Another parcel along the Warner River in Hopkinton has been preserved, Five Rivers Conservation Trust said Thursday.
A 39-acre property known as Dustin Woods, which has been in the Dustin family for more than 200 years, is now covered by a conservation easement, completed along with the town of Hopkinton and supported by multiple funding sources.
“This ensures that this ecologically rich and historically significant land will remain
undeveloped, accessible and protected for generations to come,” the Concord-based group said in a release. The property includes stone walls and former roads used by the Dustin family, who once operated a 250-acre farm here.
The newly conserved land connects to trails on two neighboring properties already protected by Five Rivers: The 413-acre Bohanan Farm and the 36-acre D&B Dustin property. The easement includes public access for “low-impact recreation” such as hiking, birdwatching and hunting in season.
Landowner David Dustin said the easement fulfills his family’s long-standing wish to preserve the landscape.
“Conserving the land keeps it in its natural state, just as my father wanted,” Dustin said.
The preservation is part of continuing efforts to maintain water quality upstream of Concord’s water supply intake on the Contoocook River.
An easement is a legal document that limits future uses of a property without changing ownership.
Five Rivers is one of a number of non-profit groups that buys land or conservation easements on property in New Hampshire. The group says that through easements and
ownership, it has conserved more than 6,400 acres across 89 properties.
Among the sources of funding to buy the easement were the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, known as LCHIP, the NH Department of Environmental Services Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund, the DES Local Source Water Protection Grant, the Hopkinton Conservation Commission, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Local Land Conservation Fund, and local donations.