Land Purchase Set After Decades of Negotiations

It has taken 20 years of on-again/off-again negotiation, but the highly-desired land within Grater Woods will be purchased by Amherst in December.

The Amherst Land Trust (ALT) will pay $105,000 for two parcels of land between Amherst and Merrimack, which ties 100 conserved acres in Amherst with 500 acres of conserved land in Merrimack.

Amherst Conservation Commission (ACC) and ALT member Bruce Beckley said that the NH Department of Environmental Services has listed this land land as having the highest ecological value in the state.

An environmental scientist reported that it “represents the town’s largest unfragmented forested block interspersed with diverse wetlands and other habitats that are critical for a number of species of environmental concern,” according to the ALT.

The Amherst Conservation Commission has been after the land for decades, but were unable to afford the purchase after a price had been set. The ALT have stepped in and will buy the land before the Dec. 15, 2012 deadline.

Beckley said that the land can be used to connect Merrimack trails and ACC trails, which then lead to Bedford trails and beyond. These trails blend in with the landscape and can be used for hiking, cross country skiing and biking.

“It is a  trail system for those who want to get out and stretch,” said Buckley. “Nature takes care of it pretty well.”

This is not the first time that the ALT has stepped in to assist with a major land purchase. In 2007, they helped the Mont Vernon Conservation Commission acquire a 500-acre tract of land abutting Purgatory Brook. They quickly acquired the two important parcels of land known as the “Wah Lum Reserve,” which gave the town the time to raise money and purchase the land.

Buying of this land does drain the funds of the ALT, which leaves no money for education and future land protection opportunities. The Amherst Land Trust is currently raising funds to cover the $105,000 cost.

Those looking to donate can make checks payable to Amherst Land Trust PO Box 753, Amherst NH, 03031, or give online via Paypal. The Amherst Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) corporation and contributions are tax-deductible.