46 Acres of Exceptional Wildlife Habitat Protected
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Hancock offers three thoroughfares for residents wishing to travel south from town: Middle Road, Route 123, and Ferguson Brook. Unless you plan on canoeing, the latter highway is reserved for wildlife, and for this reason we are particularly excited to announce that last month we closed on 46 acres of forestland on the Hancock-Peterborough town line that adds to the already considerable protection along this riparian corridor.
The purchase protects 1,100 feet of scenic Middle Road and runs east toward Route 123, where it abuts Peterborough’s Daloz conservation easement. A first-order cold water stream that runs west to east through the property is rated as “Tier 1” wildlife habitat by the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan – the highest ranking available.
This project would not have been possible without the extraordinary generosity of Anna Mary Wallace, who sold the land to the Harris Center for a small fraction of its appraised value. This is the second time that Anna Mary has gone to bat for wildlife and the environment of Middle Road. Back in 2002, she and her late husband David put a conservation easement on 160 acres surrounding their family home. We are extremely grateful, both to Anna Mary and to the Harris Center friends and supporters who donated the required funds. Wildlife cannot speak, but we can. Thank you.
