To get back into good shape, the 1830 Sugar Hill Meetinghouse in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire needed vinyl siding removed and repairs made to the clapboards underneath; it also needed painting and repairs to its steeple and clock. An NH Division of Historical Resources NH Moose Plate grant offered big help to get these important jobs done.
New Hampshire is home to Karner blue butterflies—which, in 1995, became so endangered due to climate change and land development that there were only 50 estimated to be in the state! But thanks to efforts by NH Fish and Game’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, populations are being restored across the state. As of 2023, the program has seen more than 35,000 Karner blue butterflies flourish in Concord, NH!
The Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, with assistance from a State Conservation Committee Moose Plate Grant, completed a decades-long Strategic Conservation Plan that identifies conservation lands with high-value natural resources. Focusing on protecting agricultural lands and water resources, the plan and natural resource data included has been shared with leaders in the 11-town region and will prioritize high-impact projects that closely align with priority conservation resources.
To counter the decline of pollinator habitat, 20 pollinator habitat sites were installed to demonstrate innovative approaches to converting sites, landowner workshops were held, and pollinator habitats on Cheshire County farms were inventoried to better understand the impacts of native pollinators.
This winter, the National Heritage Bureau frequented Mt. Sunapee to find old forests—which comprise less than 0.001% of our state’s forests. These forests are important to protect due to their high rates of carbon storage compared to younger forests, as well as for their biodiversity and cultural values. Through historic research, field visits, and desktop reconnaissance—and tree coring, an important method for understanding forest age—the team determined key areas on the landscape where old forests may occur.
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and LCHIP, Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, with the help of funding from Moose Plates, helped to complete all three phases of a conservation project to protect Emery Farm in Durham, New Hampshire. The final phase acquired an additional 36 acres to previously established conservation easements, incorporating important riverfront land along Oyster River and Smith Creek!
The “CH” stands for “conservation” and “heritage,” two important aspects of New Hampshire’s culture that benefit from funds generated by Moose Plate program.