Conservation Commission Past Events
On October 1, 2023, Jerri and Wally Cole and the Cornish Conservation Commission (CCC) held a celebration to honor the Cole’s recently established 203-acre conservation easement at Paget Farm, 333 Paget Road, Cornish.
In addition to the Coles, Brian Hotz—the Vice President for Land Conservation at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF), six CCC Commissioners, and 31 community members attended the event. The weather cooperated, as it was a beautiful, sunny, fall day with temperatures in the low 70’s.
Through the support of individual donors and the CCC, the costs related to conserving the Cole property and providing for its long-term stewardship were supported through a successful fundraising campaign.
The easement, now under the management of SPNHF, prevents future subdivision/development of the 203 acres, but does allow recreational use and sustainable forestry, while protecting water resources and other natural resources on the property. This new easement, between Dodge Hollow Road and Paget Road, also further extends other protected lands in Cornish/Plainfield, such as the adjacent Michael M. and Claudia Yatsevitch Forest, creating a contiguous conserved block of 1,969 acres.1
All attendees enjoyed light refreshments while hearing a brief introduction from Corey Fitch, a presentation by Brian about conservation easements in general, and closing remarks from the Coles about the property’s history and their path to conserving their land.
After responding to a few questions about easements from those in attendance, the group took a short walk to learn more about the natural characteristics of the property, which consists of mixed northern hardwood forest of sugar maple, oak, beech and birch. This type of large, interconnected blocks of forested habitat are important to the movement and migration of wildlife, including wide-ranging species like black bear and moose—and the woodlands, fields, and winding dirt roads of Cornish are fundamental to the character of our beautiful Connecticut River community that has inspired so many writers and artists.1
1 https://forestsociety.org/project/cole-conservation-easement-cornish
