Dundee Easement

Conservation Easement

December 16, 2013

The 237-acre Dundee Conservation Easement was donated to USVLT in 2013 by the descendants and relatives of Maxwell and Elizabeth Foster — Joel Horn, Susan McGrath, Robin Foster and Colleen Curran.  The Land Trust is grateful to the four owners for the opportunity to help preserve and steward this property into the future.

An important conservation asset, this property forms part of a large “conservation block” of protected land, which also includes the White Mountain National Forest and 495 acres of land owned by the New England Forestry Foundation.  While mostly wooded, the property also boasts a mix of grassland habitat and wetlands, all of which provide for excellent wildlife habitat. 

 

NATURAL RESOURCE VALUES

  • Approximately 218 acres of Upland Forest, including lowland spruce-fir forest along the East Branch of the Saco River, hemlock- oak-northern hardwood forest on the lower and mid slopes, and hemlock-spruce-northern hardwoods on the upper slopes.
  • Pockets of huge white pine and hemlock
  • Approximately 3 acres of shrub wetlands, created by seeps and beaver activity.
  • Approximately 16 acres of fields, identified as “Grasslands” by the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan. More than 70 species of wildlife use these open areas to meet their needs for food, cover or breeding. Grasslands is one of 19 critical habitat types in NH.
  • Nearly a mile of frontage on the East Branch of the Saco River. This riparian zone is ranked as highest habitat in the White Mountain biological eco-region by the NH Wildlife Action Plan.
  • Approximately 600 feet of riparian habitat on Danny’s Brook (aka Mill Brook), ranked as highest habitat in the White Mountain biological eco-region by the NH Wildlife Action Plan.
  • Over 5,800 feet of natural scenery along the substantially undeveloped road frontage on Cross Road, which is a Class V public road for its first .35 miles then becomes a Class VI non-maintained town road.
  • A network of trails, roads, woods roads and the Old East Branch Railroad bed that provide private pedestrian access to a significant portion of the property. Historically, the trails were also used by horses.
  • Expansion of a large, unbroken habitat block, which includes the adjacent 495-acre Dundee Forest owned by the New England Forestry Foundation and the adjacent White Mountain National Forest. Large habitat blocks, unbroken by paved roads and development, support greater species diversity.

 

HISTORY

In 1940, Maxwell and Elizabeth Foster first visited Jackson in search of a small piece of land along a stream where they could camp.  They fell in love with the “Dundee neighborhood” and began to purchase parcels along Cross Road, gradually adding more property as land became available.  By 1977, they owned 760 acres adjacent to the National Forest.  They then gave much of their land (495 acres) to the New England Forestry Foundation.  The donation of a conservation easement to USVLT on the remaining land completes the original vision of a protected, undeveloped and cherished landscape. 

 

NOTE

Please note that the purpose of this conservation easement, like many held by USVLT, is to preserve wildlife habitat and natural, scenic undeveloped lands in the Mount Washington Valley region. This easement does not require that the private landowners allow access to their property by the general public. While the landowners have not posted their property against access, they ask that you respect their privacy; access is by permission only.

Although the owners do not currently allow for public access onsite, Tin Mountain Conservation Center educators have used the property as an outdoor classroom for 25 years, in all seasons.

 


State(s): NH
Town(s): jackson
Acres: 237
Town Tax Map: R-30, Lot: 1 (part)
Back to All Lands