Recent Purchase of Stell and Young Tracts Enhances New Durham Property
On April 28, the Southeast Land Trust (SELT), completed two closings on the Stell and Young parcels in New Durham. The separate properties, now owned and conserved by SELT, total just over 636 acres (approximately a square mile) and will be added to the Birch Ridge Community Forest, which was created in 2018. As a community forest, Birch Ridge promotes conservation, community, and economic development through SELT’s ownership and management of land for the benefit of the community.
As part of the broader “Keep Merrymeeting Clean” initiative, coordinated by SELT and the Merrymeeting Lake Association, the addition of these two properties offers valuable watershed protection for nearby Merrymeeting Lake, as well as preservation of wildlife habitat. In addition, the Stell and Young conservation provides another three miles of Snowmobile Corridor #22 and, in the future, will build upon the publicly accessible recreation opportunities that are part of the Birch Ridge Community Forest.
“We are very fortunate the timing worked out for the acquisition of these wonderful properties and both landowners were very patient and wonderful to work with,” said Duane Hyde, SELT’s Conservation Director.” These properties add additional forest and habitat diversity to the Birch Ridge Community Forest, a spectacular view to the Blue Hills mountain range to the south to complement the views of the White Mountains from the Community Forest, and the added benefit that people will be able to enjoy these lands for all time.”
“The permanent conservation of the Stell and Young tracts complement the existing Birch Ridge Community Forest,” said Charlie Bridges, Chair of the Birch Ridge Community Forest Management Committee. “These new parcels add forest stand types and ages currently not common on Birch Ridge. Wildlife activity is abundant, with extensive south-facing slopes providing good winter habitats. Existing interior wood roads offer immediate recreational access for hiking, mountain biking, and snowmobiling, along with future opportunities to connect back to the larger acreage of the initial Birch Ridge Community Forest.”
Funding for this project came from the US Forest Service’s Community Forest Program, the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), and private donations.