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NEW CONSERVATION PROJECTS
PRESERVATION OF WILDLIFE HABITAT, RESTORATION OF TRADITIONAL OUTDOOR
TOURISM LEAD PRIORITIES
The Trust completes our second decade with volunteers and staff
engaged in research, evaluation, and negotiations on eighteen projects
totalling more than 6,000 acres. Following is an overview of the
active projects. Together, they represent a significant part of
the private, voluntary effort to preserve New England's natural
heritage, and of the restoration of the Lakes Region's identity
as a prime destination for traditional outdoor recreation.
Key Wildlife Habitats
The Region's watersheds, lakes, rivers, and ponds are some of the
most significant clean water resources in the Northeast. The woodlands
and wetlands provides a unique combination of habitat for wildlife
on the border between the northern forests and the rapidly developing
areas to the south.
Lakes Region Landmarks
The high summits and lake shorelines are the unique qualities of
a heritage that has been treasured by generations. The Trust seeks
to preserve the integrity of these landmarks that tell us that were
home again to the mountains and the lakes.
Wilderness Areas
Despite the recent development of many areas, significant wilderness
tracts still remain in the Lakes Region. These wild areas are rapidly
disappearing from a country originally defined and inspired by its
frontier.
Hiking Trails
New Hampshire's Lakes Region has miles of abandoned roads, meadow
lanes, and paths constructed by volunteer labor. On these quiet,
undiscovered trails, as Robert Frost once put it, you can get "lost
enough to find yourself again." The Trust is proud to steward some
of the areas finest hiking trails, and is working to secure and
build more foot paths and cross-country ski trails for public use.
Canoe and Kayak Access Points
The preservation of Five Mile Island was one step in the securing
of access points for canoe and kayak trails on Lakes Winnipesaukee,
Squam, Newfound, Wentworth, and the Pemigewasset. The "no-wake"
period in mid-summer this year added to the quiet weeks of spring
and fall when our lakes become prime paddle and sail craft waters,
as they have been for centuries.
Historic Sites
Stone walls, cellar holes, and stone culverts bear witness to the
agricultural heritage of the region. The Trust is working to preserve
the sites of homestead hill farms which have grown back to woods
in the generations since the Industrial Revolution.
Farmlands
The Trust is seeking support for the conservation of working farmland
in the region, to preserve community character and to protect wildlife
species which depend upon habitats of pastures, hedgerows, and croplands.
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