A scenic, 28-acre field and forest on a
ridgeline above the village of Gilmanton
Iron Works has now been conserved for
future generations. Working closely
with Five Rivers Conservation Trust, a
Concord-based nonprofit organization
serving the capital region, property
owners Mike and Muriel Robinette
recently took the key steps to ensure
that their land permanently remains as
open space.
“Thanks to the Robinettes’ generous
donation of a conservation easement to
Five Rivers Conservation Trust, the land
will never be developed or subdivided,”
said Chuck Knox, Five Rivers’ Executive
Director. He noted that conservation
easements are legal instruments that
serve as permanent restrictions on
property development. “Since these
easements run with the land from
landowner to landowner, this special
corner of our state will continue to
stay intact, affording long-term
benefits to the neighborhood and local
community.”
With views extending across the rolling
countryside of Gilmanton and beyond into
Gilford and Alton, the Robinettes’ field
serves as an upland pasture where horses
graze alongside of white-tailed deer and
an occasional moose. An adjacent
woodland with a meandering brook and
wetlands is also included in the
conserved landscape, and provides
habitat for a mix of wildlife, including
black bear, grouse, wild turkeys, and
other animals.
When asked why they chose to conserve
their land, Muriel commented, “Mike and
I feel a special bond to this land,
having raised our family here and
enjoyed its tranquility. We’ve been
looking forward to conserving it for
quite awhile, and protecting it for
others to enjoy just seemed like the
right thing to do.”
Five Rivers Conservation Trust now holds
over thirty conservation easements
throughout its 16-town capital region
service area, including three other
protected properties in the Town of
Gilmanton. “The Robinettes’ land has
many valuable attributes,” said Knox,
“and our nonprofit is honored to serve
as its easement holder. With that honor
comes the important responsibility of
our organization’s regular stewardship
monitoring to ensure the property’s
long-term protection.”
Knox added, “The Robinettes brought to
the table a tremendous commitment to
conservation, as well as the dedication
and energy needed to see this project
through to successful completion. They
are certainly to be commended, and they
can take satisfaction in knowing that
years from now their acreage will
continue to be a very special piece of
New Hampshire’s rural landscape
heritage.”
