Preserving New Hampshire's Natural Heritage
BLUE HILLS FOUNDATION
Blue Hills Foundation, Inc. (BHF) is a not-for-profit operating foundation dedicated to the conservation of land in Strafford and Belknap Counties of New Hampshire.
The Foundation holds 7,854 acres of nearly contiguous forests of spruce, fir, red pine, white pine, and diverse hardwoods. Interspersed in these woodlands are wetlands, brooks, ponds, rocky ridges, meadows, pastures, and hayfields. The land spans from northeast Strafford to southern Barnstead, with a few parcels in Alton, Farmington, and New Durham.
The Blue Hills Foundation protects an entire natural landscape, including parts of the Blue Hills Range that extends from Evans Mountain, across Parker Mountain, and up to Blue Job; significant waters and wetlands in the Big River and Little River Watersheds; the upper watershed of the undeveloped Willey Ponds, and a unique southerly reach of spruce-fir forest.
Conservation Efforts
The Foundation actively manages the land to ecologically improve the forests, including with periodic harvests. BHF is in the process of developing and implementing forest management practices that will improve wildlife habitat, forest and soil health and resilience, protect important watersheds, and lead to increased carbon sequestration. More than half of the BHF lands are protected from further development by Conservation Easements held by New England Forestry Foundation and Bear-Paw Regional Greenways, and Conservation Agreements with the Society for the Protection of NH Forests.
The Foundation has embarked upon a program of sustainable management of its agricultural lands, guided by a study of the fields done by the University of New Hampshire in 2012. The introduction of about 50 head of cattle being intensively rotationally grazed on the fields, and supplementing the fields with composted manure and other sustainable additions is ensuring the transition to healthier soils and the transition away from chemical amendments, while creating a local food source.
Policies and Access
The Blue Hills Foundation is focused on conservation and research. To ensure the protection of these valuable ecosystems, we ask that all who are considering a visit to familiarize themselves with our policies and regulations. Respecting these guidelines helps preserve the natural beauty and integrity of the land for future generations.
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