Walpole Comm. Sponsors Conservation Walks

First Walk Saturday June 12

By Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer

          What IS “conservation”? What land has Walpole ALREADY placed in “conservation”?  What ARE the town’s most important natural assets?  And what are the various ways they can be protected without stifling needed growth and development?

Answering these and other citizen questions is the purpose of six scheduled walks in Walpole conservation lands beginning this Saturday, July 12, at 8:45 a.m. on the town Common.

Dr. Peter Palmiotto, a Walpole resident and certified professional forester, will lead Saturday’s exploration around the Walpole Millpond conservation area to be followed by refreshments.  Alan Johnson of Walpole explained Thursday that the 86 acre conservation area was created in 1988 through gifts of land from his grandfather, from Hubbard Farms and by a purchase of land from Bob Galloway.

Walpole's millpond on a beautiful summer's day. Chuck Bingaman photo

Once a power supply for mills and a source of ice for refrigeration, Walpole’s millpond today is a wildlife sanctuary with 1.3 miles of winding trail though upland and floodplain forests and an extensive beaver pond.  Walkers can find beavers, bullfrogs, waterfowl, warblers and spring wildflowers. 

“We need to have more people in town acquainted with conservation and what we have in Walpole,” according to Conservation Commission member Mel Schupack.  “These walks grow directly out of community conservation meetings we’ve had and each will be led by one or more local teachers and experts on conservation.”

“Members of the Conservation Commission don’t regulate anything,” Schupack continued.  “We simply gather and share information on conservation.  And that’s where these walks come in.”

In a related development, at Tuesday evening’s Walpole Planning Board meeting, Schupack handed out a summary of Walpole land holdings showing that 3,264 acres or 13.7% of the town’s acreage is currently held in conservation preventing it from being developed.  Of that conserved land, 912 acres or 27.9% are owned by the town, 278 acres or 8.5% are owned by the state, 164 acres or 5% are owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and 1910 acres or 58.5% are owned privately but under conservation easement.

Schupack alluded to the Conservation Commission’s recent—and somewhat controversial—suggestion that the town set a goal of getting 25% of its land into conservation.  That goal was drawn from recommendations of the Society for the Preservation of New Hampshire Forests that argues that a “green infrastructure” is vital for human health, the rural economy, and community quality of life. The purpose of such a goal would be to assist the community in securing open lands close to home, to meet the town’s citizens’ needs for the future.  Specifically such “smart conservation”, as the SFPNHF calls it, is integrated with smart growth to provide such vital assets to towns as clean drinking water, village and town parks and outdoor recreation fields, locally produced food, town forests and wildlife habitat, and lands with scenic beauty and community character.

Additional scheduled conservation hikes in the series are as follows:

Sat. Aug. 16th 9-11AM:  Reservoir Town Forest:  This 59 acre parcel with its damned small pond once provided water to the Town of Walpole and now  harbors many bird and animal species.  There is access from a locked gate on Reservoir Road.  There is a path that leads to a recreational north/south trail maintained by the local snow mobile club.  (Leader: Swift Corwin, Forester)  Rain Date: Aug. 23rd

Sat. August 30th 9-11AM,  High Blue (Warner Forest):  The trail begins at Scovill Road and leads to a ledge overlook and views of the Connecticut River Valley and the Green Mountains.  Donated by Stephen Warner in 1981, the fields and young forest provide 164-acres of habitat for deer, black bear, porcupine, snowshoe hare and more with opportunities for skiing, hiking and picnicking.  (Leader: Budd Ross, land steward for the Society for the Protection of NH Forests)  Rain date Sept. 13th

Sun. Sept. 7th 2-4PM.  Sawyer Farm:  92-acres of prime farmland and forest with 3,500 feet of frontage along the Connecticut River.  The Monadnock Conservancy holds a conservation easement on this parcel and the Town owns a right-of-way easement to maintain a footpath between the farm field and the river.  (Leaders: Harold Putnam, Andy Sawyer & Swift Corwin)  Rain date Sept 21st

Sat. Sept. 20th 9-11AM.  Fanny Mason Forest:  Fanny Mason gave this 245-acre forest to the Town in 1948.  An easy wide trail had looped through the eastern side of the property from the northbound rest stop on Highway 12.  A great variety of plant life thrives in this forest of pine, hemlock, oak and maple.  The mile-long loop trail winds around ledges, over streams, through a pine grove, and past a stand of large old oaks.  There is also a footpath on the west side of the parcel from a parking lot off River Road South (near the old railroad crossing).  (Leader: Swift Corwin, Forester)  Rain Date Sept. 27th

Sat. Oct. 11th  9-11AM:  Fall Mt. from Table Rock above N. Walpole:  Just below the top of the protected part of Fall Mountain, obtained by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to protect the Mountain, is an incredible fall view of the Connecticut River, North Walpole and Bellows Falls.  (Leader: Eric Aldrich of  TNC)  Rain date Oct. 18th.

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