Meredith's Page Pond Forest now measures 800 acres

MEREDITH — Page Pond and the surrounding forests and wetlands, which feed Lake Winnipesaukee with clean water, have been identified as top priority for conservation for a half-century. An effort to do just that began in earnest in 2002, culminating in an 800-acre parcel and endowment fund to ensure that it will remain conserved for generations to come.

Nine years ago, the Page Pond Community Forest was established, preserving 540 acres of environmental and historic significance. Then an adjoining parcel –  nearly 200 acres in size – became available, and that land was successfully added to the forest late last year. A conservation easement on an adjacent 53 acres further grows the area of protected land.

On Sunday, a group of about 75 people, including local residents, regional conservationists and state and federal officials gathered at Moulton Farm to celebrate the effort, as well as the establishment of a fund that will provide for management of the property in perpetuity.

The endowment of $100,000 was given by Paul Levesque, known in the professional wrestling world as “Triple H,” and his wife, Stephanie, who are residents of the town.

The addition of 198 acres to the Page Pond Forest cost nearly a million dollars. That’s a bargain, said Mark Billings, chair of the town’s conservation commission.

“When you put ‘forever’ in the denominator, the return can be nothing less than infinite,” he said.

The project gained wide support in town, he said, due to the many different reasons residents had for keeping the land – located at the base of Meredith Neck – from development.

“Never assume why a person wants to conserve land, because there are so many reasons,” Billings said.

And each of those reasons is present with the Page Pond Forest project. There’s a diversity of fields, forest and wetlands that provide habitat for wildlife and a playground for humans who enjoy fishing, jogging, bird watching, hiking or snowshoeing. The land filters water as it flows into Lake Winnipesaukee, and its preservation also protects the quality of the lake. With the expansion, the western edge of the forest abuts Barnard Ridge Road and Pleasant Street, making the forest a short walk away from both the village of Meredith and the Inter-Lakes School campus.

The lion’s share of the purchase price for the 198-acre extension came in the form of a $300,000 grant from the US Forest Service’s Community Forest and Open Space Grant Program. The state’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program contributed $250,000, the state’s Department of Environmental Services gave $107,500, and the state’s “Mooseplate” program added $20,000. There was also support from the Open Space Institute, hundreds of individual private donors, and the town voted to contribute tax dollars as well.

The Trust for Public Land, which is active in New England and New York, helped negotiate, arrange and close on the deal. The town will own and manage the forest.

Gov. Chris Sununu, who was on hand for the celebration, praised the project as an example of public-private partnership, which tend to have greater staying power because, “everyone is invested in this project.” Valuing the natural landscape, he said, “is who we are in New Hampshire, is probably the biggest part of our culture.”

Now that the 800 acres have been protected, the town is planning to add trails and a trailhead near the Barnard Ridge/Meredith Neck Road intersection. Current trail access is found at the end of Quarry Road.

Proceeds from the forest’s endowment fund will be used for trail construction and maintenance, ecological restoration, wildlife management and sign maintenance.