Squam Lookout June 2019 Forever Squam? Squam’s Land Trust Forever Squam; our web address, a tag line, and now a book title (see below). It also summarizes our approach for the perpetual stewardship of each completed land conservation project, such as Coolidge Farm and the Bridle Trail Lot (see page 2). While you can correlate permanently protected land with the concept of Forever Squam, protecting some of Squam is not the same as protecting all of Squam. At what point can we say that Squam is likely to endure forever? Land conservation, ironically, is not just about protecting land. It’s also about connecting the past with the future, wildlife with people, the spiritual with science, and individual values to community character. How often have you heard visitors marvel how Squam is unchanged? Yes, with 30% of the land in the Squam watershed now permanently protected, the landscape is largely the same. But there have been many, many changes in our community, and looming threats such as climate change and unbridled development. The antidote to these threats and social change is only partially addressed by land conservation. The biggest factor in maintaining the integrity of Squam has been, and remains, the ongoing commitment of the whole community, which has demonstrated time and again that stewardship goes beyond the management of their property. The power of Squam is that its stewardship is shared by the entire community. (1907) In the end, our success will not be measured by the number of protected acres or percent of land conserved, but by the sense of collective stewardship by subsequent generations. The challenge before us is to successfully transfer our commitment to steward Squam all the way to forever. Onward… Forever SQUAM by Robert J. Kozlow Pick up your copy now at the SLCS office - $30.00 All proceeds go to land conservation when purchased at SLCS Dr. Kozlow has a special gift for capturing the timeless spirit of Squam and its community. His images in this book transcend time and reach across everyday experiences to inspire us and connect us to the awe and majesty of Squam’s land, lake, and people. Forever Squam . West Rattlesnake - Bridle Trail Lot Area Protecting trail networks in the Squam watershed is a high priority for the Conservation Society. West Rattlesnake, with over 70,000 hiker visits a year, is the most popular hike in the Squam Region. Two of the trails, the Old Bridle Trail and the Undercut Trail, are located on a 12-acre tract owned by Rockywold-Deephaven Camps (RDC) in Holderness, NH. In May 2019, SLCS and RDC recorded a Conservation and Trail Easement to protect this key parcel lying between SLA’s Rattlesnake parking area on Route 113 and the UNH-owned Armstrong Natural Area leading up to the peak of West Rattlesnake Mountain. In addition to ensuring public access to the trails, conservation features include the protection of 545 feet of undeveloped land along Route 113, three natural-spring wells, and the upper watershed of the clear-running Bennett Brook leading into Big Squam Lake. Funding for this bargain- sale purchase came from generous SLCS donors as part of the Squam Uplands Initiative to conserve the upper reaches of land in the Squam watershed. Photo by Kenneth Hamilton Coolidge Farm Coolidge Farm is a classic New England farmhouse located in Sandwich Bay in the northeast section of Big Squam Lake. Formerly the main dwelling of the 350-acre Samuel Smith Farm, which included Fore Point, Long Point and many miles of lake frontage, it was acquired in 1893 by Coolidge family members who had attended Camp Asquam, the nation’s first boy’s camp. Called Upper Asquam Farms, it was the first country estate at Squam. In the 1950’s through the mid-70’s, Judy Coolidge operated a high- volume chicken farm, with as many as 20,000 chickens producing eggs and meat. Coolidge Farm, now six acres with a restored farm house, small cottage, large barn, and 515’ of shoreland, is presently owned by the Coolidge Farm Preservation Trust (CFPT). In February 2019, the CFPT donated a conservation easement to the Conservation Society protecting 4.3 acres of land, including all of the shorefront. This scenic property is very visible, situated across the Town of Sandwich Beach. We are grateful to the CFPT Trustees and Coolidge family members for protecting this iconic property. 2 Night Lights This dark sky map of central NH shows nighttime light emissions from 2016. Note how much darker the Squam watershed is compared to nearby Newfound and Winnipesaukee Lakes. For more information go to: https:lighttrends.lightpollutionmap.info Squam Lake “In my youth we could look out across the lake and see thirteen lights at night. It’s up to 17 now. That’s not too bad in 60 or 70 years.” In memory of Ham Coolidge, 1924 - 2018 Hamilton Coolidge celebrating the conservation of Hoag Island in 2009. Did you know . that you can easily access an interactive map of the Squam watershed at our website foreversquam.org? You will be able to toggle between type of terrain, conservation land, trails, streams, town boundaries, and much more. Go to: foreversquam.org/map-of-conserved-land/ 3 All Things Stewardship We welcomed spring with lots of planning, organizing and preparing for the upcoming summer and fall. In May, Jules Stanley and Dane Doormann, two AmeriCorps members with the Lakes Region Conservation Corps, joined the team to help with land conservation projects, research, and general stewardship of the lands and conservation easements in our care. We are very excited to have them here. Looking to the future, the Conservation Society is transitioning to a new Salesforce-based database system (called LOCATE). The new system will be cloud-based and allow us to track properties and projects, and all of the long-term information and stewardship of the full SLCS-conserved lands’ portfolio. It is a big undertaking and a big investment in the future of the organization. When completed, we will be better positioned to engage all-those-who-love- Squam with the hard (but satisfying) work and responsibility of caring for this remarkable place. Also looking to the future (notice the theme?), we have taken some time to revamp and update our “Stewardship Calculator.“ The calculator is used to determine what funding levels are needed in the future to ensure that we can deliver on the promise of forever. The Conservation Society is well positioned, but costs continue to increase, and there’s always a potential for legal challenges. Reviewing our assumptions and goals proved valuable. Thanks to the calculator, it looks like we could use a bigger piggy bank! We are always looking for new folks to help with monitoring lands on which we hold conservation easements, and to assist with managing the lands we own. We have a bunch of new conservation projects that have been completed with more in “the pipeline.” It really is an exciting time! If you are interested in joining the team or have some time to help, give a call at 603-968-7900 and ask for Pete, or visit our web page at foreversquam.org and send us a note. We’ll give you all the training you need, and all the fresh air you want! Artwork by Max Gagnon - mcgillustration.com There go our superheroes. Welcome Our 2019 AmeriCorps Members Dane Doormann Hello! My name is Dane and I graduated from Keene State College in May with a B.S. in environmental studies and a minor in sustainability. I grew up in a small town in Connecticut, but moved to Franconia, NH in the beautiful White Mountain region after my senior year of high school. My love for the outdoors began as a young child when my father would take me on hiking, skiing, and boating trips. My passion and love for the environment continued to grow as I explored the White Mountains and traveled and explored other countries such as, Costa Rica, Ireland, Croatia, Austria, and many more! Through each and every experience my desire to conserve Earth’s natural resources has grown. I’m incredibly excited to begin my journey with the SLCS and learn more about land conservation practices. And I am thrilled to call the Squam watershed my home for the next six months! Jules Stanley Hello! My name is Jules and I’m from Hershey, Pennsylvania. I’ve just graduated with an undergraduate degree in organismal biology and ecology from Colorado College. I have a great love for field work, especially relating to botany, and I have worked as a guide for Hershey Outfitters in my hometown, leading kayak trips, high ropes courses, and hiking. You can usually find me outside hiking or camping. I’m excited to work with the SLCS and to spend time in New Hampshire! 4 Squam Range Forest Monitoring Doublehead Preserve, Sandwich, NH Acid rain. The name is particularly nasty, and the effect on New England forests was especially damaging. Fortunately, federal policy makers made positive changes to the Clean Air Act in 1990 that helped reduce the impact of acid rain on the entire northeastern United States. The recovery, while not complete, has been remarkable. The science behind it? Fascinating. Here we are 30 years later, facing a similar but global environmental catastrophe with the insidious and ever-increasing symptoms of climate change. We all have to do our part to reverse this trend. If we don’t, expect to see more severe storms, rain events, draughts, and who knows what future generations will face.