Conservation easement will protect 20 acres on Tolend Road

posted on: 1/24/2020

The Dover Open Lands Committee announces the purchase of a conservation easement for 20.4 acres of land owned by Jennifer Morin of Tolend Road. The purchase of the conservation easement was approved by the Conservation Commission and City Council.

The property is mostly mixed forest, with about five acres of open fields that provide an excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife. There are three intermittent streams running through the property, five significant wetland areas and at least two potential vernal pools. The property abuts the 17-acre Towle conservation property that has frontage on the Cochecho River and was protected in 2003.

Morin decided to conserve the property to honor the wishes of her late mother Elizabeth Morin.

“My mother loved watching deer, turkey and other wild animals in the fields and woods surrounding her house,” Morin said. “She had a pair of blue birds that used the same bird house in front of her house every year to nest and raise a new family. It was important to my mother that the birds and animals have a place where they could thrive and raise young which is why she wanted to conserve her property.”

Anna Boudreau, chair of the Open Lands Committee stated, "We are thankful for Jennifer’s foresight to conserve this property and for adding to the growing mosaic of conserved property in the neighborhood.”

This conservation easement is a legal agreement between the landowner and the Dover Conservation Commission that permanently limits certain types of development and uses on the property by granting the development rights to the city. The City of Dover purchases the easement and the property remains in private ownership. Conservation easements are voluntary and flexible and can be structured to preserve all or just a part of property. Conserved properties retain their landowner rights and can still be gifted or sold, but they cannot be developed or mined.

The Dover Open Lands Committee consists of local volunteers and city staff who work with willing landowners to conserve Dover’s important natural and cultural resources. These resources include drinking water supplies, farm and forest lands, critical fish and wildlife habitat, and the preservation of our community's character for current and future generations to enjoy.

For more information about the Open Lands Committee, contact the Planning Department at (603) 516-6008 or e-mail Steve Bird at s.bird@dover.nh.gov.