Conservation of the Bald Mountain Property in the Ossipee Mountains

Key Conservation Opportunity in the Ossipees

Conservation of significant lands in the Ossipee Mountains has long been one of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust's highest priorities. To date, LRCT has conserved 8,425 acres in the Ossipees through ownership and conservation easements. These properties represent nearly 39% of LRCT's conserved land.

LRCT now has an opportunity to conserve a remote, wild, and pristine 157-acre parcel in the northern Ossipees in Tamworth. The parcel includes the western slopes and summit of Bald Mountain - the 5th highest in the Ossipees at an elevation of 2,447 feet - as well as the saddle between Bald Mountain and Burnt Ridge to the southwest, and it forms part of the headwaters of Back Brook. The land is a key parcel in the Ossipee Ring Dike; it includes extraordinary undisturbed habitat and old-growth forest, contributes to the unique scenic beauty and natural qualities of the Ossipees, and affords exceptional opportunities for nature education and scientific research.

Surrounded on three sides by LRCT's Ossipee Mountain Preserve, and by other conserved land on the fourth, the Bald Mountain parcel will be a prominent addition to LRCT's Ossipees lands and will fill an important gap in the lands already protected by conservation organizations and other conservation-minded parties in the Ossipee Mountains.

Wildlife Habitat

The Bald Mountain parcel is a part of some of the most important and highest quality habitat in New Hampshire, and its conservation will represent a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to preserve wildlife habitat in the Ossipee Mountains and in the wildlife corridor connecting the Ossipees to the White Mountains.

The importance of this habitat is supported by a bioinventory conducted for LRCT by noted scientist Dr. Rick Van de Poll. To guide the stewardship of all of LRCT's Ossipee Mountains lands, LRCT engaged Dr. Van de Poll to conduct two comprehensive bioinventories - one focused on 2,979 acres in the northern Ossipee Mountains (conducted 1999-2001) and the other on the 5,381-acre Castle the Clouds Conservation Area (conducted 2002-2004). The northern Ossipees bioinventory, which included assessment of the Bald Mountain parcel, confirmed the importance of LRCT's lands as extraordinary wildlife habitat, and it documented moose, bear, bobcat, coyote, red fox, snowshoe hare, and fisher on or near the Bald Mountain parcel.

The New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan, prepared by the NH Fish and Game Department and its conservation partners, also confirms the significance of the northern Ossipees, including the Bald Mountain parcel, as key wildlife habitat. As shown on the map of Highest Ranked Wildlife Habitat by Ecological Condition (produced by NH Fish and Game using Wildlife Action Plan data), extensive areas in the northern Ossipees qualify as Highest Ranked Habitat in the entire state or in the Sebago-Ossipee Hills and Plains biological region. Looking at the Bald Mountain parcel specifically, approximately 70% of the parcel constitutes Highest Ranked Habitat in the state, and the remainder is Highest Ranked Habitat in the biological region.

Ecological Qualities and Opportunities for Learning

The Bald Mountain parcel is also significant for its unique ecological qualities. As part of the undisturbed land high on the northern slopes of the Ossipee Mountains, the parcel encompasses old-growth forest of spruce, hemlock, and northern hardwoods, uncommon rocky ridge natural communities, and unique geological qualities. It also includes wetlands and forms part of the headwaters of Back Brook, a tributary of Cold Brook which in turn flows to the Bearcamp River.

LRCT's northern Ossipees bioinventory provided extensive data on wildlife, plants, natural communities, and significant ecological areas, and LRCT will soon proceed with a two-year study by Dr. Van de Poll to update and expand on this data. The Bald Mountain parcel will be an important part of this additional assessment and, along with LRCT's surrounding Ossipees lands, will provide a tremendous opportunity for nature education and scientific research into the future.

Help Us Conserve the Bald Mountain Parcel

Based on the northern Ossipees bioinventory, Dr. Van de Poll considered the possibility of additional land conservation in the future and identified the Bald Mountain parcel as the top priority. With the proposed acquisition of the Bald Mountain property, we now have the opportunity to accomplish this important goal.

LRCT has reached agreement with the current owner of the Bald Mountain parcel, the University of New Hampshire, to purchase the land for $56,700. The total cost of the conservation project, including transaction costs and a small stewardship fund, is $60,000. We would like to complete this conservation project as soon as possible this year. We hope to have help in this endeavor from all who value the wild lands of the Ossipee Mountains and their extraordinary natural qualities. Thank you very much for your support.