Spaulding Town Forest, Chichester Conserved
March 2018 – Five Rivers and the Chichester Conservation Commission recently conserved the Spaulding Town Forest, Five Rivers’ first property conserved by easement in Chichester! This 120-acre working forest is located on the Chichester/Pembroke Town Line, off of Hutchinson Road in the southern part of Town. The easement adds to the Town’s other easement holdings which total nearly 400 acres.
The property is open to the public for backcountry exploration and the Town plans to create a trail network in the future. The highest terrain on the parcel provides some exceptional views to the east.
Many New Hampshire towns have designated Town Forests, and some people believe that these properties are conserved by that designation. However, the Town Forest designation can be removed by a vote at town meeting. The Spaulding Town Forest is now protected by a conservation easement, which limits its use to forestry, outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat management and conservation – forever.
Five Rivers will continue to work with the Town and the Conservation Commission to ensure that the property’s conservation values are always protected for the public benefit.
