Over the last 50 years, the Cornish Conservation Commission has been committed to helping Cornish sustain an open land preservation strategy, assisting land-owners to develop land stewardship practices that preserve working farmland, forested landscapes, as well as space for education and recreation. Ultimately these efforts help to maintain the rural character of Cornish, protect its natural resources, and create a long-term benefit to current and future residents of Cornish.
Conservation-minded landowners have contributed greatly to protecting the open and undeveloped landscape of Cornish. Collectively they have protected over 3000 acres to date—and if we include public lands (such as the Town Forest, St. Gaudens National Historical Park, CREA, the Chase Island and Cornish Wildlife Management Areas, and Whitewater Brook Reservoir Lands (~1000 acres total), that translates to a combined total of conserved private and public property equal to around 15% of Cornish. We are thankful for these land-owners for helping to protect our best farmlands and open spaces, as well as other natural resources for the future. Town management (Select Board, Zoning and Planning Committees) and voter sentiment consistently affirm our town’s preservation strategy. For details on private and public land parcels in Cornish see pages 17-19 of the 2013 Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) in the link below.