To all friends of Owls Head Cliff in Benton, New Hampshire,
Owls Head Cliff "For Sale" signs removed !
I am pleased to be able to inform all of you that the 360 acre Owls Head Cliff property on Route 25 in Benton, NH was purchased by the Trust For Public Land on August 31, 2007. This is a major step toward adding this unique property to the White Mountains National Forrest. At this time the WMNF purchase proposal is undergoing its required 30 day "Congressional Over Site". During this time period the proposal may be reviewed by any member of the US Congres
September 10, 2007
September 11, 2007
To all friends of Owls Head Cliff in Benton, New Hampshire,
Owls Head Cliff "For Sale" signs removed !
I am pleased to be able to inform all of you that the 360 acre Owls Head Cliff property on Route 25 in Benton, NH was purchased by the Trust For Public Land on August 31, 2007. This is a major step toward adding this unique property to the White Mountains National Forrest. At this time the WMNF purchase proposal is undergoing its required 30 day "Congressional Over Site". During this time period the proposal may be reviewed by any member of the US Congress. OHC is the 24th property acquisition for the WMNF that has been facilitated by the TPL.
At this time OHC is owned by the TPL. It is not yet public property. It is hoped that the property will be re-purchased and become part of the WMNF in a few months.
The TPL is a non profit organization that facilitates the purchase of land for public use. Due to the often slow and cumbersome procedures required for property purchase with public funds the TPL steps in to assist in this process. On many occasions the TPL purchases and holds these properties until the governmental agency can obtain the necessary public funds and complete the required procedures. At Owls Head Cliff the TPL has hired contractors to removed buildings, mitigated a small haz-mat site, surveyed the boundry's, title searched the deeds and generally done what is referred to as "due diligence" work to create a neat, organized package for government purchase. This work is funded by TPL members and donations. At the TPL the primary person working on this purchase for the past year has been Josh Kelly.
On a related note, our contact person at the Access Fund, Deanne Buck, has sent me an email stating that she is leaving that organization. Deanne arranged for the Access Fund to contribute funds to the TPL to help with the OHC due diligence work. I would like to thank Deanne for her assistance with this project.
Unrelated tidbit: My wife and I spent Labor Day Weekend at my brothers home, less than a mile from Owls Head Cliff. Saturday evening a violent line of thunderstorms passed through the area. We sat in my brothers living room watching "natures fireworks" (non-stop lightning) for three hours. Monday smoke was seen on the top of OHC. A US Forrest Service fire crew hiked to the top of the cliff and found a small brush fire, apparently started by lightning. The firefighters extinguished the fire and spent a couple of days and nights on site to dig out underground hot spots and watch for rekindle.
Below is the press release concerning this purchase.
Rock-climbing cliffs may be added to National Forest
BENTON – Owl's Head cliffs and about 360 acres which surround it on Route 25 was sold last week to The Trust for Public Land, in hopes it will soon become part of the 780,000-acre White Mountain National Forest.
The dramatic cliffs are a popular attraction for rock climbers and hikers. It is only one-half mile from the Appalachian Trail. The property is bounded on three sides by the White Mountain National Forest and has more than 6,000 feet of frontage along Oliverian Brook.
In addition, according to TPL, four fledgling peregrine falcons were observed on the cliff this past year by New Hampshire Audubon, which was more than at any other site in the state.
Last fall, at the urging of local citizens, members of the rock-climbing community, and staff of the White Mountain National Forest, TPL negotiated an agreement for the purchase.
With the help of a grant from the Access Fund, a national nonprofit group dedicated to preserving climbing environments, TPL purchased the property to temporarily hold it off the market. TPL is working closely with the Forest Service to add the property to the White Mountain National Forest this fall.
"TPL is pleased to play a critical role in the permanent protection of this property," said Josh Kelly of The Trust for Public Land. "The unique natural and recreational resources of the Owl's Head Cliff property make it a high priority for addition to the White Mountain National Forest."
Handling the transaction for the seller was Andy Smith, broker/owner of Peabody & Smith Realty in Littleton.
"We knew this was an extremely special piece of land when we listed it and are pleased that it will be preserved in its pristine state," said Smith. "The owners of the property were extremely generous in helping to make this transaction come together. We were most impressed with The Trust for Public Land and their mission."
TPL is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has worked with willing landowners, community groups, and federal, state and local agencies to complete more than 3,500 land conservation projects in 47 states, protecting more than 2 million acres.
In New Hampshire, TPL has protected more than 200,000 acres.
Tom Richardson
Durham, NH