December 14, 2022 - Governor Sununu today announced $4.3 million in matching grants to support thirty-four land conservation and historic preservation projects across the state by the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP). The grants will assist municipalities, non-profit organizations, and community groups in rehabilitating 17 historic structures and permanently conserving more than 2,700 acres of farm, timber, and ecologically significant land in all ten counties of the state, including the Bradford Bog Headwaters property in Bradford, NH.

Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust has received an $80,000 grant award to support the purchase and protection of 71.66 acres of land in the town of Bradford, NH. The property helps to protect the Bradford Bog headwaters, the Abenaki ancient healing springs site, and the Atlantic White Cedar bog and wildflower sanctuary. It is “highest ranked” wildlife habitat and is an important regenerating forest, a haven for many threatened species of birds. 

When asked about the importance of this project to the area, Bradford Conservation Commission Chair, Ann Eldridge shared:
"Many years ago, when the Bradford Conservation Commission created general focus areas in the town in conjunction  with UNH and the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan, we knew that citizens prioritized water protection and wildlife as well as access to recreational trails.  This property has it all.  With access to the Bradford Bog area as well as the Aiken Town Forest, this is a real piece of that puzzle.  It is exciting that the mostly unfragmented wetland landscape in this area will be enlarged for passive recreation and for wildlife that requires big spaces."

LCHIP grant recipients are required to match each dollar contributed by LCHIP with a minimum of one additional dollar, and to complete the funded projects according to the program’s rigorous standards. This year’s award of $4.3 million will be matched by more than $15 million in funding from other public and private sources, infusing a total of more than $19 million into the state’s economy in direct project activity. Recipients will be expected to complete the funded work within two years. A list of previously completed LCHIP-funded projects can be found at www.LCHIP.org. 

About New Hampshire’s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP)

LCHIP is an independent state authority created by the legislature in 2000 to ensure the perpetual contribution of natural, cultural, and historic resources to the economy, environment, and quality of life in NH.  Since 2000, LCHIP has provided 564 matching grants to municipalities and non-profit organizations, investing over $58 million to help partners conserve more than 236,000 acres of land and rehabilitate 341 historic buildings. Grants have been awarded in all parts of the state and in 195 of NH’s 234 communities. The money for LCHIP grants comes from a surcharge assessed when recording documents at county Registry of Deeds. For more information about LCHIP, visit www.LCHIP.org or call 603-224-4113

                                                                                                           ###

The Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust currently protects 163 properties comprising 13,253 acres of land in the 12-town region that it serves.

Ausbon Sargent is a non-profit land trust whose mission is to help preserve the rural landscape of the
12 towns it serves in the Mt. Kearsarge/Ragged/Lake Sunapee region. Learn more at www.ausbonsargent.org