Antrim and Bennington environmental projects receive grant funds

Projects in Antrim and Bennington have been awarded grant funding from the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program to support conservation and preservation efforts.

The Town of Antrim Conservation Commission received a $115,000 grant to expand the Campbell Pond Forest. The project will add approximately 112 acres of working forest habitat to the town-owned Campbell Pond properties, creating a protected forest block of nearly 400 acres. The Monadnock Conservancy will permanently conserve the property through a conservation easement.

“We are very appreciative of LCHIP’s investment in growing the Campbell Pond Forest,” stated Peter Beblowski, chair of the Antrim Conservation Commission. “The LCHIP award will enable the Town of Antrim to protect valuable forest and wildlife habitat while also opening the property for new trails and recreation.”

In Bennington, the Monadnock Conservancy received a $150,000 LCHIP grant to acquire an agricultural easement on a 51-acre livestock farm purchased by the Comeau family in 2020. The family has worked to reclaim fields that had been reverting to forest, rebuild farm buildings and reinstall fence lines on the property.

The easement will ensure the land remains permanently available for farming, while proceeds from the sale will help the family continue upgrading the property and achieving their vision.

The New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) is an independent state authority providing matching grants to New Hampshire’s municipalities and non-profits, helping to preserve natural, cultural and historic resources. LCHIP grants are funded by a $25 fee assessed when deeds, mortgages and plans are recorded at the state’s 10 registries of deeds.