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August 23. 2012 1:01AM
Forests society raises $53,000 to fight Northern Pass route
CONCORD — The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests raised almost $53,000 in the first 24 hours of announcing its campaign to protect five parcels from the proposed Northern Pass power transmission line route.
Will Abbott, vice president for policy at the state’s largest conservation organization, said one of the first gifts came from a snowmobiler who noted that if everyone with a registered sled sent $50, the goal would be met.
“It’s that sort of attitude that is going to make this work,” said Abbott.
On Monday, the organization announced it has purchase-and-sales agreements for conservation easements on five parcels totaling 1,895 acres being eyed by the controversial hydro power transmission project.
But they said they need to raise $2.5 million by Oct. 31 to thwart the project and forever protect those lands.
Abbott said not only will the organization go to its base of members but that it will send out notice to residents of the 31 towns along the proposed route, and to those in nearby communities.
“It’s a fair statement that we wouldn’t have proposed to do this if we felt we couldn’t reach the goal,” Abbott said, “Nothing’s for sure but we did a fair amount of soul searching before we announced this.
Martin Murray, spokesman for the Northern Pass project, said the conservation group’s acquisitions would not stop the efforts by Northeast Utilities and Hydro-Quebec to develop the $1.1 billion, 180-mile power transmission line from Pittsburg to Deerfield.
Abbott said his organization is operating “pedal to the metal for the next two months” to protect land being offered by residents of Coos County who do not want to have to sell to Northern Pass but whose property lies on the intended route.
The parcels now under agreement for conservation are:
-- 525 acres of North Hill in Stewartstown owned by Green Acre Woodlands.
-- The 970-acre McAllaster Farm on Mudget Mountain in Stewartstown.
-- Two small parcels owned by Lynne Placey, totaling roughly 100 acres in Stewartstown.
-- 300 acres in Columbia, owned by the Lewis family, linking the southern boundary of the Balsams tract and the boundary of the Nash Stream State Forest.
Paula Tracy may be reached at ptracy@unionleader.com.
Will Abbott, vice president for policy at the state’s largest conservation organization, said one of the first gifts came from a snowmobiler who noted that if everyone with a registered sled sent $50, the goal would be met.
“It’s that sort of attitude that is going to make this work,” said Abbott.
On Monday, the organization announced it has purchase-and-sales agreements for conservation easements on five parcels totaling 1,895 acres being eyed by the controversial hydro power transmission project.
But they said they need to raise $2.5 million by Oct. 31 to thwart the project and forever protect those lands.
Abbott said not only will the organization go to its base of members but that it will send out notice to residents of the 31 towns along the proposed route, and to those in nearby communities.
“It’s a fair statement that we wouldn’t have proposed to do this if we felt we couldn’t reach the goal,” Abbott said, “Nothing’s for sure but we did a fair amount of soul searching before we announced this.
Martin Murray, spokesman for the Northern Pass project, said the conservation group’s acquisitions would not stop the efforts by Northeast Utilities and Hydro-Quebec to develop the $1.1 billion, 180-mile power transmission line from Pittsburg to Deerfield.
Abbott said his organization is operating “pedal to the metal for the next two months” to protect land being offered by residents of Coos County who do not want to have to sell to Northern Pass but whose property lies on the intended route.
The parcels now under agreement for conservation are:
-- 525 acres of North Hill in Stewartstown owned by Green Acre Woodlands.
-- The 970-acre McAllaster Farm on Mudget Mountain in Stewartstown.
-- Two small parcels owned by Lynne Placey, totaling roughly 100 acres in Stewartstown.
-- 300 acres in Columbia, owned by the Lewis family, linking the southern boundary of the Balsams tract and the boundary of the Nash Stream State Forest.
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Paula Tracy may be reached at ptracy@unionleader.com.
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