Nature Conservancy protects additional habitat in Ossipee pine barrens

One hundred acres of a unique pine barrens ecosystem in Ossipee are now protected for future generations, thanks to a recent acquisition by The Nature Conservancy."The Nature Conservancy has been dedicated to protecting the ecological value of the Ossipee pine barrens since 1988, when we acquired our first preserve there," said Daryl Burtnett, state director of The Nature Conservancy's New Hampshire field office. "This recent acquisition is part of our continued commitment to protecting the rich natural diversity of this globally rare pine barrens ecosystem."The recent purchase of 100 acres is just north of Ossipee Lake. It includes a remarkable wetland habitat with a mix of pitch pine, red pine, scrub oak, black spruce, and holly. This specialized vegetation attracts an extraordinary variety of moths. A recent scientific inventory of nearby lands yielded 245 different moth species, four of which are extremely rare; others are unusual for this region and are usually found much farther north or south. These habitats also support several species of songbirds that are declining in number, such as whip-poor-wills, common nighthawks, rufous-sided towhees and brown thrashers.Once thought to cover nearly 6,000 acres in the Ossipee region, only 2,000 acres of pitch pine/scrub oak barrens remain. The Nature Conservancy has protected 1,865 acres in this ecosystem, 700 of which are pitch pine/scrub oak barrens. These lands are in nearby Freedom, Madison and Tamworth; the recent acquisition is the organization's first purchase in Ossipee. The Ossipee pine barrens is the state's largest, most intact occurrence of this globally imperiled forest community, and its protection is seen as critical to preserving New Hampshire's biological diversity.Glenn Mason, a longtime neighbor of the property, said he's very pleased about the deal."Personally, based on what I know about The Nature Conservancy's history of conservation around this area, I'm thrilled to see that this land is never going to be developed," Mason said.Although the 100-acre parcel is now permanently protected, The Nature Conservancy must still raise an additional $25,000 to complete the project. For more information about this and other projects of The Nature Conservancy's New Hampshire chapter, visit www.nature.org/newhampshire.The Nature Conservancy is the world's leading conservation organization. For more than 50 years, the conservancy has been protecting species and natural communities to ensure a variety of plant and animal life on Earth. Together with members and conservation partners, the New Hampshire chapter has protected more than 119,000 acres of critical natural lands in New Hampshire, including 32 preserves.