Due to ongoing problems with recreation that compromise our public water supply, the Trescott Lands are closed for all purposes except hunting until further notice.
More details here…
Appalachian Trail Family Hiking Day – Saturday, 9/24
Explore this National Scenic Trail right in Hanover’s own backyard on this fun hike from 2:00- approx. 4:30 p.m. From The R.W. Black Center to the Velvet Rocks Shelter, this easy-moderate 2 mile round trip hike will include a scavenger hunt, fun facts about the AT and a snack break at the shelter. Bring the whole family to celebrate AT Family Hiking Day!
RSVP with Hanover Parks & Rec:
https://www.hanoverrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=30076
Deer Hunting in Hanover
Not so long ago, it was rare to see a deer in suburban Hanover. In 2015, more deer were taken by hunting in Hanover than in any other town in New Hampshire. Deer-car collisions are more frequent and
people commonly report groups of deer lounging in their back yards. Gardeners see shorn plants and forest landowners find browse lines. Deer consume native tree seedlings, saplings, shrubs, and wildflowers, encouraging invasive plants to take their place. Natural predators were removed by our ancestors, and the deer herd is expanding, threatening forest health.
In 2013, at the request of the Town of Hanover, we opened the Balch Hill Natural Area once again to archery for a limited season by special permit only. For 2014 and 2015, hunters were further confined to off-trail tree stands. We interviewed all of our selected hunters before and after the season and re-evaluate the policy each year. This spring, we conducted a survey of Balch Hill neighbors and friends, with a strong response rate: Balch Hill Deer Hunting Survey 2016 Responses.
See also Frequently Asked Questions, developed in response to comments. The Hanover Conservation Commission has set up a Deer Team to pursue changes in state hunting rules to better manage the town’s expanding deer population.
The Hanover Conservancy supports control of the deer herd by hunters following state laws. Beside the limited hunting at Balch Hill, hunting is permitted on the following Conservancy properties:
- Mayor-Niles Forest, Moose Mountain
- Tunis Brook Mill Lot
- Greensboro Ridge Natural Area (except south of the Silent Brook Trail)
Just how much do deer affect vegetation at Balch Hill? To find out, we are working with Dartmouth Professor Craig Layne and students in his Ecological Methods class on a long-term experiment at the Natural Area. In 2012, we erected a number of fenced “exclosures” to foil hungry deer. This chart compares the number of plants in the fenced areas (blue) to the number in places (red) where deer could reach them.
We’ve Moved!
The Hanover Conservancy opened new offices at 71 Lyme Road on April 1, 2016. While we regret leaving behind our former offices at 16 Buck Road, close to our Mink Brook Nature Preserve, this move was forced by a fire on Nov. 2, 2015 that made our office uninhabitable. We happy to work right next to trails leading to Storrs Pond, the Rinker-Steele Natural Area, and Oak Hill. We’re also within walking distance of the Richmond School, CRREL, and Kendal.
Moister Meadow protected
The Hanover Conservancy is pleased to announce a new addition to its portfolio of protected lands, the Moister Meadow. The conservation easement on the 21-acre property, set in the rolling hills of Hanover Center, is the gift of F. Corbin Moister, Jr., whose family has owned the land for over 40 years.
The open meadow, fringed by forest, represents an iconic historic farming landscape, ringed with stone walls dating from the early 19th century. The property is located in the headwaters of the Slade Brook watershed and abuts over 700 acres of other protected land, including the Huntington Hill Wildlife Management Area and the historic Nutt Farm.
“Protecting this property accomplishes a number of the Conservancy’s strategic conservation goals,” observes Adair Mulligan, Executive Director. “The meadow provides an increasingly uncommon type of habitat for woodcock, bobolink, and other grassland birds and wildlife, and also has valuable agricultural soils. As the forest reclaims many old fields like this, such habitat is becoming scarcer. The open views and rolling landscape are moving reminders of Hanover’s past.”
Just as important, the wetlands and rivulets on the property protect the waters of Slade Brook and supports flood security for neighborhoods below. Such headwaters help control stream flow and are the first line of defense against microbursts and washouts. The Conservancy’s Jim and Evalyn Hornig Natural Area at Lower Slade Brook, just off River Road, guards another 35 acres around this stream. The Moister Meadow provides a link in the wildlife corridor that connects the Connecticut with Hanover’s uplands and Moose Mountain.
“My father and step mother chose to build their home in this meadow at least in part to allow their English Setter dogs a safe place to run,” Corb Moister says. “I am very pleased to be able to preserve a portion of this property exactly as they found it 50 years ago. I hope that future owners and neighbors will enjoy t
his beautiful place as my family has.”
The land will continue in private ownership and is currently listed for sale. Public access will be a decision of the future landowner. One need not step onto the property to enjoy it – beautiful views across the meadow from stone wall-lined Upper Dogford Road make for an enjoyable walk or drive.
Game Management in NH 2015-2025
The NH Fish and Game Department is preparing its new ten-year plan for game management in our state. The Hanover Conservancy has submitted comment on the draft plan regarding its proposed management of deer and bear. Locally, the deer population has become a nuisance and a threat to forest health in the absence of effective predation. More flexible rules are needed to permit more response population management. The department also proposes to reduce the black bear population in our area by 28%, a figure that seems drastic. We support the department’s efforts to educate people to become more responsible neighbors to bears and to invest in habitat protection. Read the Conservancy statement.
