From the desk of  Michael Whittemore, Community Engagement Manager, Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust:

ACT Leads Community Effort to Preserve 44 Acres in Sugar Hill

New Hadley Hill Conservation Area strengthens a 1,600-acre undeveloped corridor and supports future public trail connection.

Sugar Hill, NH — The Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust (ACT) is pleased to announce the acquisition of 44 acres of land on Dyke Road in Sugar Hill. The property, now known as the Hadley Hill Conservation Area, will be permanently protected and stewarded by ACT for the benefit of the community, wildlife, and the surrounding landscape.

The property includes approximately seven acres of open field that will be maintained for pollinators and other wildlife, with the remaining acreage in regenerating forest. Together, these habitats add to the ecological diversity of the area while strengthening a much larger network of conserved land.

Hadley Hill Conservation Area sits adjacent to the 108-acre Stewart sugarbush, which is protected by a conservation easement held by ACT. It also lies across from the 600-acre conserved Bronson Hill area and within reach of the 840-acre Cooley-Jericho Community Forest. These protected lands help form an undeveloped corridor of approximately 1,600 acres, supporting wildlife movement, habitat connectivity, and long-term landscape resilience.

The property also offers future public benefit through the potential for a hiking trail connection between Bronson Hill and Cooley-Jericho Community Forest.
“This acquisition was truly the work of many hands,” said Rosalind Page, Executive Director of ACT. “Because of the time constraints placed on the project by the seller, it did not fit within normal grant funding cycles. The community stepped up with gifts large and small to make this conservation success possible. We are deeply grateful for that support and honored by the trust placed in ACT to steward this land in perpetuity.” ACT is also grateful to the consultants and partners who responded quickly to help complete the project.

The protection of Hadley Hill Conservation Area reflects ACT’s ongoing commitment to conserving important lands, strengthening habitat connections, and protecting the places that support the quality of life in the North Country — for people, wildlife, and future generations.

About the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust –
The Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust works with landowners and community partners to permanently protect farms, forests, waterways, wildlife habitat, trails, and other important places across New Hampshire’s North Country. Learn more at act-nh.org.