State Proposes Approval of Sunapee Expansion in Exchange for Land Donation

by Sam Evans-Brown, NHPR

“The West Bowl Recreation area will become public lands, and public facilities,” Rose said.

He suggested two trails should be moved, and a chairlift clear-cut narrowed to reduce the impact on a section of forest that contains trees over a 150-years-old. “However, since there is an impact to the natural exemplary community, I propose to mitigate these impacts through the donation of land currently owned by the Mount Sunapee Resort.”

A further 260 acres of land would go to the state park: 52 acres near the summit (10 acres of which are of similar maturity to the impacted stand of trees) and another 208 acres along a regional hiking trail that is already protected from development by existing conservation easements.

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