SELT acquired the 316-acre Piscassic Greenway in April 2006 after a nearly two year partnership with the Town of Newfields and the Trust for Public Land. The Piscassic Greenway abuts the Cole Farm and the two properties are managed as one ownership.
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Located off of Halls Mill and Piscassic Roads in Newfields, and Schanda Drive in Newmarket, the Piscassic Greenway has frontage on the Piscassic River, a tributary of Great Bay. This property is also the crucial link between two blocks of existing protected lands that create a wildlife and recreational corridor of more than 2,000 acres from Newmarket to Exeter.
With its extensive network of trails and the adjacent Manchester-Portsmouth Rail Trail, the Piscassic Greenway is enjoyed by the public for outdoor recreation, including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting.
In 2005, the Piscassic Greenway as we know it almost became a 102 unit subdivision proposed as the Mill Woods Subdivision. Fortunately, the Trust for Public Land and then Rockingham Land Trust entered into an agreement with the developer, providing the Town with the chance to vote at Town Meeting on a substantial bond to make the project a reality.
Matching funds were raised from a variety of sources, including funds secured by US Senator Judd Gregg through the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP).
Today, the Piscassic Greenway is a vital natural resource for the region. The Town of Newfields will hold a conservation easement over the entire property. The conservation easement assures the opportunity for continued recreational use of the property, while also making special provisions to protect water quality, wildlife habitat and ecologically sensitive areas.
SELT owns and manages the property and is planning trail improvements to protect wetlands and create sustainable access to the land.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Fall 2025 Piscassic Greenway Timber Harvest
What are the details of the upcoming Piscassic Greenway timber harvest?
This fall we will be undertaking a timber harvest at the Piscassic Greenway. The harvest is anticipated to begin in early September and last into November. This timeframe may change depending on ground conditions and other unforeseen circumstances. The extent of the harvest will span approximately 58 acres in the eastern part of the Piscassic Greenway, accessed via Neal Mill Road. Please see the map here for the harvest area.
After this harvest is complete, we anticipate similar harvests will be carried out in different areas at the Piscassic Greenway between 2026 and 2028. The last harvest was completed in 2011-2012.
How will the timber harvest affect trails and recreation?
For the safety of visitors, workers, and other natural resource professionals involved in the operation, the portion of the Byrne Spur Trail east of the boardwalk, and the entire Otis Hill trail will be closed for the duration of the operation.
Neal Mill Road will be an active trucking route during the operation and will be rehabilitated as necessary after the operation. The Bald Hill Road trailhead, Halls Mill Road trailheads, and Rockingham Rail Trail access will remain unaffected during the operation. Off-trail travel in the harvest area will be prohibited for the duration of the harvest, for safety reasons.
What guides management activities at the Piscassic Greenway?
Promoting regeneration means encouraging the growth of seedlings and saplings that are currently living close to the forest floor (also called the forest’s “understory”) and giving them the opportunity to become the next level in the forest canopy (the “overstory”). This careful, selective cut will provide ideal conditions for this to happen by allowing more light to pass through and by making growing space more available for the next generation of trees. A healthy, resilient forest is one that is diversified in many ways, including trees of a variety of ages, ranging from brand-new seedlings to centuries-old overstory trees.
What is the importance of forest regeneration?
Promoting regeneration means encouraging the growth of seedlings and saplings that are currently living close to the forest floor (also called the forest’s “understory”) and giving them the opportunity to become the next level in the forest canopy (the “overstory”). This careful, selective cut will provide ideal conditions for this to happen by allowing more light to pass through and by making growing space more available for the next generation of trees. A healthy, resilient forest is one that is diversified in many ways, including trees of a variety of ages, ranging from brand-new seedlings to centuries-old overstory trees.
Will SELT be making money from this cut?
Yes – this timber harvest will produce revenue. The revenue from the cut will compensate the loggers, our consulting foresters, and pay the NH timber tax to the Towns of Newmarket and Newfields. SELT will receive revenue as well, which will be used to further our mission of saving, sharing, and stewarding the critical lands in our region.
This wood will be of good value for the regional economy, providing material for building supplies, firewood, and millwork. Finally, there is no financial quota for the cut; the ecological motivations are first and foremost and will guide the decisions on what to harvest or not.
How will the harvest affect local wildlife?
The reality of any entry into the forest is that some wildlife may be temporarily impacted, but overall, this cut is designed to create a richer, more varied and healthier habitat for wildlife and plants. SELT has consulted with wildlife biologists (some of whom were also involved in approving the management plan) to ensure that the operation is conducted in such a way that it has minimal negative impacts on wildlife and provides significant wildlife benefits.
Land management is always a balancing act and not every species may benefit, but the guiding principle of SELT’s ecological activities is to help as many native plants and wildlife flourish as possible, including any focal species known to be on a property. We do that by keeping the forest healthy and diverse so this beloved property can continue as a thriving forest for generations to come.
What will this part of the Piscassic Greenway look like after the harvest?
You’ll see stumps and some woody debris, which are purposefully left behind. Limbs and leaves contain high amounts of nutrients, which are returned to the ecosystem through decomposition and will contribute towards stronger forest health. Essentially, it will still look like the forest you love, just thinned out in places to allow more sunlight to come through. You may also see small openings from 1/20th to a ½-acre in size which help promote the regeneration of desired tree species (such as oak and pine) in areas that were dominated by less resilient species and lower quality trees (such as declining beech or hemlock).
Have there been timber harvests at Piscassic Greenway before?
Yes. The last harvest we had at Piscassic Greenway was 2011-2012. The ecological and management objectives were the same then as they are now - and, you may have walked right by the area without even noticing it. If you would like to learn more about this harvest and how it looks today take a moment to read this post.
