At long last, the Forest Society closed on the 72-acre property that is the gateway to the popular hiking trails up Mt. Major in Alton. This parcel was part of the successful "Everybody Hikes Mt. Major" project that resulted in the much quicker purchase of three other properties in the Mt. Major vicinity. Closing on the key, 72-acre piece was delayed as we worked through title issues. We became the official owners of the property on Dec. 16, with many thanks to Dave Roberts of Farmington, who bought the piece early in the campaign and held it off the open market until we could raise the funds, clear the red tape and finally buy it. Read about Dave's great work in the Belknaps in our blog post, "A True Conservation Hero."
Now we and our many partners turn to the task of stewarding the land we own on Mt. Major and addressing the challenges that come with some 80,000 hikers annually! We are meeting with stakeholder groups to start mapping out a stewardship plan to care for this beloved N.H. treasure.
