In the News

LRCT Completes First Phase of Major Squam Range Land Conservation Project

The Squam Range and Squam Lake from Eagle Cliff.  Phil Preston photo

The Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT) has announced the purchase of a conservation easement on 869 acres of land in the Squam Mountain Range overlooking Squam Lake, the first phase of a conservation easement that will permanently protect a total of 2,471 acres of Squam Range land.  The second phase of the easement is to be completed by June 30, and the LRCT is now actively raising funds to complete the acquisition.

According to LRCT President Don Berry, the LRCT’s Squam Range conservation easement is the largest single land conservation project ever undertaken in the Squam Range and the Squam Watershed.  In addition, for the LRCT, the effort is second only to the LRCT’s Castle in the Clouds project in acres to be protected and dollars to be raised for a single project.

The first phase of the LRCT conservation easement includes the summit of Mount Webster (elevation 2076 ft.), over one linear mile of the Squam Range ridgeline, and the trailheads and slopes of Mounts Morgan and Percival.  The second phase will include the summits and slopes of Cotton Mountain (elevation 1260 ft.) and Mount Livermore (elevation 1500 ft.), over two linear miles of the ridgeline, and additional trailheads.  In its entirety, the conservation easement will encompass a wealth of trails enjoyed by generations of residents and visitors, including significant parts of such trails as the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, Cotton Mountain Trail, Mt. Morgan Trail, and Mt. Percival Trail.

The Squam Range is one of the largest unfragmented wild areas in central New Hampshire, and its rich wildlife habitat and forests, connecting the White Mountains and the pristine waters of Squam Lake, are an extraordinary conservation resource for present and future generations, said LRCT President Berry.

Berry stated that a unique combination of factors make the Squam Range a premier natural, scenic, and recreational resource—the quantity and character of its wildlife habitat, its vital role as a water source, diverse forests ranging from old growth to well-managed timberlands, a tradition of low-impact recreational uses and thoughtful public access, a history of private conservation-minded ownership, linkage with other conservation lands, and value to the viewshed of Squam Lake.

Berry explained that the Squam Range is of particular ecological significance because of its location at the intersection of three ecoregions—the White Mountains to the north, the New Hampshire-Vermont Uplands to the west, and the Coastal Plain-Sebago Hills to the east and south.  It thus serves as a biological meeting ground of the diverse plant and animal species of those ecoregions.

Berry noted that the families with significant land holdings in the Squam Range have an extraordinary record of “private” conservation of these lands.  He explained that the LRCT’s conservation easement builds on this conservation tradition by ensuring permanent legal protection of these Squam Range lands for the benefit and appreciation of generations to come.  This has long been an aspiration for the Squam community and is of critical importance to preserving the natural character and ecological values of the Squam Watershed and the Lakes Region as a whole.

LRCT President Berry said that the LRCT greatly appreciates the very generous support for the Squam Range project that it has received from members of the Squam community and from the LRCT’s conservation organization colleagues, the Squam Lakes Conservation Society (SLCS) and the Squam Lakes Association (SLA).  He said the LRCT  welcomes support from anyone interested in conservation of the extraordinary natural, scenic, and recreational values represented by the Squam Range.  Berry said he expects that completion of the LRCT’s Squam Range conservation easement, as well as other land conservation projects in the Squam Watershed that have been accomplished by LRCT, SLCS, and SLA, will serve as a foundation for future significant land conservation opportunities in the Squam Range.

For information about the LRCT or supporting the LRCT’s Squam Range conservation easement campaign, please contact the LRCT by phone at 603-279-3246 or email at lrct@metrocast.net or visit the LRCT’s website at www.lrct.org.

Learn more about the Squam Range project...