West Road
37 acres in agricultural use
No public access
January 2022

The 37-acre Sloping Acres Farm has been owned and operated by the Glines family for five generations and is currently run by Peter and Eric Glines. It is entirely in agricultural use, growing corn and hay while also providing pasture for the adjacent 140 cow dairy.

“Five Rivers Conservation Trust is grateful to the Glines family and Canterbury community for the conservation of this historic and scenic farm,” says Sarah Thorne, a Five Rivers board member and the organization’s primary point of contact during the conservation process. “We were convinced to become perpetual stewards of this conservation easement because of the highly productive agricultural soils, farming tradition, and strong community support.”

The completion of the Glines conservation easement is a long-awaited victory after spending four years working towards the project’s fruition. Sloping Acres Farm sells their milk wholesale, providing locally sourced dairy to communities across New England. They also sell their sustainably and ethically raised Angus beef directly from the farm to consumers.

“Conserving Canterbury’s best agricultural soils and working farms are high priorities for the town,” said Conservation Commission Chair Ken Stern. “The pandemic has reminded us just how critical it is to have local food sources, and the Glines easement protects a property that has been farmed for generations. The town is grateful to the Glines, to people who donated to the project, to Five Rivers Conservation Trust, and to everyone who made this project possible.”

The Town of Canterbury’s Conservation Commission made a significant contribution to fund long-term stewardship costs. This easement enables farming to continue under the Glines’ ownership, while protecting the land from future residential and commercial development. Five Rivers’ long-term role is to monitor the conservation easement annually to assure the perpetual conservation of the land.

Cogswell Hill Road
56 acres
Public access
June 2017

In June 2017, Five Rivers completed conservation of 56 acres on Cogswell Hill in Canterbury, thanks to the generosity of Howard Moffett and the Canterbury Conservation Commission.

The property includes 15 acres of hay fields at the top of Cogswell Hill; hardwood and softwood forest on the southern and eastern slope of the hill; and a brook, wetland and recreational trail at the bottom of the eastern slope. The combination of wildlife habitats host everything from toads to turkeys and Barred Owls to bobcats.

The recreational trail is part of a local trail used by snowmobiles, walkers and cross country skiers.

The Canterbury Conservation Commission helped make this conservation project possible with a contribution to Five Rivers’ Stewardship Fund. This fund helps Five Rivers cover the costs of monitoring the easement, working with landowners in the future to ensure that planned activities comply with the conservation restrictions placed on the land.

Ames Road
117 acres of forests and ponds
Public access with trails
September 2013

This Five Rivers’ easement, in Canterbury, has 117 acres of outstanding wetlands, ponds, streams and forest and is owned by Ned and Jean Therrien.

This property sits within the headwaters of the Soucook River and has numerous high value conservation attributes including a diverse, productive and well managed forest complete with a network of internal woods roads; varied habitat which supports a diversity of plant and animal species, and a variety of outstanding water resources including two ponds, streams and vernal pools.

On Old Gilmanton Road
Easement property crosses into the Town of Northfield
56.8 acres of mixed forest and field
No public access
December 2004

This Canterbury property is part of the Nathan Whidden Homestead which dates back to the early 1800’s. Jan and Craig Briggs moved to the unoccupied farmhouse in the 1970’s where they raised their family. The permanent protection of this property by the Briggs’ in 2004 demonstrates their belief in land stewardship and protection. The property is in close proximity to other conservation land along Shaker Road, promoting wildlife corridors and rural character preservation for future generations.

The property includes both hard and softwood forests, interesting topography and many old farm and logging roads as well as fields used for grazing and hay production in years past.

On Shaker Road, North of Shaker Village
63 acres of forest and field with a brook traversing property
Public access, no formal trails
February 2003

This property, which is part of one of the oldest farms in Canterbury dates back to 1785, and was once part of the extended Canterbury Shaker Village. The protection of this property by Dave Emerson in 2003 was the fulfillment of a long time family goal. This property abuts other former Shaker land that was protected by the neighbors in the 1980’s as part of the Land Conservation Investment Program.

The property includes several secluded scenic fields that have been grazed or have been in hay production for many years. Behind the fields the property is wooded with pocket wetlands and a small scenic brook that traverses the land. This area is a known wildlife travel corridor that has been popular with local hunters for generations.

Hackleboro Road
15 acres of wetlands, brook, and mixed forest
No public access
September 2007

Thanks to the generosity of a Canterbury family, a scenic fifteen-acre forest with a remarkable wetlands has been permanently protected through the donation of a conservation easement in 2007 to Five Rivers Conservation Trust.

The former owner of the Canterbury land, Joan Blackmer, passed away in 2006. Appreciating how much she loved the natural world and her Canterbury property, her family felt that the land’s long-term protection would make a fitting tribute. Therefore, they created a conservation easement on the land and donated the easement to Five Rivers which now serves as the easement holder. Through its deed restrictions, the easement places permanent limits on the land’s development, ensuring that the land’s conservation values remain in perpetuity.

The property has a large wetlands. Along with a stream, meadow, and surrounding forest, the protected property provides rich habitat for a variety of wildlife. Located along Hackleboro Road, it serves to complement other town conservation lands nearby. The vision of the Blackmer family to ensure a fitting legacy of land stewardship for their loved one has truly been accomplished through the permanent protection afforded by their generous donation of a conservation easement.

Clough Pond Road
15 acres of forest with a tumbling brook
Public access, no formal trails
December 2009

Tumbling through the property from north to south is Pickard Brook. The stream attracts a wide range of wildlife at all times of the year. Herds of deer are the most common, although bear and moose visit as well. Judy Nelson also keeps bird feeders at her house which bring a variety of birds to the property from woodpeckers to hummingbirds. At night she often hears owls.

In the warmer months it is possible to walk along old logging roads that can be reached from the driveway. Just south of the house the road splits, with one path leading along the stream, and the other continuing south and eventually connecting to trails maintained by the Sno-Shakers Snowmobile Club on Clough Pond Road. In the winter the logging roads make for nice snowshoe trails. Judy Nelson lives on the premises so if you visit the property, it is important to be respectful of the land and to keep noise levels to a minimum.

At just under 16 acres, the Nelson easement is one of the smaller easements Five Rivers holds,  but is no less important to our conservation efforts. As Judy saw more and more houses popping up nearby, she made the decision to place an easement on her property in order to preserve the tranquility of Clough Pond Road.