The Strong Easement

This property had for decades belonged to the Moore family, and they used it as a woodlot and even let cattle graze through it during the war. Dick Moore put the beautiful open field in the elbow of the Old Jaffrey Road opposite the Moore homestead into conservation, but after he died, his daughter wanted to sell the lot and the property off the Old Town Farm Road. She was determined to find a conservation buyer who would put only two house lots near the road and commit to conserve the rest, so she contacted Deborah Kaiser, a neighbor and member of the Peterborough Open Space Committee. All the neighbors got together and searched for such a buyer. They were even prepared to buy the land communally, but as luck would have it Deborah was able to persuade her cousins, Robert Strong and his wife Gael, to purchase the land. They cleared the large field for one house lot and the rest is now under easement with the Forest Society.

Although The Forest Society is offered more easements than it is able to accept, this easement became a priority for several compelling reasons. The town's Open Space Committee ranked the property highly owing to aquifer, wetlands, shoreland, wildlife habitat, trails potential, agricultural soils, forest resources, linkage with existing conservation land, and location in an outlying area of town.

The majority of the land is forested with a mixed hardwood forest with considerable white pine and hemlock.  The property includes 14 acres of wetlands mostly located across the line into Jaffrey.  This property has excellent wildlife habitat including mast producing forest, vernal pools, seeps, and open beaver wetlands.

November 2008: A celebratory hike including neighbors of the Strong conservation easement—during hunting season as evidenced by bright colors on man, woman and dog. Bob Strong wears orange hat and jacket and Gael Strong a red hat and scarf.