Bun Lucy Field

Conservation Easement

May 20, 2024

The “Bun Lucy Field” consists of 38.5 acres of farmland and forestland in North Conway located along West Side Road that then slopes gently downhill to the east to the Saco River. This property is surrounded by land that is already protected by conservation easements held by USVLT and other conservation groups and adds to an expanse of lands that connect to other large blocks of undeveloped land, including Cathedral Ledge/Echo Lake State Park and the White Mountain National Forest.

This easement protects:

20 acres of agricultural fields used for pasture and cultivation
16 acres of hemlock-hardwood-pine forest, predominantly composed of mature sugar maple used for maple sugaring
2 acres of floodplain forest along the Saco River dominated by silver maple
Scenic views of forestland and farmland along West Side Road, a State Scenic Byway
21 acres of land in the Saco River intervale floodplain, including seasonally flooded forest-shrub wetland
16 acres of prime farmland soils
21 acres of farmland soils of local importance
37 acres of soils in the highest suitability category (Group 1) for forest products
Over 1,000 feet of shoreline and riparian habitat along the Saco River
Over 2,000 feet of shoreline and riparian habitat along Lucy Brook
38.44 acres of High Priority Water Supply Lands within the Wellhead Protection Area for the North Conway Water Precinct
38.44 acres of high transmissivity land overlying the Saco Acquifer
25 acres of the highest ranked habitat in New Hampshire according to the 2020 NH Wildlife Action Plan
Additional lands in USVLT’s Intervale Focus Area (USVLT 2011 Strategic Conservation Plan)
Potential for a Hudsonia-Silverling River Channel natural community. This river channel community is unique to the Saco River area of Maine and New Hampshire. It is a critically imperiled and globally rare natural community (NH state rank S1, global rank G1). This natural community includes:Hairy Hudsonia, a rare perennial shrub found only along sandy riverbanks. This plant has a NH state ranking of S1 (a species at very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity).
Silverling, a rare plant that grows on gravel barrens of the Saco River. This plant has a NH state ranking of S1 (a species at very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity).
Potential for a sugar maple -- ironwood -- shorthusk floodplain forest natural community, a critically imperiled natural community (NH rank S1)

USVLT would like to thank Nat & Marianne Lucy for their ongoing and steadfast commitment to conserving land and protecting the special places in our valley. USVLT is only able to continue to protect the places we call home because of the support and foresight of individuals like them.

This project was also made possible by generous funding through the NH DES Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund Program.

State(s): NH
Town(s): conway
Acres: 38.5
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