New Projects


Georges Mills Road, Springfield
Springfield land owner, Dan Thorne, donates the single largest Ausbon Sargent conservation easement - Protecting 1559 acres in Springfield.
Star Lake Farm is located off Georges Mills Road in Springfield, but its lands border 6 public roads now protecting just over 13,000’ of frontage. In addition to many acres of managed forest land, the property is actively farmed with over 100 acres of fields and pastureland known for its delicious locally raised beef.
This property is vital to the region’s water resource protection as it includes the shoreline protection of all 8900’ of Star Lake, 2500’ on McAlvin Pond, 1200’ on Baptist Pond and 3900’ along Star Lake Brook. All of these still and moving waters are vital parts of the headwaters of the Lake Sunapee watershed providing filtration of drinking water, flood control and other important benefits.
Portions of the Star Lake property are identified in the NH Wildlife Action Plan as among the highest ranking habitat in NH, in the biological region and landscapes for supporting wildlife habitat.
There is public access for recreation on nearly 22,000’ of private roads (not including motorized wheeled vehicles) and a trail will be built to the top of Pitcher Hill as a joint project of Ausbon Sargent, the SRK Greenway and the Springfield Conservation Commission, affording the public striking views of lakes, ponds, mountains and ridgelines near and far.
And last, but certainly not least, this privately owned public asset joins over 7600 acres of conserved land both adjacent to and nearby Star Lake Farm. This includes the private lands protected with conservation easements known as the RH Webb Preserve, CW Hayes Trust, Baptist Pond Trust, and Donovan Family Trust. Additionally there are the State and Town owned properties knows as Gile State Forest, Royal Arch, Dutchman Pond and Morgan Pond.
Click here for more details including a map and more pictures. And, if you would enjoy knowing more about the history of Star Lake Farm click here to read the article from Spring 2009 in Soo Nipi Magazine www.soonipi/com . Go to articles and then click on Early Star Lake Farm.


