LONDONDERRY — Local conservation officials believe a section of the Musquash Conservation Area could make an ideal habitat for the endangered New England cottontail rabbit.

“There are still a lot of issues (to be worked out),” Conservation Commission Chairman Deb Lievens said this week. “We still don't know where the finances are coming from at this point, so we really can't commit to a long-term project until we know.”

Often confused with the more common Eastern cottontail, a non-native species brought here by settlers in the early 1900s for the purpose of hunting, the native New England cottontail has poor eyesight and is more vulnerable to predators.

In recent decades, the state's native rabbit range has declined around 85 percent, mainly due to development of wild lands and the maturation of existing forests.

Unlike their more adaptable (and more common) cousins, New England cottontails don't like living on golf courses, lawns or active farmlands since they lack the dense brush needed for hiding.

In order to create a successful bunny habitat, the Conservation Commission would need to work with a forester to achieve those conservation goals, which would include clearing taller trees to create shrub lands.

Once finances are settled, Lievens warned that the changes that would be made to a section of the Musquash would probably “be unattractive for a period of time.”

The new habitat area would most likely be located along the site's northeastern border, with around 60 acres to be converted to habitat.

“The cleared area will grow back, but it will always be shorter and scrubbier,” Lievens said.

New Hampshire Fish and Game wildlife biologist Heidi Holman, who's been working closely with the Londonderry Conservation Commission, said an overall goal is the develop a combined 2,000 acres of habitat around the state, with those areas to be initially populated by bunnies from a captive breeding program.

Members of the local Conservation Commission will tackle the topic further this summer, as they contemplate fundraising options in efforts to create a habitat without using taxpayer money.

There's also been talk about establishing bunny habitats inside Londonderry's Moose Hill Orchards, while Londonderry Middle School student Amaya Lessard has been devoting much of her spare time to raising awareness over the past few years.

With the help of her mother, Ola, Amaya created a website, www.NEcottontail.com, containing facts on the endangered critters and how folks can help them.

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April Guilmet may be reached at AGuilmet@newstote.com.