Forest Stories

Portions of this land were settled by the Allen family during colonial times. The Allen family was active in the publishing business and owned considerable commercial property in downtown Augusta. Mr. Edward A. Whitney was on the faculty of Harvard University, where he met John Hemenway and became acquainted with NEFF. He deeded the first parcel of this forest to NEFF in 1955. The property has been under continuous management by NEFF since 1950 when a forest management plan was prepared by forester A.W. Neff. The first timber sale was made in 1950 when 225,000 board feet of marked timber were sold for the stumpage price of $9.07/mbf. Additional timber cuts have been made regularly since 1950. Tree planting on the abandoned fields was begun by Mr. Whitney in the 1940s and continued until 1961. Sixty-one thousand trees were planted under the Soil Bank program. All of the plantations have been thinned except for a few acres south of the former summer house. An internal road system was constructed in the early 1960s, providing access to all portions of the property.

In 1972, Winifred E. Lefferts, widow of Robert A. Arms, of Blandford, MA, gave this parcel of mixed forest to NEFF. A beautiful stream winds through the forest, now known as Arms Acres. The forest lies near Cobble Mountain and Otis Reservoirs, northwest of Springfield and just east of the Berkshires, in Hampden County.

Barbara H. Arnold and her family made a gift of this wooded property at the end of December 2002. The property had been in the Arnold family for three generations and has extensive frontage on Fogg Point and Staples Point Roads, as well as on the Redding Creek feeding into Casco Bay. The family once owned over 200 acres on a point overlooking Casco Bay north of Portland, ME. In 2003, Leo Blair donated an additional 28 acres to this property, which is known as the Blair Addition. The property consists of two major forest types, an an oak/pine forest type that is prevalent in this region of the southern Maine coast, and a white pine plantation. According to Mrs. Arnold, the plantation was established in the mid-1960’s to fill in the runway of an airstrip which her husband, Duncan Arnold, had built in the 1950’s. Mrs. Arnold’s husband owned the Caterpillar Tractor Dealership in Maine, and flew for both business and pleasure.

Baddacook Woods is a small, oddly-shaped parcel that came to NEFF as result of negotiations around a sub-division access issue.

The General Thomas E. Bartlett Memorial Forest was given to NEFF in 1961 by Mr. Brainerd Mears, a descendant of the Revolutionary War hero, General Thomas Bartlett. Bartlett was born in Massachusetts in 1745, raised in New Hampshire, and was a foot soldier who rose to the rank of general in the Revolution. Still visible on the Bartlett Memorial Forest are the abandoned rifle pits where New Hampshire soldiers practiced their marksmanship for the Civil War.

The Jesse M. Barton Memorial Forest is a remote tract, located on a hillside with numerous small brooks running across the 115-acre property. In the southeast corner is the abandoned President Pierce Lead Mine, once used for mining graphite. This forest was given by Jean Barton Cotton of Cohasset, MA, and James W. Barton of Bellevue, WA, in memory of their father, the Honorable Jesse M. Barton. Judge Barton had an interest in forestry from an early age. Taking his bucksaw to school with him, Judge Barton put it to use by sawing wood for the Kimball Union Academy. His efforts helped to pay for his education there, and he went on to Dartmouth College and Boston University Law School. Admitted to the New Hampshire Bar in 1899, Judge Barton’s commitment to public service extended beyond private practice. He represented Newport, N.H., in the State Legislature in 1901 and 1902, was judge of probate from 1906 to 1917, was president of the state Senate, and served briefly as acting governor at the time of Governor Keyes’s illness.

The Battle Dorrance Forest in Orange, MA, was a Walden Pond for Harry A. Battle. Mr. Battle gradually acquired the four separate parcels that now make up the forest from various members of his family. He built a cabin for shelter and moved to the property for summers, after wintering in Mexico. Mr. Battle was less than five feet in height, but he carefully pruned every tree in his forest to five or six feet. Mr. Battle also built a pond entirely by hand, moving the materials and earth with his wheelbarrow. His infrequent trips to town were made on foot or bicycle. In 1974, a fire from his wood-burning stove destroyed his cabin, so he sold the property to his cousin and left for Mexico. Elizabeth Dorrance, a conservationist, made the gift to the Foundation to ensure the survival of this twentieth-century Walden Pond.

This property came to NEFF in 2023 beginning with a donation of 590 acres from Whitney “Whit” Beals, NEFF’s longtime Director of Land Protection, along with an purchase of ~120 acres previously owned by the Beals family.  The forest is located in a rural section of southwest Ashburnham along the Winchendon town line and part of a 3.5 mile corridor of protected land that extends from Route 140 in Gardner to Route 12 in Ashburnham. The Beals forest has been actively managed for forest products since 1920. Timber stand improvement practices, commercial thinnings, and shelterwood harvests over the years have created and promoted a healthy and diverse forest. Wildlife habitat is abundant and diverse. There is an 8.8-acre beaver pond, open shrub swamps, spruce bogs, and seasonal streams that flow throughout the forest.

Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell E. Foster donated Bearcamp Woodlands to NEFF in 1977. The Bearcamp acres once were hayed, but returned to woodland when Lake Ossipee was dammed. Land and forest types are very diverse on this parcel. Half of the parcel is composed of wetlands, represented by (spruce) bogs, beaver ponds, open water in the pond and river, marshes with grasses, and forested wetlands. Forest cover includes the white pine type, pitch pine/scrub oak in the Ossipee sand plains habitat, floodplain habitat with silver maple, and mixed oak-pine and birch forest habitat. The geology of the river environment is illustrated by the oxbows. This is one of the largest underdeveloped sections of the highly developed Ossipee lake frontage. It is now home for black bear, moose, muskrat, and otter. Bearcamp borders the unspoiled Bearcamp River, which is superb for canoeing.

The Bennie Eaton Hill Family Forest was given to NEFF in 1978 by Mrs. James S. Eastham of West Newfield, Maine. The forest was a favorite place for both the Hill and Eastham families and has been used as a spot for picnics, nature expeditions, and long walks. Mrs. Eastham gave the forest to NEFF in honor of her father, a man who loved the out-of-doors, especially the woods, and his family. As a result of Mrs. Eastham’s generosity, the forest will be preserved for future generations.

In the 1990s, Bliss Woods was an island of forestland in the middle of suburban house lots that was slated for subdivision and development. A group of conservation organizations—including the Freeport Conservation Trust, Norcross Wildlife Foundation, the Citizens of Freeport, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation—helped NEFF acquire the property to halt the development and preserve a little bit of nature in the rapidly developing town. The 86-acre woodlot is about a mile and a half from the shores of the Harraseeket River and Casco Bay. The woods are dominated by red oak, white pine, and red spruce. The property provides a variety wildlife habitat, including mast-producing hardwood stands, mixed softwood stands for winter cover, flooded wetlands, and grassy openings. Bliss Woods also offers excellent recreational opportunities thanks to an existing trail network and scenic woodlands.

Mr. Robert Boone and his wife, Susan L. Boone, donated this 78-acre forestland to NEFF in winter 2021, and the forestland’s timber to NEFF’s Pooled Timber Income Fund (PTIF). Called the Robert Boone and Susan L. Boone Forest, the property and its stream, wetlands, beautiful woods and rolling hills are now part of NEFF’s network of Community Forests.

This forest was donated in 1992 and represents the very intensive work of Bill Arthur, who worked with five families to agree to conserve this property after the land had been split up between them. The new forest protects 3,050 feet of frontage on Gilmore Pond and offers superb views of Mt. Monadnock. There is a swamp at the end of the pond that supports numerous species of wildlife throughout the year, and a large system of trails for non-motorized recreation.

Bragdon Hill Forest was part of an initiative to protect a large forest area in the town of Poland, ME. The initiative resulted in NEFF acquiring and owning two parcels, now known as the Bragdon Hill Forest; one from Fred Huntress, a former NEFF forester, and one from the Omega Wellness Group. As part of the initiative, NEFF also acquired a conservation easement on the Poland Town Forest, a property owned by the Town of Poland that abuts NEFF’s Bragdon Hill Forest. An elaborate trail system running through Poland Town Forest connects to Bragdon Hill Forest. The property consists principally of white pine and red oak of varying size and age classes.

NEFCo forester John McClain referred NEFF to his client Paul Kendall in the fall of 2011. Mr. Kendall was beginning to look for a suitable successor to several parcels of land that he had been assembling in Braintree and Rochester, Vermont, since the 1970s. All parcels are held in the name of the Todhah Hill Foundation and are under active management; some acreage is recovering from overharvesting that occurred prior to Mr. Kendall’s ownership. As one might expect from a patchwork of ownerships and the changes in elevation and aspect on the property, the forest is a mix of hardwood and softwood stands with multiple size and age classes present. The entire property is under the Vermont Use Value Program. The lands have an excellent internal road system and access for forest management purposes.

Two years of careful thought and research by Mrs. Charles H. Simmons resulted in her donation of land in Danby, VT, in 1984. This hard work led Mrs. Simmons to the conclusion that NEFF was the only organization that would manage her land for both timber and wildlife. The majority of the land was acquired from Mrs. Roxanne Simmons as a gift. Mrs. Simmons and her husband purchased the land in 1964 from Helen Cleveland and it consisted of approximately 72 acres. An adjoining parcel was acquired by Mrs. Simmons in 1974. In 1967, Mrs. Simmons contracted with the New England Forestry Foundation to establish a 23-acre plantation of red pine, Norway spruce, white spruce, and a few Colorado blue spruce.

The Caper Hill Community Forest is the result of several generous donations of land made by Stella Reeves, husband and wife Laurence Liebowitz and Constance Royster, and Stephen Leninski.

In 2015, John Riggan, a resident of Shelburne Falls, contacted NEFF to inquire about possible interest in a 90-acre Rowe woodlot that he, his wife, and his sister would be acquiring as a bequest. A site visit indicated the property is a productive woodlot that has been under active management for many years. In 2017, John R. Riggan, Margalee O. Riggan, and Deborah M. Katz conveyed the land to NEFF at a bargain price. The Anne S. Carey Memorial Woodland is composed of four dominant stands with a mix of species, sizes, and age classes.

The Carlstrom II Memorial Forest was donated in 1983 by Mr. Carl Carlstrom in memory of his wife. Mr. Carlstrom hoped his land conservation efforts would be noticed and followed by his neighbors. Unfortunately, he passed away before this happened, but his land conservation philosophy continues to be championed by NEFF.

Sixty-five acres of this beautiful woodland was given to NEFF in 1979 by Mr. Carl F. Carlstrom in memory of his wife, Mary C. Carlstrom. In 1981, Mr. Carlstrom gave an additional 9 acres. Carlstrom Memorial Forest has been managed by NEFF since 1973. Timber stand improvement has been completed over more than half of the forest, and 15 acres of wetland are managed predominantly for wildlife.

This property came to New England Forestry Foundation in 1995 as a testamentary gift made by Mrs. Harriet Carpenter Read. This land had been in Mrs. Read’s family since 1810. Mrs. Read was a friend of Newland Smith, who was a longtime client and friend of NEFF and gave the Warren W. Smith Memorial Forest in neighboring Heath. One year later, NEFF purchased an additional 14 acres in Heath that was originally a part of the property. The property has frontage on Dell Road and Cyrus Stage Roads in Rowe.

This forest was donated to NEFF by Raymond A. and Barbara F. Carye. Prior to donation, the forest had been owned by the Carye family since the 1950s and had been managed by NEFF-affiliated foresters during that time. The forest contains a substantial portion of the watershed of Lazy Brook and affords views of nearby Lake Winnipesaukee.

This property came to New England Forestry Foundation in 2016 as a testamentary gift made by Mr. Addison Cate. The property was long enjoyed by the Cate family for camping and other outdoor recreation. An attentive steward of his woodland, Mr. Cate was named New Hampshire Tree Farmer of the Year in 1985 by the NH Tree Farm Program, and in 2000 worked with NEFF to permanently protect his land with a conservation easement.

This property was given to NEFF in 1953 by Mr. John C. Wister of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The forest borders Squam Lake and is named for two of Mr. Wister’s friends, Allen Chamberlain and Harris Reynolds, active supporters and officers of NEFF. Mr. Wister was the director of the Arthur Hoyt Scott Horticultural Foundation of Swarthmore College and director of the John T. Tyler Arboretum in Lima, Pennsylvania. The Chamberlain-Reynolds Memorial Forest is one of the most popular public access spots in the Squam Lakes Region, and an excellent example of private non-profit organizations cooperating to maintain a managed forest and natural area. The Squam Lake Association (SLA) maintains 3.5 miles of gentle hiking trails through the forest and has constructed a bird observation boardwalk in the wetland area. The property retains a feeling of remoteness and seclusion, with its backdrop of huge pines, water, and distant mountains. The frontage on the lake is critical nesting area for loons. Trail maps and reservations for camping can be obtained by contacting SLA (www.squamlakes.org, 603-968-7336).

Mrs. Walter J. Glassett of Needham, MA, gave NEFF this parcel in 1978. Chase Memorial Forest had been in the Chase family since 1841 when Mrs. Glassatt’s grandfather, Francis Chase, bought the initial 75 acres of the family farm. Mrs. Glassett was born on the farm in 1902, where cows, horses, sheep, 12 varieties of apples, various grains, and vegetables provided everything the family needed. In 1920, a fire destroyed the farm buildings, and afterwards the land, which had been farmed since 1765, was used to grow hay, pasturage, firewood, and timber. The Chase Memorial Forest will continue to produce timber and firewood while providing a diversity of habitat for wildlife.

This property was donated by Raymond A. and Barbara F. Carye. The land is close to, but does not abut, the Carye Family Woods, also donated by the Carye family. The woods are dominated by white pines in the canopy and there is a small pond on the property. There are also several hundred high-bush blueberry bushes that have been cultivated for many years.

Christian Stroop generously bequeathed the historic Peter Bullock House and its surrounding forestlands to NEFF upon his death in December 2018. In keeping with Christian’s wishes, the sale of the house will fund further conservation, while NEFF will retain the land as a Community Forest and “manage and preserve it consistent with NEFF’s organizational objectives and mission,” as Christian put it in a letter explaining his wishes for the land. The forest has a mix of white pine, hemlock, and hardwoods, and the trees display good growth and are generally straight and fairly tall. The property provides beautiful views of Mount Cardigan. Learn more about Christian and his generous gift to by reading “From Historic Home to New Forests”—an article from NEFF’s Into the Woods newsletter.

In summer 2019, Greg Clendenin donated his approximately 70-acre Granville lot, which sits across from NEFF’s Phelon Forest and is almost entirely wooded. It has been harvested throughout the years, and prior to NEFF’s acquisition was last treated in 2012, primarily for thinning and general management. The property, which has been in Mr. Clendenin’s family since about 1930, contains trails and is a great area for recreational opportunities and continuous forest management.

This parcel was given in 1979 by Mr. Nathaniel Thayer Dexter in honor of his mother, Constance V. R. (Thayer) Dexter. It lies adjacent to the Thayer Forest, also given by Mr. Dexter. The property contains an excellent riparian forest along 4,000 feet of frontage on the Nashua River.

The Cooper Hill Community Forest was acquired in 2011 from Matthew Iorio as part of a open-space conservation partnership project to protect the property from development. The partnership included the town of Marlborough, the Monadnock Conservancy, NEFF, and the Quabbin to Cardigan Partnership. Cooper Hill has a 1.25-mile loop trail starting at the parking area. This is a great opportunity to see a wide variety of wildlife due to the significant diversity of habitats. This area has open fields, brush and shrub growth, mixed conifer forested wetlands, upland forestland of mixed ages, and both hardwood and softwood overstory canopies. This diversity of habitat allows for many different wildlife species to live on or frequent the property for the food, shelter, and water they require to survive.

This 117-acre property is part of the history of forestry in New England, as it was owned by David M. Smith, author of the touchstone forestry text, The Practice of Silviculture, and a long-time professor at Yale School of the Environment. At the time of Smith’s death in 2009, the Yale University public affairs office called this book the most widely used forestry text in the world. Smith’s Leverett land likely helped shaped the practice of forest management as we know it today, and NEFF is grateful to Dr. Smith’s daughters, Nancy and Ellen Smith, for donating it to NEFF as part of the Pooled Timber Income Fund.

The Smith woodland—made up of mostly white pine and oak, hemlock, mixed hardwoods—sits on Rat Hollow Road and lies next to the Mosher Conservation Area, which is owned by the Rattlesnake Gutter Trust. The Rattlesnake Gutter Trust also holds an easement on the Smith property and helps to maintain the property and provides public access to the woodlands, which contains several trails for recreation, including a portion of the old Metacomet and Monadnock (M&M) Trail.

The Deland Memorial Forest along the Piscataquog River was donated to NEFF in 1990 by Mrs. F. Stanton Deland in memory of her husband. This property lies in three towns and is one of the largest singly owned parcels to become part of the protection plan for this river valley. Mrs. Deland gave a conservation easement on the land to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF), a conservation organization with which NEFF works closely. In 1994 Elizabeth Whitman generously donated 37 acres of abutting land in New Boston to the Deland Forest. In 1995, two abutting parcels were purchased with major fundraising assistance from Mrs. Deland, SPNHF, New Hampshire Audubon, and the Piscataquog River Watershed Association. In 1997, Mrs. Deland protected an additional 256 acres with conservation easements. New Hampshire Audubon built a nature trail through part of the Deland Forest, taking advantage of the good wildlife habitat present.

This forest brings four land conservation groups together to conserve land in this area. Early in the tenure of the Deland ownership, the property was managed by Wagner Woodlands. Their work, together with the productive soils and natural inclination of white pine to reclaim these abandoned farmlands, has created a model of a well-managed forest. Much of the area traversed by the Audubon trails contains sandy, glacial outwash soils. They are very poor agricultural soils yet very productive for white pine, one of New England’s most prized timber trees from the time of colonization to the present. To the south of Butterfield Mill Road lies an area of sandy, glacial outwash along the river floodplain. The pines growing on this area are 60 to more than 80 years old and stand among very old charred white pine stumps, indicating that a serious fire once burned here.The floodplain area was much more productive for agriculture and is referred to in the early history of New Boston as the ‘intervale’ land. Deep loam free of subsurface stones made the soil easy to till and was very important to early settlers.

Forty-two acres of woodland overlooking Sebago Lake in Maine were given to NEFF in 1980 by Miss Bertha M. Yerrinton of Arlington, MA. The forest is on the northerly slope of Wind Mountain and is named in honor of Dr. Charles A. Dennett, who acquired the land and built the summer house on the property. Miss Yerrinton reserved the summer cottage and 8.3 acres of land which is nearly surrounded by NEFF land. There is a vista of the western Maine mountains from the ledges near the southwestern corner of the property. This property has been under NEFF management since 1959, when a woodland examination report was prepared for the Yerrinton sisters.

Dennison Pond was donated by Natalie S. Sanderson and Lisa Campbell, trustees of the Nathan H. Sanderson III trust, in 2009. This property is located on the northwest shore of Dennison Pond in Francestown. About one-third of the property had been managed as a sugarbush for at least the last 10 years by the Cilley Family and contains about 1,000 taps. This area has a unique habitat with Dennison Pond, the shrub swamp and shallow marshland along the shore. This provides a habitat to herons, bitterns, and other birds that need this type of habitat for feeding.

In 1940, Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell E. Foster of Ipswich, MA, found Maine’s camping areas becoming crowded. That winter they went to Jackson, NH, with plans to buy an acre or so of wilderness in which to camp privately. When they saw the beauty of Dundee they purchased not one, but 200 acres. After gradually adding other parcels of bordering woodlands, Mr. and Mrs. Foster gifted the property to NEFF in 1977. Bordered on the south by the East Branch of the Saco River, the remote forest provides habitat for moose, black bear, wildcat, fisher, and Canadian lynx. A large pond, built for fire protection, is stocked with trout, cattail, blue flag, and other aquatic plants and shrubs.

Justin G. Sharaf made the generous contribution of this forest in 1993. NEFF began work on this land in 1963, when an appraisal was completed. Historical research has shown that the farm was famous for breeding fast trotting horses. Once known as “Recluse Farm” (1872-1918), it was the home of James and Jane Edgecomb and one of Maine’s most prominent trotting-horse breeding farms. It was the home of several famous stallions and mares including: Coupon; Pequawket; Prescott; Redwood; Midnight Queen (renamed Lady Kerner); and Midnight, the dam of Jay-Eye-See (1884), the first horse to trot 2:10 (owned by Jerome I. Case, trained/driven by Edwin D. Bither, a native of Charleston, Maine).

This forest was given by Mrs. Jeanne Edminister in memory of her husband, Talcott White Edminster. The parcel includes a beautiful stand of white pine and an extensive wetland providing excellent wildlife habitat. This forest had been well managed for 47 years and had been in the same family for over 150 years.

Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Ehrich of Fitzwillam, NH, gave this forest to NEFF in 1979. The property, located at an elevation of 2,000 feet, had originally been purchased in 1962 to buffer land they already owned. The Ehriches’ goal was to preserve their land while producing quality timber. Dr. and Mrs. Ehrich increased the size of their original gift in 1987, when they donated another 26 acres. This additional land lies between the town road and the original parcel.

The tract was donated to New England Forestry Foundation by Mr. Alan Farwell. Mr. Farwell acquired the property in the 1950s and considered donating it to the State of Vermont. However, because of delays and an opportune reading of a NEFF brochure, Mr. Farwell contacted NEFF about a potential donation. The land is located near the west shore of Lake Dunmore, with the smaller, northernmost portion located in Salisbury, and the remainder of the acreage in Leiciester. The West Shore Road serves as the northern boundary, and the property fronts on this road for a distance of 2,000 feet. An access road winds from the West Shore Road southerly up the slope of Mount Pleasant . The road is maintained by the Salisbury Congregational United Church of Christ. A gate is opened during the warmer months to allow people to travel to the cabin and use the land for recreational purposes.

Jean Hankins donated this 75-acre tract to NEFF in 2001 in honor of Jean’s parents, Paul H. and Dorothy L. Fittz. Protecting the Fittz Family Memorial Forest was a priority for NEFF for several reasons: the property is adjacent to other protected lands, it provides excellent wildlife habitat, hosts a diversity of tree species, and protects several streams that feed into the Quabbin Reservoir. Conserving this property was an integral step in the beginning of a large-scale conservation initiative in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Orange. This effort focused on expanding the protected corridor that reaches from the Quabbin Reservoir to the Orange/Wendell State Forests. The Town of Orange purchased a conservation restriction on the property with support from the MA Self-Help Grant Program. There is a hiking trail linking the Fittz Family Memorial Forest and the Orange Town Forest to the south. In 2015 the Fittz family donated an additional parcel of land to add to the forest.

Back in the 1880s, Deacon Joshua Holt of Andover, MA, bought a large tract of land on the North Slope of North Pack Monadnock. Nine of his eleven children settled on the property, each building his own house. In 1936, Mr. and Mrs. Alden S. Foss of Cambridge, MA, bought one of the original farmhouses and surrounding land, which is stocked with valuable tree species, including birch, oak, maple, pine, and spruce. Several careful harvests were made under NEFF’s supervision, and in 1981, Mr. and Mrs. Foss gave this parcel of land to NEFF.

The Fox Chair Mountain Memorial Forest was donated to New England Forestry Foundation in 1994 by Ms. Esther Coke of Marshfield, MA. The property is located on the west side of Whitney Road and across from the intersection of Whitney Road and Fox Chair Mountain Road. The Springfield/Chester town line goes through the property near the western edge of the parcel. It would appear that at some point the land was used as a sheep pasture while the area at the base of the mountain was an open field and used as a meadow. A portion of the property is known as “School Land” and other parts are known as “Church Land” and was subject to annual rental to the Church of England. It was not many years ago that the Church of England had an office located to collect these payments.

Part of the Downeast Woods and Wildlife Project | NEFF has combined this 3,100-acre parcel, located near Egypt Bay in Downeast Maine’s Hancock County, with the Frenchman Bay Conservancy’s existing Frenchman Bay Community Forest, bringing this beautiful woodland to 4,530 total acres. NEFF’s Frenchman Bay tract offers important and interesting habitat features—like waterways and wetlands extensive enough to support inland wading birds—and the overall Community Forest intersects with the 87-mile Down East Sunrise Trail. The Frenchman Bay Conservancy and NEFF’s inclusive, forest-wide stewardship plan provides a full array of recreational uses, wildlife habitat protection, and support for the Sunrise Trail.

Marc Glass acquired this 82-acre woodlot in Westhampton, Massachusetts, in 1972 and donated the land to NEFF as the Marc and Roberta Glass Memorial Forest in 2017. Forest types include red oak mixed with black birch and, occasionally, black cherry and beech. There also are a few acres dominated by sugar maple. Hemlock with red oak prevails along the stream corridors. The North Branch of the Manhan River, which flows to the Connecticut River, traverses the western portion of the woodlot. A tributary, Langdon Brook, forms almost the entirety of the property’s eastern boundary. The property is permanently conserved under the terms of a conservation restriction that Mr. Glass conveyed in 2014 to the Hill Town Land Trust, a subsidiary of The Trustees of Reservations. The most recent harvest was completed in January 2017.

Francis Goodale of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, donated the Goodale Family Forest in 1967. The property had been in the Goodale family since 1702, and is located in an area along Route 495 that is under heavy pressure for industrial park development. Conserving this land created a variety of open-space benefits for the community.

This property was given to NEFF by the heirs of Herbert A. Goodell, following the wishes of their late uncle. Portions of the property, known locally as Hatchet Hill, were purchased in 1937 by Mr. Goodell’s father, Ulysses Goodell. Mr. Goodell’s wishes were to keep the woodland managed for aesthetics, wildlife habitat, environmental diversity, and timber. Around 40 acres of the property are located across the state boundary in Southbridge, MA.

This property was acquired from William J. J. Gordon of Cambridge, MA, in 1996 in an effort to stimulate other landowners in the area also to protect their land. It was originally part of a larger tract of land known as Rock Pool. Named for a unique ledge outcrop along the Gale River in Lisbon, NH, Rock Pool was a well-known summer retreat for both nationally known celebrities and local folk.

In 1990, Mary Jane Gorton provided NEFF with a generous donation to purchase a beautiful piece of land in Dalton, NH. This gift was made in memory of Mary Jane’s parents. One year later, Ms. Gorton made another contribution which enabled NEFF to purchase another five acres, protecting valuable road frontage adjacent to the forest. The Gorton Forest is a white pine and northern hardwood forest on the southern slope of Mt. Beede. Cushman Brook flows across the property and into the Connecticut River a few miles to the north. A Stewardship Trail was built through the forest, showcasing a number of wildlife and experimental conservation practices.

The Grossman Forest was generously donated to NEFF in 2000 by Richard D. Grossman, Leonard G. Basile, Joanne M. Chamberlain, John F. DelVecchio, James F. Dwyer, Lionel R. Fleischer, and Robert N. Grady. The property is located only a half-mile north of the popular Sugarbush Ski Resort at Lincoln Peak.

Located on the eastern banks of the Nashua River, the 54-acre Groton Place property was given to New England Forestry Foundation by the The Groton Place, a non-profit organization. In addition to majestic white pine and plantations of softwood, there are two small ponds and extensive plantings of rhododendron, azalea, and other flowering shrubs. The well-groomed walking trails are heavily used by the community. The property also contains several unique sculptures.

Sabine Woods, 146 acres of beautiful forested land along Groton’s famous Farmer’s Row, was donated to NEFF in 1977 by the heirs of Mary Lawrence and Stephen Webb Sabine. The land was farmed from 1914, when Mary and Stephen Sabine acquired the property, until Mr. Sabine’s death in 1971. The principal products were fruit, Guernsey cattle, and Shetland ponies. Mr. Sabine’s improvements to the land include the many foot and bridle paths that crisscross the forest and a pond at which his cattle could drink.

This forest was donated to NEFF in 1989 by Joseph A. Hagar in memory of his father, Joseph C. Hagar, who had originally purchased the property. The forest has been managed by NEFF since 1975 and is enrolled in the Tree Farm program. Donald Hagar, Joseph A.Hagar’s brother, donated an additional parcel in 1993 which abuts land owned by the MA Audubon Society. The forest supports a fine stand of white pine, protects a beautiful brook and small pond, and forms a buffer against development.

This tract of forest was given to NEFF in 1954 by John C. Wister in memory of his longtime friend Harris Reynolds. The property is approximately three miles from Littleton, NH. A hiking trail / logging road begins from the road frontage along Lehan Road and runs to a peak.

Dennis E. Hartnett bequeathed this parcel on the Manhan River to NEFF. The property is of considerable historic interest, because it contains an abandoned lead mine which may have provided bullets for the Revolutionary War. It is believed that patriot Ethan Allen was once employed there as a lead miner.

This parcel was donated by Richard Brett and his wife Elizabeth in 1963. It was the second Tree Farm established in Vermont. The property is intensively utilized for recreational and educational purposes. There are five miles of trails available for hiking and skiing, including two self-guided nature trails. It is one end of the 10-mile long Skyline Cross-Country Trail, which crosses the valley to Amity Pond Natural Area and follows the ridges to South Pomfret. A brook and three ponds are available for fishing. Over the past five decades, there has been almost constant activity on the forest. This includes cull tree girdling, timber harvesting, tree and shrub planting, weeding and pruning, commercial thinning, wildlife habitat improvement, trail improvement, and archaeological documentation. A 10-acre red and white pine plantation was established in 1947 in the last open cropland to be cultivated. In 1990 NEFF established a small Christmas tree plantation, a small Japanese larch plantation, and a wildlife plant nursery. Cultural resources include an old town road, which contains a stone culvert, four cellar holes, a small cemetery, a shallow-dug well, and several stone walls.

Funds given in 1938 by the late Mrs. Augustus Hemenway of Canton, MA, were used in 1965 to purchase the Hemenway Memorial Forest, honoring the memory of her husband. Later, in 1996, the forest was expanded by a donation by Mr. Robert Veraar in memory of his wife Mrs. Geraldine Veraar. Her family had purchased the property with plans for a summer retreat. The forest is a mix of high-elevation northern hardwoods and spruce/ fir. Lyman Brook, part of the Connecticut River watershed, flows through the property. Timber harvests to improve wildlife habitat and timber quality have been conducted on the property.

Hersey Mountain Forest represents a collaborative venture between New England Forestry Foundation, the Northeast Wilderness Trust (NWT), and Sweet Water Trust. The 3,100-acre property, home to NEFF’s first carbon offset project, was acquired by NEFF and partially financed by The Sweet Water Trust. It includes the Mike Burke Memorial Forest (500 acres) and the Knox Mountain Tree Farm (730 acres), as well as abutting private land that is under conservation easement. A rigorous ecological assessment of the property was conducted to determine which areas should be protected as forever-wild and which areas should be managed for forestry. The assessment resulted in the recommendation of approximately 2,100 acres for wilderness protection under a conservation easement held by the Northeast Wilderness Trust. Approximately 1,000 acres are being managed for sustainable forestry by NEFF. Situated on a ridge between the curving Pemigewasset River and Interstate 93, Hersey Mountain is a largely roadless property, forested primarily by northern hardwoods. Used as pasturelands in the 19th century and now reverting to forestland, this property is now home to a diversity of wildlife, including moose and black bear.

“The great thing about the Hersey Mountain project is the collaboration between wilderness and sustainable forestry interests on a single forested parcel,” commented Merloyd Ludington, a board member of both NEFF and the Northeast Wilderness Trust. The Hersey project not only reflects of a partnership between organizations “but also represents fine teamwork between a forester and a biologist,” explained Ludington. “This division of the property along ecological principles is a fine model that can be replicated across the region.” “We hope this project will serve as an example for future conservation efforts,” said Kathleen Fitzgerald, executive director of the Northeast Wilderness Trust. “Partnerships are central to our Land Protection Program and we are thrilled to see the preservation of over 2,000 acres of wilderness for people to enjoy and wildlife to thrive.” “Forest protection for multiple values is becoming increasingly important,” agreed Si Balch, NEFF’s director of Community Forest Stewardship. “Forest landscapes are the heart, soul, and capital of New England. We are pleased to finally reach the conclusion of this project and look forward to protecting more land for multiple uses.”

In 1975 Mr. Herbert Farnsworth of Gloucester, MA, gave this parcel of land to NEFF. The property, acquired by Mr. Farnsworth in 1945, was named after John Hodgdon, who owned the property from 1803 to 1821. Hodgdon Pasture offers several beautiful views from high ridges.

Part of the Downeast Woods and Wildlife Project | Located along Holmes Bay in Downeast Maine, the 2,690-acre Holmes Stream Community Forest includes intact blocks of contiguous forestland as well as important wetland features like tidal estuarine habitat, found where Holmes Stream flows into the bay. The Holmes property abuts the State of Maine’s popular Cutler Coast Public Lands, a 12,234-acre expanse known for steep cliffs that plunge into the ocean as well as its blueberry barrens, woodlands and peatlands with 4.5 miles of headlands that overlook the Bay of Fundy. NEFF is managing the property for songbird habitat, specifically to create and support stop-over and nesting habitat for migratory songbirds within the framework of Exemplary Forestry standards.

This abandoned farmland in East Hartland, CT, was donated in 1984 by Mrs. Elinor W. Toop in memory of her uncle, Horace B. Clark. The parcel, which is adjacent to the Tunxis State Park, became NEFF’s first Community Forest in Connecticut. The diverse forest of large white pine and mixed hardwood has been thinned carefully several times. The resulting growth of lush understory vegetation has created superb wildlife habitat.

The Hosmer Woods/Webb Memorial Forest is the result of two land donations given to NEFF by Miss Phoebe Lee Hosmer in 1959, in memory of her father, and by Jon M. Webb, Sr. in 1989. The Hosmer Woods parcel was used for infantry training during the Spanish-American War. The Old Brattleboro Road, which travels north-south across the entire length of the property, was a well-traveled military highway during the Revolutionary War. The area was heavily logged in the early 1920s and low-quality hardwoods took over. NEFF has encouraged the growth of white pine and now the forest consists of well-managed white pine stands.

This property was generously donated to NEFF in 2000 by Mr. and Mrs. David F. and Margaret Clapp Howland. The Howland Forest & Wildlife Preserve is comprised mostly of northern hardwoods, white pine, and hemlock. It contains a major tributary to Avery Brook, and includes a variety of habitats from older hardwood stands to younger mixed stands of pine and hemlock. The property abuts land protected with an Agricultural Preservation Restriction to the south, and land subject to a conservation restriction to the north.

This property was conveyed to NEFF by the estate of Alston Hurd Chase of Berwick, Maine, in 1994. Mr. Chase planted red pines in the abandoned fields adjacent to the farm house in 1965. A grass fire that spread from the adjacent property destroyed the eastern portion of the plantations. The burned land was later replanted to red pine and pitch pine.

This property was once part of a farm known locally as the Rockingham Farm, purchased in 1885 by Edward Isham. It had been in the family for over 100 years when Mary and Robert Schmit of Hanover, NH, gave the 66-acre woodlot to the Vermont Land Trust in 1990. The Trust, in turn, conveyed the property to the New England Forestry Foundation. The wish of the donors was to have the woodland permanently protected for agriculture, open space, and recreation. In 1998, additional land acquired from the Burr and Burton Seminary was added to the property. The property includes many good walking trails and an interesting cellar hole. It is the remains of a “pest house,” used by colonists to isolate citizens with communicable diseases.

NEFF purchased this 85-acre hillside woodlot in Erving, MA, in 2018 after an abutter alerted NEFF to the availability of the property, which contained exceptional-quality timber. The woodlot’s last harvest occurred 20-25 years prior to NEFF’s purchase, and the forest is comprised mainly of red oak, white pine and hemlock in mixed sizes and age classes. There is no road frontage, but NEFF holds a right of way for forest management and future public access. Jack’s Brook forms the eastern property boundary, and flows into the Millers River about a mile downstream.

James and Elaine Crandall gifted this addition to the Robinson Memorial Forest in 2017. The Crandall parcel has a forest cover of mixed hardwoods and white pines, and provides secure access to the 272-acre Robinson Memorial Forest, as well as improved recreational access via a pedestrian trail linking to the established trail system.

This forest is part of the land settled on by the Rev. Jonathan Livermore, Wilton’s first pastor. He lost the parish during the American Revolution because he was a British Loyalist. He then built the dam, mill pond, and sawmill on Blood Brook at the foot of Russell Hill Road. Three generations of the Jonathan Livermore family lived on the property. Another decedent named Jonathan also roamed these woods as a young man. The seller’s elder brother, Jonathan Ring, was killed in World War II when his ship was sunk with all hands on board. The western side of this forest abuts approximately 150 acres of conservation land owned by The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and The Nature Conservancy.

The Katz Memorial Forest was deeded to NEFF from the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BRNC). David Katz left the tract of land to the BNRC, and the BNRC transferred ownership to NEFF, as it was near the Dorothy Frances Rice Wildlife Sanctuary. The Katz family has managed the land primarily for its wild blueberries. Most of the land has “old field habitat” with apple trees, shadbush, and blueberry, with areas of spruce hardwood sawtimber.

This forest was donated in 1996 by George Martin of Martha’s Vineyard in memory of his grandparents, Henry Whitman and Mable Keene Whitman. The land had been in Mr. Martin’s family since 1840. The headwaters for the Auburn/Lewiston water supply originate on this property, which has been managed by NEFF since the mid-1980s.

Phoebe Keyes Bentinck-Smith and her husband, William, donated this land in 1990 and 1991, in memory of her mother. The property links together over 550 acres of open forestland owned by the Town of Groton, Groton School, and NEFF. During the first timber thinning, a good road was seeded, offering exceptional passive recreation opportunities such as birdwatching, hiking, and cross country skiing.

This property was given to NEFF in 1996 as a gift from the wills of Chase Kimball (1902-1977) and Mary Lee Evans Kimball (1911-1989). The land was purchased by the Kimballs in 1965 to protect their adjacent land, which has been in the Chase and Kimball families since 1814, and continues to be so. The forest consists of a variety of oaks with pine, hemlock, and other hardwoods mixed throughout. According to the wishes of the donors, neither hunting nor trapping (except fox hunting on horseback) is not allowed on the property.

Lincoln Davis-Greenfield is a woodlot in Greenfield that was purchased with proceeds from the sale of a cabin on the larger Lincoln Davis-Cabot-Morse Forest in Sharon.

This property was acquired in 1967 by the Little Sunapee Associates, a group of lakeshore property owners interested in protecting their residences from further development. In 1976, the Associates donated the property to NEFF to best ensure their goal of long-term land protection. Since that time, three small additional lots were donated to NEFF and added to the Forest. In 1981, to further protect the land, at the request of the donors, NEFF granted a conservation easement to the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust. The Little Sunapee Association remains active, and a number of its members use the forest’s trails regularly.

This property was conveyed to NEFF by James M. Smith and Julia H.M. Smith Solmssen in 1991. The property consists of three contiguous parcels of land which have been under NEFF management since 1951, when a woodland examination report was prepared. Six timber sales were carried out by NEFF between 1954 and 1989.

Mr. Peter Bravmann began purchasing what is now a sizable assemblage of forest and farmland tracts near Shelburne Falls, MA, in the 1970s. A former horse logger, Peter has extensive knowledge of woodland resources and a deep appreciation of the multiple benefits they provide to landowners, the general public, and to wildlife. In 2008, he and his wife, Gioia, decided to donate nearly 75 acres of their land to NEFF. In 2010, the couple donated an additional 250 acres of land adjacent to the previous parcel. Situated on a north-facing slope overlooking the town of Shelburne Falls, the forest contains mixed-aged stands of predominantly northern hardwoods thriving on very productive soils. Peter described their decision: “I feel very fortunate to have been able to put together such a large block of land. We determined that it was important to protect some parts of it in perpetuity through an organization devoted to multiple-use management. We also wanted to set an example to encourage other landowners to protect forestland and open space in this region.” Although the parcel has no frontage on a town road, a deeded right-of-way provides public access by foot and on horseback to a future trail system on the property.

This property was conveyed to NEFF by Elden B. and Ocie S. Maddocks in 1987. The name M-N-Ocie comes from the first letter in the last names of five women Mr. Maddocks wished to memorialize, plus his wife’s first name. Those people were Claudia Grinnell Maddocks (his mother), Bessie Thurston Norwood Maddocks (his stepmother), E. Christine Norwood (her daughter), Maude Jones Merrifield (his high school teacher), and Ocie Saunders Fitzgerald Maddocks (his wife). The Maddocks learned about NEFF through a referral from The Nature Conservancy. Mr. Maddocks was concerned that his land be managed in perpetuity as a working forest.

This forest was purchased from Frances Dack in 2006, and named the Martin Memorial Forest in accordance with his wishes. Located in the northeast corner of Winchendon, the property is bounded on the north by the New Hampshire state line and to the east by the Ashburnham town line. The forest is mostly hemlock with a section of oak along the eastern edge and southeast corner.

This property came to NEFF in 1996 by the will of Dr. Leslie Ann Pederson in memory of her parents, Robert and Alice Maxson Pederson. The property is located in the Berkshires and provides diverse wildlife habitat, and supports an excellent managed forest. The property had been managed by NEFF since the early 1980s, and it has been the site of several workshops demonstrating sustainable forest harvesting techniques.

The property, located in the headwaters of the Piscataquog River, was acquired after being identified as critical to protecting the watershed. The forest contains a high-quality hardwood forest comprised principally of red oak, white pine, and sugar maple.

James Donovan, co-owner of First Light Boatworks in Chatham, Massachusetts, contacted NEFF in August 2018 looking to purchase and conserve recently harvested Maine timberland. NEFF staff steered him toward a variety of tracts, including one in Hiram. James went on to purchase 353 acres in Hiram, and in December 2019 donated the land to NEFF. The property is now known as the Merrill Mountain Community Forest, and encompasses the southwestern slope of Merrill Mountain, the third highest mountain in southern Maine at 1,611 feet. An existing network of woods roads and trails provides recreational access, with fantastic scenic views near the summit. This project advances protection of a significant block of unfragmented forestland, including a state wildlife management area to the east. The land has excellent conditions for white oak, red oak, and white pine.

The first portion of this property was given to NEFF in 1981 by Mr. and Mrs. David M. Mixter of Darien, CT, and Mr. and Mrs. James F. Nields of Hardwick, MA. The Mixter family have been residents of Hardwick since the early 1800s, and by 1925, the Mixter Farm had the largest registered purebred Guernsey herd in the world. The woodland was originally assembled by David Mixter’s father and uncles, primarily as a family recreational area for hiking, fishing, riding, birdwatching, and cross-country skiing. Mr. Mixter and Mr. Nields, whose families have been close friends for years, acquired complete interest in the property during the late 1960s. Additional land acquired from the Mixter-Nields families was acquired in 1988 and 2014. South of the property, around 600 acres of the original Mixter holdings were sold in 1992 to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife to form the Muddy Brook Wildlife Management Area.

In 1971, Mrs. Raymond Emerson of Concord, MA, gave the Monadnock Memorial Forest to NEFF. This 69-acre forest has fine views of Mount Monadnock and consists of a mix of hardwood and softwood stands. Like so many of New England’s forests, it grew up from abandoned farmland.

This tract was donated to NEFF in 1968 by Donald Scott, Jr., and Douglas C. Scott, whose father Donald Scott was a trustee and executor of the estate of Marjory Standish Devlin Moors. Marjory Moors at one time owned this and several other parcels of land in and around Wilton Center, including the Scott Moors Forest donated to NEFF in 1985. Donated to NEFF in 1985 by Donald Scott, Jr., the Scott Moors Forest is representative of the character of land and historic land use throughout Wilton and the surrounding towns. Mr. Scott is a relative of Mrs. Marjory Moors, the donor of the adjoining Marjory Moors Forest.

The Garnache Morrison Memorial Forest was donated by Katherine Morrison in 1978, in memory of her husband, Charles W. Morrison, and her daughter, Suzanne W. Garnache. It is adjacent to the von Trapp Family Lodge and Ski Touring Center. One of the Center’s ski trails passes through the property, first along the Old County Road through the middle of the forest, then cutting across along the southeast boundary. The land ranges from flat and somewhat wet to steep, ledgy, and dry and is dominated by northern hardwoods. A small pond and a spring house are located on the property. A good system of truck and skid roads currently exist due to several years’ worth of improvement cutting in the 1980s.

In the early 1900s a farmer used to drive her cattle for the summer grazing months all the way from Concord, MA, to the tract of land in New Ipswich, NH, which would become Mountain Pond Forest. Mr. Francis S. Moulton, Jr., and Mr. Frederic W. Watriss, both of Concord, MA, bought the property in 1953. Between 1981 and 1989, Messrs. Moulton and Watriss gave their beautiful woodland to NEFF, where old stone walls and the remains of a farmhouse cellar hole attest to the property’s past use as farm and pasture land. Mountain Pond, created by damming three brooks so that the downstream mills had a storage spot for their logs, is a central feature of the forest, creating an ideal wildlife habitat for otter, mink, fisher, and deer.

In 1980, Mrs. Lewis D. Mowry gave NEFF this parcel of land. Originally called “Timberdoodle” by the Mowrys, this large farm, with vistas of Mount Elmore and Mount Mansfield, provides excellent cover for woodcock, also known as the “timberdoodle”. The forest contains two beaver ponds and associated wetlands, a major brook (Bedell Brook) and two minor brooks. There are two small plantations of red pine. The forest cover is a mix of northern hardwoods, mixed wood, and spruce/fir/hemlock. Access by foot is possible on the network of skid rows used for timber management.

This forest was donated to NEFF in 1982 by the Mumford and Benedict families of Dover, MA. The property abuts other protected land owned by Massachusetts Audubon and is in close proximity to protected land owned by The Trustees of Reservations. Surrounded by stone walls, this hardwood forest has a good system of trails.

The Nadeau Forest is part of a land conservation effort in the town of Mont Vernon to conserve land along Purgatory Brook, a well-used area by outdoor recreationists. Although there is no actual frontage on the book it is interesting to know the history of past recreational development. In the 1800s Mont Vernon was a popular “summer community” with large hotels and entertainment facilities. The waters of the brook flow through a deep flume and cascade into large pools. The largest pool is called the “Devil’s Beanpot”. Historically, the falls were a popular destination with a bandstand, dancing platform, and bowling alley. This forest was transferred to NEFF by Donald M. Nadeau in 2004. To gather the funds to purchase the land, NEFF partnered with the Purgatory Watershed Conservancy, a local grassroots organization that organized fundraising events and acquired a $10,000 grant from the local conservation commission.

The Nelson Memorial Forest was donated to NEFF in 1958 by Miss Katharine Dorothea Nelson. Nineteen years later her heirs – Margaret H. Milholland, Anne Felton Spencer, Hugh Kingsbury Tyson, and Penelope L. Adams – donated an adjoining parcel. Sailing barges that carried apples and firewood to Boston once stopped at a stone dock, called Packet Landing, on the North River of the Nelson Memorial Forest. Its frontage on the tidal North River makes it one of only three NEFF forests with saltwater frontage. There has been active management here for years. The smallest salamander species found in Massachusetts, the four-toed Salamander, is said to dwell in the marsh along Cove Creek. There is a well-established trail system on the property.

The Newsom Memorial Forest on the south side of Little Squam Lake was donated to NEFF in 1982 by John and Barbara Newsom. Concerned about protecting the land around them, John and Barbara were also inspired by NEFF’s nearby Stevens Memorial Forest. The donation of Newsom Memorial Forest is a fine example of how one neighbor’s actions can motivate others.

The Niantic River Headwaters Community Forest project was undertaken in two phases: NEFF first conserved 166 acres of the forest in 2017, and then protected an adjacent 34-acre parcel in 2019 for a total of 200 acres. The forest is home to diverse wildlife, plant communities, wetland resources, and topography—as well as a system of hiking trails. NEFF’s conservation of the Niantic property is consistent with the State of Connecticut Green Plan, the plans of Conservation and Development of Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, and the town of East Lyme.

This spectacular property was donated to NEFF in the spring of 1981 by Mr. Charles W. Nichols, Jr. of New York City. Mr. Nichols explored a number of donation options, including donating the land to the State of Vermont to be added to the Emerald Lake State Park. Nichols Forest contains open and wooded land at the foot of the Green Mountain Range. Bordered on the east by the Green Mountain National Forest and on the south by the Emerald Lake State Park, Mr. Nichols’ gift is a significant contribution to forest conservation in the region. Good timber stand improvement practices have been followed for many years, and the combination of old pasture land, meadow land, and woodland creates excellent habitat for a range of wildlife species. The property is a popular area for hikers, especially the open acres which provide good views.

The Norton Memorial Forest was given to NEFF in 1975 by Professor and Mrs. Frederick H. Norton of Gloucester. This actively managed land, consisting mostly of plantings of pine, received an award from the American Forest Institute as the Outstanding Tree Farm of Massachusetts. Professor Norton did most of the planting and road-building on the forest. The contrast between the appearance of Norton Memorial Forest and adjacent unmanaged land is startling, as Gloucester rests on bedrock with very thin soils. The property abuts Dogtown State Forest and is a popular area for hiking.

In 2005, NEFF helped landowner Patricia Page of Portland draft the provisions of a working forest conservation easement that would protect long-held family land on the west side of Marshall Pond in Oxford, Maine. Mrs. Page subsequently donated the conservation easement to the Western Foothills Land Trust, a regional conservation organization. When NEFF was helping Mrs. Page with the wording of the easement, she indicated that the family was willing to consider conveying the underlying fee interest in the land to NEFF. However, the Pages were not in a position to make an outright gift of the fee. Serendipity came to the rescue in 2007 in the form of a grant from the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment. NEFF quickly contacted the Pages to ask if the Marshall Pond land was still available. Happily, it was, and the Pages were generously willing to sell the property for an amount equal to their expenses for boundary line surveys and title work, a price significantly lower than the appraised value. Now known as the Page Family Community Forest, the 622-acre tract has been under active management for many years. The forest currently contains stands of mixed hardwoods and softwoods typical of southwestern Maine. NEFF is grateful both to the Page family and to the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment for combining to conserve such a large woodland.

In 1993, the couples Bayard and Lois Underwood and Benjamin and Mary Alice Foster generously donated this parcel to NEFF. Park of Two Georges was named in memory of two good friends, both named George. The intent of the donors was to have the property utilized for research and educational activities. A local botanist has identified the rare “culver’s root”, and a rare four-toed salamander also was observed in the forest. The donors hope that other residents in Harvard will follow their lead and protect more land for future generations to enjoy.

Cornelia C. Parker donated this land in 1986 to protect a beautiful forest and small, brook-fed pond from development. Parker Family Woods is a short distance from other NEFF community forests located in Lancaster.

The Patten Forest consists of four separate parcels that are part of the Adams Farm complex in Walpole, MA. In 1997, NEFF joined with the Town of Walpole and Norfolk County to protect over 250 acres. There is a significant archeological site on the property known as the Ellis Cellar Hole. An extensive trail system winds through the entire Adams Farm area.

This forest was donated in 2014 by Chester and Dorothy Peirce. The forest is a mix of hardwoods and white pine and includes frontage on a pond at the headwaters Emerson Brook. In 2008, the Peirces worked with NEFF to permanently protect the property with a conservation easement.

Cynthia and Dick Perkins donated this forestland to NEFF as part of the Pooled Timber Income Fund. Perkins Woodlands is bisected by Stockwell Brook, and is nestled between Guiney Memorial Forest, Otter River State Forest, and the Birch Hill Dam. Cynthia and Dick also donated a conservation restriction on the property to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, which owns the neighboring Guiney Memorial Forest. Learn more about Cynthia and Dick Perkins’ involvement with NEFF.

The Phelon Memorial Forest is the result of two separate donations made by Mr. Douglas M. Rice and Mr. Russell E. Phelon. The Holden-Rice Memorial Forest was given to NEFF by Mr. Rice in 1973, who had bought the old Holden forest a few years earlier. Mr. Rice is a retired brakeman who used to work on Amtrak passenger trains between Springfield, MA, and White River Junction, VT. Mr. Phelon donated his nearly 1,000-acre property to NEFF in 1984. His goal was to have the forest remain productive while also maintaining a blueberry crop on the open acres. NEFF has carried out extensive management programs over the years, fulfilling Mr. Phelon’s dream of maintaining a healthy and productive forest. The acres devoted to blueberries are leased to a commercial grower and provide stunning scenic views of the surrounding area.

The property was purchased from Mr. Frederic Giebel in December 2002. Mr. Geibel, a forester by profession as well as co-founder of the Massachusetts Forestry Association, nurtured the development of the young forest after acquiring the property in 1957. Mr. Giebel’s donation to NEFF fulfills his desire to protect the land well beyond his lifetime. Decades prior to his ownership, most of the land was open pasture used for grazing dairy cows.

In 1980, the Episcopal Diocese of western Massachusetts gave NEFF this forest land within the 400-acre woodland facility known as the Bement Camp and Conference Center. Old stone walls crisscross the property, attesting to its past use as a farm likely up until the late 1940s. Today the property is primarily woodland, with an extensive red maple swamp lying at the base of a high ridge. Donald A. Powers, whom the forest honors, was the assistant director and resident caretaker of Bement Camp until his death in an accident. He worked to preserve the resources of the facility and had it designated a Tree Farm in 1979. By giving the land to NEFF, the Episcopal Diocese has assured that the forest will remain a living memorial to Donald A. Powers and his work in forest conservation.

Mr. Charles R. Prichard, Jr. donated this land to NEFF in 1986. The donation enlarged an already protected area, as well as fulfulled the wishes of his family who were concerned about protecting the land. Since donating the parcel, Mr. Prichard’s family has been working with other concerned neighbors to enlarge this fine wooded area.

NEFF purchased this property from the Prouty family in the fall of 2003 to establish an Exemplary Forestry demonstration site. The main house serves as the headquarters for New England Forestry Foundation. Prouty Woods is a truly unique and significant tract of woodland within minutes of Route 495. The property includes 1,600 feet of frontage on Long Lake, and the summit of Wilderness Hill provides expansive views to the west and north, including Mount Monadnock. The combination of forest, open fields, and riparian zones provides much needed habitat for a variety of species. The forest has been under active forest management for many years. Walking trails open to the public, maintained by the Littleton Conversation Trust, connect to a town-wide system of walking trails. The open fields near the main house host an experimental chestnut plantation managed by the American Chestnut Foundation, and starting in 2015 is the site of the Littleton Community Farm (www.littletoncommunityfarm.org).

Part of the Downeast Woods and Wildlife Project | Acquisition of this 1,160-acre tract protects high quality, productive forestland and valuable wildlife habitat along the Dennys River, one of seven rivers used by Atlantic Salmon in Maine and a long-standing focus area for conservation. There is approximately one mile of frontage on the main stream of the Dennys River, and approximately four miles of the tributary Dead Stream flows through the forest. The property also has an open bog and a significant deer wintering area in a part of Maine where deer are scarce. Previously owned and managed by a timber company, Reynolds’ most recent harvest occurred in 2014-2015. The forest shows good regeneration of white pine and other valuable species, and NEFF will not conduct harvests for a number of years to allow these trees to mature.

The forest’s name was chosen to honor NEFF founder Harris Reynolds, and in recognition of a generous gift from Reynolds’ descendants in support of NEFF’s Downeast Maine conservation work.

In the late 1920s, Oran and Mary Rice established the Dorothy Frances Rice Sanctuary for Wildlife in their daughter’s memory. In 1973, Mr. & Mrs. Rice donated the land to NEFF. The property has a large pond and a well-groomed trail system that traverses a variety of habitats. The trails are highlighted in several regional publications, and each year they are utilized by hikers and cross country skiers from all over New England.

In 1952, donations of land to NEFF by both Wonalancet Associates and Miss Alice Walton combined to form the J. Edgar Rich Memorial Forest. NEFF actively manages the property for timber and beautiful hiking trails run across the property. This forest is a prime example of how both forestry and recreational uses of the land can be integrated.

This 292-acre woodlot came to NEFF through a gift annuity from longtime NEFF supporter Barbara Campbell. Twenty-five years before making this gift, Mrs. Campbell donated conservation easements on the land to NEFF. Ultimately, she wished for NEFF to own the property outright in order to continue the legacy of Exemplary Forest management she established over more than 40 years of ownership. The woodlots have high-quality forest soils that are growing fine stands of red oak and white pine, and include a substantial sugarbush leased to an abutter.

NEFF acquired this 76-acre, Topsham, VT, woodlot from Nan McCowan Sumner-Mack in 2016, after her recently deceased husband, Robert Whitcomb Sumner-Mack, stated in his will that he wished for the land to go to NEFF. The transaction took place in the form of a charitable gift annuity. There are a variety of forest types on the property, including good quality sugar maple stands, mixed softwoods, and an area of early successional hardwood growth as a result of pasture abandonment about 25 years ago. A selection harvest and thinning was conducted in 2011.

The Peggy Welz-Roberts Memorial Forest was given to NEFF in 1981 by Mrs. David R. Geary of Pittsfield, MA, in memory of her mother. Mrs. Geary’s great-grandparents, Stanislaw and Catarizina Pisiewski, bought the property in 1919, and for 45 years they farmed the land. In 1964, their daughter and her husband, Veronica and Edwin K. Welz, Sr., purchased the property, which passed to their granddaughter, Linda A. Geary. Under NEFF’s ownership, the once productive farm will become a productive forest, supporting wildlife and giving pleasure to all who come to enjoy its quiet beauty.

The Clark Robinson Memorial Forest has been managed by NEFF foresters since 1949. The property was given to NEFF in 1968 by Mrs. Florence C. Robinson and named in honor of her late husband Mr. Clark Robinson. The Clark Robinson Forest and the surrounding area contain many wetlands and spruce/fir cover, which is good habitat for moose. The Monadnock Sunapee Greenway crosses the forest. This well-maintained 47-mile long trail connects Mt. Monadnock to the south with Mt. Sunapee to the north. The trail crosses dozens of privately owned parcels like the Clark Robinson Forest over a trail corridor voluntarily opened to the public by landowners in the region.

The forest was donated by Judith Rock in honor of her husband Dave Rock who worked as a NEFF-affiliated forester for many years. The forest consists of a mix of conifer and hardwood stands and has previously been used for teaching Unity College students.

Rocky Pond Forest was formed from three generous donations by Mrs.Gertude I. Falby in 1980, the family of Paul N. Fawcett in 1984, and by the Minacapelli family in 2001. The property includes the entire eastern and northern shorelines of Rocky Pond. A walking trail leaves Rocky Pond road on the south end of the forest and traverses the forest to a swimming and picnic spot on the pond and then continues north to Green Street.

This property may not have well-developed amenities and be difficult to access. However, all NEFF Forests are open to the public, so please review our Visitor Safety and Guidelines page if you plan to visit.

This forest was given to NEFF in 1994 by Stephen and Barrie Savage. The property is dominated by a beautiful sugar maple forest with associated areas of northern hardwoods, hemlock, and an eight-acre field. The property has extensive road frontage along an old town road and contains over a mile of frontage on both sides of Bailey’s Brook.

The S. Lytton Scott Memorial Forest was given in 1976 by Mrs. Dorothy Sullivan Scott of New York City in memory of her late husband. This picturesque 425-acre forest is a wooded and remote property with rugged terrain with beautiful views. Managed by NEFF since 1974, it is used for quiet recreation and to demonstrate the role of forest management in creating and maintaining wildlife habitat.

Bounded to the east by two miles of the West Branch of the Piscataquis River and cut through by Birch Brook from northwest to southeast before it enters the Piscataquis River itself, this Community Forest is a property run through with water. Its gently rolling terrain is filled with wet runs and brooks, most of which drain into the river. Shirley Bog has 263 acres of significant inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat along the bog portion of the river, which is also critical to its Tall Sedge Fen, located specifically in the West Shirley Bog and a source of important habitat for varied wildlife. The river itself, a true ecological hotspot, also provides critical habitat for Atlantic Salmon and has a high density of natural brook trout. The area may even provide habitat for Canada Lynx.

Newland and Caroline Smith donated this parcel in 1988 in honor of Mr. Smith’s grandfather, the original owner. The forest has been managed by NEFF since 1962. There is an old town road running through the land, along with a beautiful brook and a fine view of the mountains.

This property was given to NEFF by Mr. Daniel R. Sortwell in 1955. The forest has been managed by NEFF for many years and is heavily stocked with mature white pine. In 1973 and 1975, Mrs. Marion S. Warland of Wiscasset, a sister of the late Daniel Sortwell, added to the forest with the gift of two adjoining parcels. A trail network runs across the property.

The Vermont Land Trust donated the Spiegel Forest to NEFF in 1999 and retained a conservation easement over the property. The forest was named after Mr. George Spiegel, the original owner of the property who donated it to VLT. The property is surrounded by other protected lands including the Appalachian Trail corridor, the Pomfret Town Forest, and over 1,600 acres of private land protected by the Vermont Land Trust. The high-evelation woodlands consist mostly of northern hardwoods and have been managed by NEFF for over 30 years.

The Stetson Phelps Pine Ridge Farm was purchased from Muriel Shippee and Ed Phelps in 1999. The Farm had been in the family for many generations and Muriel sold the property to NEFF to protect the farm from being developed.

In 1915, I. Frank Stevens purchased this prime forest land in Ashland and Holderness overlooking Squam Lake. In 1956, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Ellis Stevens of Nashua, NH, contracted NEFF to begin actively managing the forest. In 1978, the Stevens, along with Leavitt Hill of Ashland, NH, donated this land to NEFF as the I. Frank Stevens Memorial Forest.

The J. Tyson Stokes Memorial forest was given to NEFF by Ms. Gurney F. Stokes in 1986 in memory of her late husband. The property is located on a hill above Newfound Lake, a popular recreation attraction. The forest is also adjacent to Camp Pisquamey, a private summer camp for boys on Newfound Lake established around 1900.

In 2002, Elizabeth Bradford Storer donated the Storer Memorial Forest to NEFF in memory of her parents, both long-time supporters of NEFF. The property has been in the Storer family since Miss Storer’s father acquired it after the Great Depression. The land, which includes the top of Ragged Mountain, stretches between heavily traveled Route 3 and the state-owned railroad line that follows the Lake Winnipesaukee shoreline.

In 2000, Eleanor Tabak generously donated the Tabak Memorial Forest to NEFF in memory of her husband, Antoni Tabak. The property runs from the base to the top of Pocumtuck Ridge, which seperates the Connecticut and Deerfield River Valleys. The forest contains a mix of species and age classes including some large white pine and oak up to 32″ in diameter. The forest is less than a mile west of the Connecticut River. Clapp Brook flows through the property and directly into the Connecticut. Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation and several other protected parcels along the Pocumtuck Ridge make the Tabak Memorial Forest a wonderful addition to the protected lands in the area.

Louis B. Thacher became one of NEFF’s earliest clients when in March 1946 J. M. Attridge, a NEFF forester, prepared a forest management plan for the 286 acres of land then owned by Mr. Thacher on Old Dublin Road in Hancock, NH. The property was donated to NEFF in 1956 by Henry C. Thacher and Elizabeth Tudor Thacher and named in honor of Louis B. Thacher, who had passed away in 1952. NEFF operated a charcoal kiln for the Thachers from 1951 to 1953. This was an attempt to utilize low-grade hardwoods, but eventually proved unprofitable. The remains of the kiln can still be seen today. In 1971, Henry C. Thacher donated an additional parcel to the property.

Thayer Memorial Forest was given to NEFF in 1976 by Nathaniel Thayer Dexter in honor of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Bayard Thayer. The couple purchased various parcels of land which comprised the original estate. Bayard Thayer’s father was Nathaniel Thayer, Jr., a Boston banker instrumental in financing New England’s textile industry and western railroads. His father, Nathaniel Thayer, was a liberal minister who hired Charles Bullfinch (architect of the Massachusetts State House) to design his first church — the First Unitarian Church of Lancaster. The church and Thayer Memorial Forest are testaments of the Thayers’ contributions to New England.

Ms. Geraldine Smith donated the Thissell Smith Memorial Forest in 1989 in memory of her parents, Warren A. Smith and Gertude Smith Thissell, and her stepfather, Theodore D. Thissell. It protects a long stretch of well-managed white pine on Route 16, a busy tourist route in Ossipee.

This property was conveyed to NEFF by Agnes M. Thurston in 1988 in memory of her son and only child, Lt. Clair Hall Thurston, Jr., a West Point graduate who was killed in Vietnam. The land offers a superb view to the east of rolling farmland and forests. There were approximately 100 acres of hay fields when NEFF acquired the land. In 1990, 7,500 red pines were planted in two fields and some abandoned pasture land on Route 220 in Montville. Eight nesting boxes were set up in the fields in 1993 in hopes of attracting bluebirds.

In 1974, Dr. Charles and Mrs. Frances Hildreth Townes of Berkeley, CA, donated to NEFF the first of several parcels of old pastureland growing up to white pine. Over the years, Dr. Townes, a winner of the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics, and his wife have added to their original gift. In 2004, the Wilkins family donated added 8 acres to the property in memory of their father, Harold H. Wilkins Jr. The parcel includes a stretch of the South Branch of the Piscataquog River, used during spring runoff by white water canoe enthusiasts, and two local curiosities: Frog Rock, 10 feet high – giving its name to Frog Rock Road, an abandoned county road which runs through the property – and the nearby 6-foot-high Teetering Rock, which can be rocked by hand. These glacial boulders stand on exposed bedrock in an area affected by post-World War II forest fires. Northwest of these unusual stones and across the old town road lies an enormous barn foundation belonging to the old Read Brothers place. This family owned much of the land in the area and was active in farming and logging.

The Townes Forest is an interesting place to study glacial geology. Near the northwest corner of the property lies a pond known locally as Colby Pond. It’s a glacial kettle hole that was created when a large block of ice broke free of the retreating ice sheet and was later covered on all sides by outwash sands and gravels. This pond has no above-ground outlet, but drains below ground under the adjacent esker. The esker is a steep-sided ridge that was formed when a tunnel within the ice sheet was filled with sand and gravel left behind by rushing meltwater. This esker runs thousands of feet to the west and east of the Townes Forest and is an important source of sand and gravel for the region. These features can be found by walking north from Frog Rock on the old town road. The pond is west of the road and the road cuts through the esker just south of Lord Brook.

This property was donated to NEFF between 1988 and 1993 by Herbert W. Pratt, a longtime member of NEFF’s Board of Directors, and his wife, Patricia R. Pratt. The land is a portion of the True Farm which had been owned by various members of the True Family since the 1850s. All of the land was formerly in field, pasture, or orchard. The forest has been managed by NEFF since 1971 and supports a well-stocked white pine forest, with lesser amounts of hardwood. It protects a long stretch of road frontage in Mechanic Falls.

Part of the Downeast Woods and Wildlife Project | NEFF acquired this 2,200-acre property in December 2020 as part of a Maine Coastal Forest Partnership effort to protect a suite of working forests across Downeast Maine. As one of NEFF’s four large properties in the Acadian Forest region, it serves as a demonstration site for our Acadian Exemplary Forestry standards, while also demonstrating in miniature the features that make Downeast Maine’s interlaced network of forests and waterways ideal for cold-water fish. Streams and wetlands weave through the almost entirely forested Venture Brook Community Forest, and the forestland purifies and filters this water as it makes its way into the nearby Dennys River; trees in the riparian zone then shade the Dennys, and the end result is the kind of cool, clean river young Atlantic Salmon need to thrive. Venture Brook is also home to vital White-tailed Deer wintering habitat.

This property was acquired by NEFF in a bargain sale purchase from Edwin Wallace of Keene, NH, in November 1998. It contains a forested wetland, and is adjacent to a beaver pond on the west side of Tower Road. An ephemeral brook meanders northerly through the central part of the property. Scatterred boulder fields and man-made stone piles provide excellent cover for a variety of small fauna.

In 1978, the first portion of the Winslow Warren Memorial Forest was donated to NEFF by Mrs. Winslow Warren. In 1994, Mrs. Warren and Burgess Small made possible an addition of 5 acres along the southern and western sides of the original tract. In 1996, an additional 3 acres were donated by Mrs. Warren and Burgess Small, giving the property access to Willett Pond. NEFF sold the 3-acre parcel to the Town of Walpole in 2021 to facilitate public waterfront access.

In August 2019, the Hatch family donated 72 acres in Meredith to NEFF in memory of Fred and Virginia Hatch as well as Howard and Myrna Weeks, who were Mrs. Hatch’s parents. Virginia Hatch grew up in Meredith, and her parents purchased just over 60 acres there in 1946. In 1973, they deeded the property to Virginia and Fred, who lovingly stewarded the forest for more than 45 years. The Hatches partnered with NEFF foresters in 1985 to manage the woodland and its white pine and hemlock-hardwood stands as a certified Tree Farm, a forestry partnership that continues to this day through New England Forestry Consultants. The Hatches purchased 13 additional acres in 1993 and permanently protected both parcels through a NEFF conservation easement in 1999, and drafted their wills with a bequest entrusting NEFF to be the future owner and steward of the forest. After Fred’s death in January 2018 and Virginia’s in July 2019, the property came into NEFF’s hands—and we are honored the Hatches entrusted NEFF with their beloved woodland. Under NEFF’s ownership, the forest is now open for public enjoyment and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests will oversee its conservation easement.

This parcel was donated to NEFF in 1992 by Messrs. Reed and Nathan Anthony, great-grandsons of Andrew Weeks. This gift was made possible by a partnership between NEFF and Vermont Land Trust, which now holds a conservation easement on the property.

This property was generously donated to NEFF in 1985 by Ms. Eloise Choate and named in honor of her cousin, Phillip Saltonstall Weld. In 2013, William Elkins, the son of the donor, along with his children Jacob Elkins and Sheila Baltzell added to the property with the donations of their abutting land. This additional land increases the connections to abutting conservation land and improves access for future forest management activities.

The property was donated to NEFF in 1972 by Reverend Edric A. Weld of Dublin, NH. Once a farmland, the forest is located on a hillside at the foot of Mount Monadnock and supports a mix of tree species typical of this region, namely white pine and red oak.

This forest was donated to NEFF in 1988 by Mr. Wellington Wells, Jr. There is an elementary school named after Mr. Wells’s father approximately one-quarter mile away. The original 29-acre parcel has been managed by NEFF since 1982. The property was heavily impacted by the 1938 hurricane and now contains beautiful stands of red oak. A hiking trail to the summit of Willard Hill, located on the property, begins by Chesham cemetery.

Mrs. Fred W. Wells’s of Shelburne gave this forest to NEFF in 1973. The forest consists of high-quality hardwoods which were carefully managed by the Wells family.

This forest was donated by Mary and Peggy Wesbrook in 1990 in memory of their parents, Donald and Elizabeth Wesbrook. This gift was made possible by a partnership between NEFF and Vermont Land Trust, which now holds a conservation easement on the property. Old skid roads were used to establish a nature trail loop in 1991 and the log landing serves as a parking area. Originally a potato field and sugarbush, the forest now consists of an even-aged sugar maple stand and an all-aged northern hardwood stand. The property also contains 1,600 feet of frontage on Broad Brook. Hunting, trapping, snowmobiling or other motorized recreational vehicles are not allowed, in keeping with the wishes of the grantors.

This property was donated to NEFF in 1968 by Mr. William P. Wharton. Mr. Wharton began purchasing the lands that are now known as the Wharton Plantation in 1905. An original incorporator of New England Forestry Foundation, Mr. Wharton was extremely interested in the art, practice, and science of forest management. It was through Mr. Harris A. Reynolds, founder of New England Forestry Foundation, that Mr. Wharton became interested in managing his land for forest products, especially the white pine that developed naturally in many of the abandoned fields that he acquired. Natural disasters such as the Hurricane of 1938 and the fire of 1941 have had an effect on the management practices that have been carried out since that time. One of Mr. Wharton’s foresters, Harrison S. Ripley, has established many of the white pine and red pine plantations that now exist on the property. Mr. Ripley planted many of the areas along Old Dunstable Road with his wife in the 1950s. The Wharton Plantation has been one of the most intensely managed forests owned by NEFF.

Whitten Woods is NEFF’s largest property in the Squam Lakes region, encompassing 577 acres. NEFF joined with Squam Lakes Conservation Society (SLCS) to protect the property in 2017, and SLCS holds and monitors conservation easements on NEFF’s lands at the site. From the access point on Highland Street not far from the Ashland exit off Interstate 93, trails maintained by Squam Lakes Association lead quickly to a high vista looking northeast to the Squam Lakes and the mountains beyond. A lumpy and rocky ridge extends north-south through the center of the property, rising 700 feet from the valley of the Pemigewasset River west of the property.

This woodlot was donated in 1986 by William H. Palmer Wile. The property is known as No Man’s Land, and Mr. Wile wanted to protect it for future generations to use and enjoy. At the time of donation, Mr. Wile was presented with plaques from the town and NEFF in recongnition of his desire to slow down the development of the area. Since that time, houses have steadily been added in the area, but thanks to Mr. Wile this forest remains protected.

The John W. and Mildred G. Wright Memorial Forest was donated by the trustees of the Estate of Mildred Gibson Wright Revocable Trust in 2003. This conserved property includes a portion of the Westfield River, one of the most scenic and wild rivers in the state and a recognized trout stream. Another of the Wright Forest’s interesting features is the very active railroad line that traverses the property. The forest contains significant wildlife and fisheries resources, and combines riparian areas, open fields, and slope habitats. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts holds a conservation restriction on the property.