328

RiverWatch
The Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) began the RiverWatch program to address water quality threats to the River, and now 50 volunteers monitor 42 sites across the Ispwich, Parker and Essex River watersheds. The results of testing conducted by trained citizen-science volunteers is uploaded to the EPA Water Quality Exchange for sharing with state agencies that track the ecological health of waterways. The IRWA will continue this established program, expanding it to include a bacterial pathogen testing program. Throughout 2022, data will be compiled monthly and reviewed against quality control guidelines. Results will be converted into a scoring system as a basis for a river health index which will be used to report on the current state of the river, with recommendations on how conditions can be improved.

Applicant:  Nashua River Watershed Association
MCP Grant Award: $3,643
Total Project Costs: $4,616

Nashua River Nature Detectives:
Using city parks and trails in Nashua, the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) will provide an engaging clue-based program series for teaching youth about protecting land and water and the importance of the Nashua and Merrimack Rivers. One Saturday each month during January through May 2022, staff will lead 20 participants ages 6 -14 on an afternoon “investigation” at a selected park or city trail. Using the assigned “sleuth sheet,” families will follow clues to discover and explore connections between water, land, nature, and city history. NRWA staff will lead each exploration. Participants’ discoveries, photographs and sketches will be curated for display at the Nashua Public Library.

Applicant: Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, Inc.
MCP Grant Award: $4,450
Estimated Total Project Costs: $8,950

The Wonders of Land Conservation
The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) will present a new series of 8 – 10 public educational and outreach programs to showcase how urban land conservation in Lowell is contributing to water quality in the Merrimack River watershed. Public programming will be offered at LP&CT conservation properties to highlight above-ground and below-ground research that is contributing to climate science, entomology, geology, urban ecology, herpetology, and aquatic chemistry, among others. Citizen scientists will contribute to real research project data and youth from nearby schools will be exposed to conservation professionals in the field. After these programs, LP&CT will host a panel presentation featuring how LP&CT properties are actively used in conservation research in Lowell.

Applicant: Mass Audubon
MCP Grant Award: $5,000
Estimated Total Project Costs: $16,906

Rivers to Sea
Mass Audubon’s Rivers to Sea program will serve students in elementary and middle schools in Lawrence. It is designed to familiarize students with the Merrimack River watershed and the aquatic ecosystems within it, connect them with community members who are working to protect it, and give them the chance to design and carry out action projects to ensure the watershed is healthy for the human and wildlife communities that live there. The program will take place after school and will run in blocks of 10-week sessions, meeting daily, and Mass Audubon educators will join once each week. Students will participate in community stewardship projects that benefit the river and watershed, such as water quality monitoring, planting of native vegetation, macroinvertebrate study and more, and share their work with their families and the greater public.

Applicant: Seaside Sustainability
MCP Grant Award: $4,000
Estimated Total Project Costs: $137,145

Green Scholars
Green Scholars is a project-based learning curriculum that educates students on environmental science, including water-based content and watershed science, and empowers them to take action. By engaging students in the research of sources of pollution, they are motivated to create solutions and undertake active roles. The use of project-based learning practices inspires students to pursue careers focused on protecting water systems. In 2022, Seaside Sustainability will expand the reach of this program by transitioning the in-person curriculum to a web platform to increase the number of students who have the opportunity to learn how to directly impact their local community and environment. The web platform will also allow participation at a lower subscription price, expanding affordable program access for schools in underserved communities.

For more information about the MCP, please contact Brian Hotz at (603) 224-9945 or bhotz@forestsociety.org.  Information is also available at http://merrimackconservationpartnership.org.

The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2021 recipients of its seventh 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 $45,994 to 4 projects that will conserve a total of approximately 166 acres of land. The total value of the land to be protected in the latest grant round is conservatively estimated at $1.69 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 NH and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, NH and flows through eight of NH’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 2021 grant recipients and a brief description of their projects.

Artichoke River Woods Expansion, West Newbury, MA

Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association
Acres to be conserved: 8
Protection Method: Land purchase
MCP Grant Award: $7,000
Estimated Total Project Cost: $365,960

The Essex County Greenbelt Association is working to acquire and preserve 8 acres of forested watershed protection land on the Artichoke Reservoir. The land abuts the existing 38-acre Artichoke River Woods Reservation. Already-established hiking trails on this expansion parcel will be incorporated into the trails on the reservation, expanding opportunities for free recreational hiking. Protection of this parcel ensures it will remain undeveloped, so that it will continue to provide outstanding wildlife habitat connectivity, productive forests, and water quality protection for communities which draw water from the Artichoke River Reservoir.

Corliss Hill Conservation Project, Haverhill, MA

Applicant: Essex County Greenbelt Association
Acres to be conserved: 22.45
Protection Method: Land purchase
MCP Grant Award: $9,000
Estimated Total Project Cost: $427,705

The Essex County Greenbelt Association (ECGA) will purchase more than 22 acres of land nestled next to 400 acres of preserved watershed land in the City of Haverhill. The City has assigned its option to purchase the land to ECGA, who will purchase the fee and then sell 13 acres of forestland to the City for water supply protection, retaining the remainder. Both parcels will be held under reciprocal conservation easements. Trails that exist on the property will be open to the public and connect to existing recreation trails on the City’s adjacent protected land. The open fields near the road have been historically farmed for more than a century and the landowners on the adjacent parcel have pledged to grant a conservation restriction on the majority of their land (the other half of the original farm) when this piece is successfully preserved.

Potter Family Farm, Concord, NH

Applicant: Five Rivers Conservation Trust
Acres to be conserved: 88
Protection Method: Purchased Conservation Easement
MCP Grant Award: $20,000
Estimated Total Project Costs: $515,000

Five Rivers will purchase a conservation easement on 88 acres of land that has been farmed by the Potter Family for centuries. The current farmer will use the funds from the sale to purchase the land and continue to operate the farm, including agriculture, forestry and some low-impact agritourism activities. The existing snowmobile trail will remain open to public access. By ensuring that this land will continue to be used for agriculture and forestry, this easement will protect the water quality of Turtletown Pond and add to a block of nearly 600 acres of conserved land in Northeast Concord.

Eastern Greenway/North, Harvard, MA

Applicant: Sudbury Valley Trustees
Acres to be conserved: 45
Protection Method: Purchased Conservation Restriction
MCP Grant Award: $9,994
Estimated Total Project Costs: $518,035

Sudbury Valley Trustees has the opportunity to protect the Eastern Greenway/North property by purchasing a Conservation Restriction (at 80-percent fair market value) over 45 acres of land held by the Harvard Conservation Trust (HCT) and located along an unused utility corridor in Harvard. These parcels knit together surrounding protected lands in a contiguous corridor, important not only for wildlife passage but also for connectivity to the existing trail network on surrounding open space. Protecting these parcels will safeguard critical connecting parcels within the High Ridge natural resource area, which will enhance the ecological resilience of this region. HCT intends to expand the existing trail network and provide new connections to nearby conservation lands.

For more information about the MCP, please contact Brian Hotz at (603) 224-9945 or bhotz@forestsociety.org.  Information is also available at http://merrimackconservationpartnership.org.

The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) today released a request for proposals for its 2021 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 $68,000 to re-grant in 2021 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 $20,000 to re-grant in 2021 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, 2021. 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, 2021. 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 30, 2021.

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 2020 recipients of its sixth 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 $25,800 to 3 projects that will conserve a total of approximately 211 acres of land. The total value of the land to be protected in the latest grant round is conservatively estimated at $1.7 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 NH and 46% in Massachusetts. The Merrimack River starts in Franklin, NH and flows through eight of NH’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 grant recipients and a brief description of their projects.

Continue reading →

The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) announced the 2019 recipients of its fourth 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 $20,376 to five 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. The funded projects are:

Continue reading →

The Merrimack Conservation Partnership (MCP) today released a request for proposals for its 2020 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 $55,000 to re-grant in 2020 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 2020 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, 2020. 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, 2020. 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 30, 2020.

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.