Boon in the Bust?

Will impending housing bubble be a bonus for conservation?

New Hampshire's Northwood Meadows State Park is a 675 acre green swath in rapidly growing Rockingham County. Easily accessible to the state's urban centers, Northwood Meadows not only protects valuable habitat but provides recreational opportunities for thousands of Granite Staters.

How this park came to be, was through fate and fast action. New Hampshire's housing market was sizzling in the late 1980's placing development pressure on thousands of acres of farmlands, forests, and prime wildlife habitat throughout the state. Northwood Meadows was approved to become yet another cookie-cutter housing development. Then-the market tanked! Real estate prices plummeted and over-extended developers went belly up. Northwood Meadows became defaulted property now owned by the bank.

Conservationists saw an incredible opportunity. Through the Trust for New Hampshire Lands they were able to purchase the property for a bargain price. The timing of the market and the foresight of the environmental community saved this property from eventually becoming a housing tract in a fairly undeveloped area. It now provides wonderful hiking, cross-country skiing, fishing, and wildlife viewing for thousands of Granite Staters and visitors.

With a housing market sizzling again, will we see a repeat of the late 80s bust? Certainly speculators have some worry-and certainly some markets are beginning to cool down. Perhaps if some sanity takes control of the market-and once again weeds out the get-rich-quick schemers-then perhaps we will have some incredible opportunities to purchase some key conservation properties once more. I know that I welcome a housing correction-not only to provide working families with the chance to own their own home-but also to secure homes for threatened wildlife from Maine to Washington. Keep your eyes posted on those listings.

Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area

Turns 20 This Year

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark legislation that established the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon and Washington. Despite all the controversy that the bill was met with during its inception-it seems to be working the way its authors intended. With Portland and Vancouver continuously sprawling-the Columbia Gorge NSA has retained a viable rural landscape without being swallowed up by urban development. A trip into the Gorge, especially the Washington side-is a trip back into the past. Historic hamlets and quaint villages-all with a breathtaking background of emerald forests, rolling farmlands, and lush wetlands greets the traveler. We should definitely be celebrating the success of this unique conservation initiative-that not only protects scenic and naturally important landscapes-but preserves and encourages a healthy rural economy as well. It should be a model for other areas-and why similar legislation has not been proposed for other threatened rural areas is beyond me. Most remarkable is the fact that one of the authors of this legislation was Slade Gorton (R-WA)-a man that wasn't exactly remembered as an environmentalist. Where is the leadership now? In both parties?

Contemplate what this model can do for other places in America. You can read about what you can visit in Washington's side of the Gorge in an upcoming article I have written for Northwest Travel magazine. If you're interested in helping to protect this Northwest and national treasure, check out: Friends of the Columbia Gorge.

Happy

New Year

2006

New Years Day 2006 was greeted in New Hampshire with a small snow storm. Just enough to make the countryside glisten. Started the New Year off as usual-by partaking in a running race. For two years in a row I challenged myself to the hilly but scenic course of the Peanut Butter Chip 5K in the little town of Temple. Great little community event. Afterwards spent the afternoon with family walking around the Society for the Protection of NH'S Forest's Monson Village property. We had our own private tour from Russ Dickerman-an abutting land owner who significantly contributed to the effort to preserve this ecologically and historically important property. Russ is a true hero-a person who selflessly gives to makes this world a better place. We need more heroes like Russ. Hopefully 2006 will see a good number of our fellow citizens rise to a calling that goes beyond consuming and taking. Happy New Year! For more info on Monson Village, visit: http://spnhf.org/ourproperties/featured/monson-village.asp.