A Conservation Alliance grantee, the Northeast Wilderness Trust, has successfully protected the Wapack Wilderness in New Hampshire. The 1,200-acre area contains more than a mile of the Wapack Trail, the headwaters of the Millers River, and sweeping forest views.
The Conservation Alliance supported the Wapack Wilderness Campaign with a $30,000 grant in 2006. Northeast Wilderness Trust (www.newildernesstrust.org) used Alliance support to build grassroots participation in the effort to purchase the area from the Hampshire Country School, a private boarding school that sold the property to help cover increasing operational costs.
“We are excited that the Wapack Wilderness is now permanently protected,” said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “It is rare to have the opportunity to save a parcel this size in the Northeastern US.”
This victory represents the first phase of the Wapack campaign. Northeast Wilderness Trust plans to secure an additional 200 acres by the end of 2008. Once preserved, the entire 1,400-acre area will be managed as a wild forest. A stewardship endowment will support ongoing ecological assessments, and ensure a quality experience for wildlife and for Wapack Trail through-hikers.
“Northeast Wilderness Trust capably turned our support – and that of others – into a great conservation victory for New England,” said Sterling. “We hope our members are pleased with our continued success in supporting organizations that can get the job done.”