Beebe River, NH: Reconnecting A River, Wildlife And A Community's Favorite Place

OUR ROLE

In 2014, the Fund purchased 30,000 acres of forestland across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine through our Working Forest Fund. This included 5,441 acres acres that encompass 27 percent of the Beebe River watershed. During our ownership, we’ve worked with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service — White Mountain National Forest to improve water quality and restore fish passage on these five tributaries.

The work was extensive! It involved removing five undersized culverts and bridges that impeded stream crossings, and replacing them with steel and plank bridges on the main access road through the property. In addition, five miles of road were reconstructed and ditched, 1,200 feet of road were relocated away from the river, and 50 culverts were installed — all mitigating impacts of sedimentation and erosion to the river and restoring habitat, while improving access for continued forest management and providing flood mitigation to communities downstream. This work was made possible, in part, with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), an initiative of the 2014 Farm Bill. Its goal is to bring innovation, partners, resources, and leveraged funds together to reach conservation goals.

In addition, with overwhelming community support and funding from the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, we permanently protected the land with working forest conservation easements in 2022 that guarantee public recreational access for hunting, hiking, biking, cross country skiing and a state designated snowmobile trail in perpetuity.

WHY THIS PROJECT MATTERS

Our efforts benefit the forest, the river and the communities of New Hampshire by conserving this forested landscape and its wood and tourist-based economies. The land shares a 6.5-mile border with the White Mountain National Forest, and allows access to 150 miles of hiking trails to be safeguarded as well. The restored stream crossings reconnect fish access to nearly six miles of spawning and rearing locations, reduce water temperatures for cold-water fish, and link 15 miles of aquatic habitat. These efforts are especially good news for wild brook trout, which are one of New Hampshire’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need and spawn in only 7 percent of the state’s rivers. Finally, the land will continue to be managed as a working forest — ensuring jobs and revenue will stay in the region. Thanks to these efforts, and generous support from the communities and partners, generations of people and wildlife will be able to continue enjoying this special place into the future.





PARTNERS

 

Restoration

  • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • USDA White Mountain National Forest
  • New Hampshire Fish & Game Department
  • Pemigewassett Chapter of Trout Unlimited (Pemi-TU)
  • New England Culvert Project – a division of Trout Unlimited Inc.
  • US Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Plymouth State University

 

Conservation

  • Squam Lakes Conservation Society
  • New Hampshire Division of Forests & Land

 

Special thanks to the project’s host Towns of Campton and Sandwich, and their wholehearted support.

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